Post-Ride Phenomenon: Poor Sleep Quality

[sdyeti]

Yesterday, I did a pretty tough ride (Training Ride: Santa Ana's). As you can see from the time stamp on this post, I can't sleep.

Has anyone else experience poor sleep quality after a long training ride?

I ask because normally, I fall asleep in under 2 minutes, sleep completely through the night, and wake up feeling pretty refreshed.

Tonight, before I woke up, I was having the craziest dreams. A neighbor's car alarm woke me up but strangely I couldn't fall back asleep. My legs are all tingly and feel pretty weird, almost restless.

FYI, I followed all normal bed-time routines and was asleep before 10 pm. No weird food before bed and the only caffeine I has was post-ride ~6 pm in the form of green tea. Usually, I could drink coffee right before bed and not be affected.

Anyone have similar experiences?

[dstepper]

Wait until you get older, that will be a normal night.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by sdyeti

Yesterday, I did a pretty tough ride (Training Ride: Santa Ana's). As you can see from the time stamp on this post, I can't sleep.

Has anyone else experience poor sleep quality after a long training ride?

I ask because normally, I fall asleep in under 2 minutes, sleep completely through the night, and wake up feeling pretty refreshed.

Tonight, before I woke up, I was having the craziest dreams. A neighbor's car alarm woke me up but strangely I couldn't fall back asleep. My legs are all tingly and feel pretty weird, almost restless.

FYI, I followed all normal bed-time routines and was asleep before 10 pm. No weird food before bed and the only caffeine I has was post-ride ~6 pm in the form of green tea. Usually, I could drink coffee right before bed and not be affected.

Anyone have similar experiences?

Yes, Mexican food is more stimulating than coffee.

[Pain Freak]

Same thing happens to me after longer rides, or tougher rides. At first I thought it was age, but a few of the younger guys who do doubles say the same thing.It's not to hard falling asleep, but invaribly waking up and being almost hyper??? One guy I know (Mr Bonk) takes Excedrin PM or Tylenol PM before he goes to sleep. Seems to work for him, but it takes me 3 days to recover from using a sleep aid and throws off my usual sleeping patterns (which aren't that great anyways).

[foofighter]

you're not alone...i get those same feelings you get in my legs.

[un-kola]

Originally Posted by sdyeti

Yesterday, I did a pretty tough ride (Training Ride: Santa Ana's). As you can see from the time stamp on this post, I can't sleep.

Has anyone else experience poor sleep quality after a long training ride?

I ask because normally, I fall asleep in under 2 minutes, sleep completely through the night, and wake up feeling pretty refreshed.

Tonight, before I woke up, I was having the craziest dreams. A neighbor's car alarm woke me up but strangely I couldn't fall back asleep. My legs are all tingly and feel pretty weird, almost restless.

FYI, I followed all normal bed-time routines and was asleep before 10 pm. No weird food before bed and the only caffeine I has was post-ride ~6 pm in the form of green tea. Usually, I could drink coffee right before bed and not be affected.

Anyone have similar experiences?

(By the time you read this I hope you were able to get back to sleep.)I've also had that happen to me,usually after a longer than normal ride(30+mi.),or when I hit it hard after being off the bike for 1 1/2-2 weeks or more.I can tell in the evening that I'll have problems sleeping,my legs will be more tingly,shoulders and torso more fatigued,and overall kind of fidgety and not being able to relax.During the night any noise will wake me up and even though I fall back to sleep,I feel like I'm taking a nap or a snooze rather than a sound sleep.My wife says that I'm also restless and turning over alot.In the morning I will still feel kind of sore,but nothing that a few ibuprofen won't take care of(I'm 55ys/o and like Steppie says,"wait 'till ya get older").What does help me is to take a recovery ride the next day,anything that I feel like,long or short,hard or easy and that night I usually sleep very well.(You'll probobly do the same tonight!) From what I've read you're in good riding shape,and you're R.R.sounds like you hit harder than you normally do distance wise.As you do more of these types of training rides I think this problem will disappear.Also remind me never to ride with the Manns-they'll kill my old body!!! j/k-lol.Good luck on you're training and at the V.Q.-Lloyd

[allison]

And you were so looking forward to sleeping in!

I had a hard time falling asleep, and woke up a few times more than normal. Happens a bit when we do really long and hard rides.

I even felt like I was going to fall asleep on the couch before I went to bed!

Hopefully you got some more sleep.

[un-kola]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Same thing happens to me after longer rides, or tougher rides. At first I thought it was age, but a few of the younger guys who do doubles say the same thing.It's not to hard falling asleep, but invaribly waking up and being almost hyper??? One guy I know (Mr Bonk) takes Excedrin PM or Tylenol PM before he goes to sleep. Seems to work for him, but it takes me 3 days to recover from using a sleep aid and throws off my usual sleeping patterns (which aren't that great anyways).

