Getting better sleep

[coltrane]

So, my usual workout time is at night, around 6pm.  Bed is at about 930pm.    My post workout drink contains about 12 oz of grape juice.   

I never sleep well at night.


I recently ran out of grapejuice for postworkout and have had to do without.  I've been getting REALLY much better sleep without it.

I am guessing the lack of sugar prior to bedtime is doing the trick. 

Anyone wanna add anything?    Can I get away with NO sugars post workout?

[Princess L]

Ice Cream
(good combo of fat protein carbs)
 

[benchmstr]

have you tried clorox?

bench

[coltrane]

have you tried clorox?

bench

meltdown.

[El Diablo Blanco]

Try working out earlier in the day.  For me working out makes me physically tired, but not mentally.  I get jacked up and it wakes me up.  Makes it hard to sleep.  Sure I feel good resting but not enough to fall asleep.

[coltrane]

I'd LOVE to be able to workout earlier.  My job doesn't permit it though, unless I was at the gym at 6am or so.

[Montague]

I'd LOVE to be able to workout earlier.  My job doesn't permit it though, unless I was at the gym at 6am or so.

You may want to seriously consider doing that.
It may take a few weeks to get used to, but you may find that it will be well worth the initial trouble.

As for other ways to improve sleep, Google “ways to improve sleep.” There’s a good bit of info out there, and you will see the best/most effective stuff repeated in most of the articles:

Keep your room dark.
Keep your room cold.
Avoid stimulating activities close to bed.
Avoid consuming carbs and excessive fats prior to bed.
Consider supplementing with Melatonin - the only OTC sleep aid I firmly stand by from experience and facts.

I can provide you with more info regarding the mechanisms through which some of these methods work, but suffice to say that - when combined - they work very well for most people…
Except Bench, who is from Krypton.

[coltrane]

Thanks for the input.

I've tried the 6am workout.  I couldn't get into the routine AND i missed the typical gym rats i'd see later on in the evening.

I do think that eliminating the grape juice from my 730 pm post workout shake has helped a bit with sleep.  I just hope it isn't hampering my gym recovery too much.  Im just doing 50 grams whey in water, with some creatine. 

[Montague]

... i missed the typical gym rats i'd see later on in the evening.

Hey!

Weights before dates, buddy.
 

 

[Dupes]

I've always had trouble sleeping and I just started taking melatonin, one pill an hour before bed.  Not super powerful but kind of winds you down and makes you ready to go to sleep.  It helps you maintain your sleep as well at night.  Worth a shot.

[Montague]

Some people who do not see much results from Melatonin may need to bump up the dose a bit, and/or use a lozenge rather than tablet form.
Also, it may take up to a week or more of consistent use before noticeable results are achieved.

Keeping your sleep area dark (pitch black) will also trigger a greater release of Melatonin from your pineal gland.

[24KT]

I hope you guys realize that continued usage of melatonin hinders your sex drives. 
...at least according to Dr. Oz.

[Montague]

LOL!!!
Oz mentions sex in some capacity in every show that I’ve seen.
Maybe this was all they had topic-wise for that episode.

I have sporadically encountered the claim of Melatonin's “potential” lowering of sex drive, although none of those sources ever [can] provide details regarding the mechanism(s) through which Melatonin purportedly does this.

The basic functions of Melatonin have been known for some time, but relatively little research has been conducted on other benefits and/or sides.

I speculate that the inconclusiveness of the above occurrences indicates that it’s not something that everybody experiences.
If it was, I suspect that we’d hear about a lot more cases of it.
While I've yet to converse with any Melatonin users who've suffered decreased sex drive, that certainly doesn't mean they're not out there.


I wonder if Doc Oz was “pimping” any Rx sleep aids in that same show?

[littleguns]

Definitely go with some kind of nightime aid, already mentioned Melatonin, Valerian or perhaps some of the sleepy time teas out there as I interchange a cup of tea with melatonin and of course with the weather getting colder, tea works well!