Exercise-induced insomnia

[7rider]

Chronic insomniac here.
Runs in the family.
I also eliminate caffeine after 2 p.m. Sugar, too, if I can. Also, no water or other drinks after 8 p.m.
I'm okay at FALLING asleep. It's the STAYING asleep that eludes me.
Melatonin helps. But if you have thyroid issues, I've read recommendations against it. I take thyroid meds, so I limit the melatonin I take to days when I feel the situation will be desperate.
Since I can't kick DH out of bed, earplugs are a given for me. Or rather...one. I sleep on my right side, so I get by with a plug in my left ear only.
A big glass of water helps when I'm twiddling my thumbs at 3 a.m. But that can create wake-up issues of its own.

[ny biker]

White noise machine. Works great. I can still hear some floor creaks when my upstairs neighbor is walking around, but not nearly as much as I used to. My bedroom window overlooks the parking lot for our condo courtyard but I don't hear any car noises. I am still able to hear my alarm clock and also the cell phone on my nightstand if it rings.

The one I have is a small clock radio/cd player that also makes a few different nature sounds. The babbling brook and ocean are nice, but the volume is not consistent so they don't work to mask neighbor noises. But there is a rain option that is very much like a constant static noise.

I know some people just use a fan, but the white noise machine is louder and therefore works better for me.

I also have insulated drapes in my bedroom that block almost all light from coming in, if that is an issue. I got them at Target -- I think the brand was Eclipse.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah I used to have a great 'sleep noise' machine when I lived in an apt right near the railroad crossing.
Worked great, and I could adjust the volume (unlike a fan) and cue in crickets, wind, surf, rain, owls, doves, tree frogs..... I loved it, and it sure beat listening to screaming train whistles.

[GLC1968]

The one I have is a small clock radio/cd player that also makes a few different nature sounds. The babbling brook and ocean are nice, but the volume is not consistent so they don't work to mask neighbor noises. But there is a rain option that is very much like a constant static noise.

I use this too and LOVE the rain setting. It's a life saver for me because I go to bed earlier than my husband during the week and he likes to wind down by watching TV (in the other room, but our house is small and not even slightly sound proof). This thing drowns out the TV and the bonus is that it also drowns out the coyotes so that the dogs don't hear them. Another plus!

Our window fan also works for me, but it's huge and directly over my head so it's quite loud. We can't use it every night though because even in the summer, it's sometimes too cold outside (like last night).

I'm a terrible sleeper and I can't get over how much better I am doing with this sound machine. Why it took me 42 years to try it is beyond me.

[Catrin]

My alarm clock has something like 17 "nature sounds" to use like this. I haven't found it helpful in the past to cover up the walking sounds from upstairs - but I also have not tried the white noise option. Will try it tonight. The fan doesn't help at all.

I am preparing to have a little chocolate milk - relax with a nice mystery - and try to wind down a little before - hopefully - going to sleep. I appreciate all of the advice... will likely also try the magnesium - sometimes I "almost" have leg cramps at night so that would help that as well, I am sure.

[trista]

+1 for melatonin. Also, make sure your room is cool. Reading in bed helps me... Like you said, that "downtime" before going to sleep really helps. I also like to have something to eat right before bed - a stick of string cheese seems to help me fall asleep. I also think Sleepytime tea can help with that wind-down period.

[OakLeaf]

Reading in bed has the opposite effect on me. One of the cardinal rules of sleep hygiene is to use your bed for nothing but sleep and sex.

[Blueberry]

I am preparing to have a little chocolate milk - relax with a nice mystery - and try to wind down a little before - hopefully - going to sleep. I appreciate all of the advice... will likely also try the magnesium - sometimes I "almost" have leg cramps at night so that would help that as well, I am sure.

Careful with the Chocolate Milk - Chocolate has caffeine in it. Maybe milk and honey? I've done that before (though I prefer my own "knock off" of Aveda's comfort tea...)

[Catrin]

Careful with the Chocolate Milk - Chocolate has caffeine in it. Maybe milk and honey? I've done that before (though I prefer my own "knock off" of Aveda's comfort tea...)

Really? Of course, chocolate has caffeine - duh! It is my treat after riding - though I think that choc. milk is a good reward for many things

I DID sleep last night - but I also was able to ride earlier than normal and stopped about the time I usually start... Tonight I just meet with my trainer, it is a rest day from riding so I should be able to sleep 2 nights in a row

[Crankin]

Catrin, I have had the exercise induced insomnia you described... I used to exercise almost exclusively at 5 AM. I couldn't even take a walk after 3 PM without it affecting me. Basically, I have trained my body slowly, to be able to deal with it. I still get up fairly early (5-6 AM) most days, but the exercise doesn't seem to keep me up as much. I mostly exercise in the morning/early afternoon, but I can ride at 5-6 PM and I can get to sleep, if it's not a really hard ride. It took a long time.
I'm a lot like Bleeker, in that I have had to reduce my caffeine intake to just the morning. I love having coffee around 3 PM (funny, the time I would leave work for all of those years), but I pay for it. I can't even have decaf after dinner, when we go out, so I drink herbal tea. Boring. Coffee is my one vice, so I don't like this.