Yeah I take a few ibuprofen when I go to sleep and when I get up.Later I find a good IPA does the trick! I try to go easy with Tylenol or anything with acetominophen in it,it's supposed to be hard on the liver if taken to often.I'll let the IPA's and a good scotch destroy it !!!! -Lloyd

[allison]

Originally Posted by un-kola

Yeah I take a few ibuprofen when I go to sleep and when I get up.Later I find a good IPA does the trick! I try to go easy with Tylenol or anything with acetominophen in it,it's supposed to be hard on the liver if taken to often.I'll let the IPA's and a good scotch destroy it !!!! -Lloyd

I had a Cream Stout! Maybe it wasn't strong enough.

[un-kola]

Originally Posted by allison

I had a Cream Stout! Maybe it wasn't strong enough.

Don't know about that,but being a shift worker (12hr.shifts,days to nights and back to days,thats where I'm at right now so no riding today ),my sleeping habits aren't that healthy anyways.I see you guys are in Murietta.My mother lives there off Cal.Oaks in the Colony by the golf course.Maybe one of these days we'll hook-up,just don't kill me with one of your "training rides".-j/k- By the way,being an ex-photographer,I'd like to compliment you and your hubby on your photo's.Excellent stuff,keep 'em coming.

[Red Hot Sloth]

My rides clearly do not involve that much elevation gain, and are not nearly as long as the one you went on yesterday. However, when I do ride distances and climb more elevation, and or ride at a higher pace I do have the tendancy to get to sleep o.k., but within an hour I'm awake, restless, fidgity...you know, "The JimmY Legs". If I take an ibuprofen or 2 it ruins me in the mornings, eyes very puffy, sinuses full. Wierd, but I usually try milk and cookies, or a bowl of oatmeal when I happen to wake up like that. It takes about a half hour to 45 minutes but it helps me. Most medications will help me to get to sleep initially, but everytime I will wake up within and hour or two so I don't use anything. good luck staying asleep tonight, as this will likely happen again, maybe for a couple nights.
Counting sheep sucks!

[sdyeti]

I woke up, caught up on my reading (STR, that is), and then popped in Office Space. I made it maybe 10 minutes into the movie but by that time it was 5:45 or so. Slept for maybe an hour.

Thanks for all the feedback! I think it is just the body's way of saying, "What the hell did you just do to me??!!?"

Originally Posted by Red Hot Sloth

My rides clearly do not involve that much elevation gain, and are not nearly as long as the one you went on yesterday. However, when I do ride distances and climb more elevation, and or ride at a higher pace I do have the tendancy to get to sleep o.k., but within an hour I'm awake, restless, fidgity...you know, "The JimmY Legs". If I take an ibuprofen or 2 it ruins me in the mornings, eyes very puffy, sinuses full. Wierd, but I usually try milk and cookies, or a bowl of oatmeal when I happen to wake up like that. It takes about a half hour to 45 minutes but it helps me. Most medications will help me to get to sleep initially, but everytime I will wake up within and hour or two so I don't use anything. good luck staying asleep tonight, as this will likely happen again, maybe for a couple nights.
Counting sheep sucks!

[Rockinthecasbah]

i have that problem if do a hard ride and get dehydrated or my electroltes out of balance otherwise sleep great after a ride

[TURNERob]

Ever seen those commercials for RLS (restless leg syndrome)? I got "diagnosed" by a doctor as having it after seeing a neuroligist and having a bunch of tests done. I was prescribed Requip which is supposed to calm the nerve endings. It probably isn't your problem since I would have pain/acheing in my legs regardless if I had ridden that day or not. The Requip made me VERY tired and I had a hard time getting up in the morning until I finally got used to the medication about 2 months later. Weird thing is I haven't been taking the Requip for about 6 months now and my legs rarely ever bother me anymore

[Pilas]

I have experienced difficulty going to sleep after hard training rides. It usually happens when I do high intensity rides in the late afternoon, early evening, and not so much after doing longer rides.
I think it may be caused to the adrenaline factor. Back in my soccer playing days, I had a hard time falling a sleep after games (they were mostly played in the evenings).

[D. Diamond]

I get that a lot, I am guessing that after a hard ride your metabolism just keeps going super fast and that's what does it (?). The best solution for me is to make it really cold in the bedroom, otherwise I am hot all night and keep tossing and turning and throwing the covers off, pulling them back on, etc.
If the room is really cold then once I get warm under the covers I sleep well.
If nothing else works, give it a shot and let us know how it turns out.

[Jslow]

Honestly if you can't sleep you didn't work out... No??

jk

Ok extreme efforts require some kinda downer... the "legal" one I use is beer... by extreme I mean more than pooshing your bike up the hill twice.

[J_Sims]

I have this same challenge after a long ride.... tired when relaxing but once I hit the bed it its like a short nap and BAM I'm awake and the legs are going crazy... and all you want to do is go to sleep SUX