Hello All! You probably remember me saying that, of all training recovery methods, sleep is #1. Nutrition is a close #2. And did you know that insufficient or poor sleep can negatively affect your nutrition?
Our bodies are fascinating. This podcast is a very interesting look into what happens in our brains, and how sleep impacts taste perception, cravings, and food reward.
I know life is very busy these days. Nevertheless, with some smart planning and true desire, I believe it is possible to incorporate good sleeping habits into our lives.
I second that @mpatton, my sleep has been rubbish lately. I haven’t quite figured it out. I know when I am tired I crave sugar. I too will listen to this. Maybe tomorrow
Have to add this to my listen list - I struggle with sleep sometimes, more i think because i get hot, wake up, can’t go back to sleep - its a feels like of 16 here tonight, my heat is not on and i will crack open the one window in my bedroom when i go to crawl in bed - I’m on the 12th floor so i get enough heat most of the time from the units around me, and i am on the corner - summer with A/C is much harder on my electric bill
I do the same thing with sleep. I usually go to sleep ok the first time but wake a few hours later and then toss and turn for a while before going back to sleep. Either that or I’m up and down all night.
What do you all think is causing the sleepiness/sleep disturbances?
Sounds like for @PaleGail and @mpatton it’s the night sweats, so… hormones?
What do you do in the 1-2 hs before you go to bed?
I have an extremely boring life - never go out at night, don’t drink alcohol, don’t watch TV, go to bed at exactly the same time every day (9-9:30 PM). Have the same night ritual… as a result, I sleep well for 8 hs/night consistently, as long as the room is cool.
My issues with sleep are many. Lol. As was mentioned by @stacypro and @mpatton, I have night sweats, snoring husband, snoring dog, it’s too hot, it’s too light. I should just go read or meditate before bed but I don’t. I have so much to do before bed that I dint make good choices. I should better manage my time for sure.
I also wake up at night with a dry mouth from breathing. Sometimes impacted by certain foods. I can’t recall the last time, other than being sick, that I got 7 full hours of sleep.
I don’t drink, dint smoke, don’t anything! And I find it hard to nap.
I’m good at sleeping, it’s a standing jok between me and my husband (who is not so good). But things do disturb me:
~ his snoring or the dog’s for which earplugs are the answer, the mouldable wax type ones.
~ too hot and/or night sweats, I keep the bedroom really quite cold because I prefer that but what has reduced hot flushes for me has been taking Lifetropics Meno complex 4 in 1 capsules. Also a game changer has been changing to wool filled duvet and pillows - warm in winter, cool in summer and sweat wicking so if I do overheat I’m not lying there with rivers of sweat running on me. The wool bedding has also significantly reduced husband’s snoring, I think this is because we both have mild allergies with rhinitis and the wool bedding doesn’t get dust mites the same as feather or synthetic bedding so the night time sniffles and snoring are reduced. When I am in a hotel for work where there is just normal bedding I really notice how much more sniffly I am at night for sure.
~ for settling down mind and body for sleep I always listen to a yoga nidra when I get into bed. I have a soft headband with Bluetooth earphones built into it so I can listen comfortably and if I fall asleep I can still sleep in the headband without hurting my ears! I use Insight Timer and listen to folk like Jennifer Piercy and Selena Lael or Diana Grace.
Hope some of these things might be useful for others to try
I to have a boring life - which I love :). I go to sleep at 8-830, get up around 0430 to do my workouts most days. I do have mild sleep apnea (untreated)- so there is that… bout the right age to start the change so there is also that… old dog who has to pee each night, and hubby who likes to cuddle Nights are just welllll all the above - Fitbit tells me last night though that I got good sleep lol. Joking aside I do feel rested today:hugs:
snoring husband here too!! I also use ear plugs- will try the wax ones @Tracyligemagreen! Mine isn’t that great. Love the idea of wool - will also try that!!
@Coach_Theia the wool duvet is just lovely it’s got quite an old fashioned kinda feel to it because it has more weight that a feather or synthetic duvet, I like that, it’s like an old time blanket
I’m a terrible sleeper, always have been. I have my room set up now so it’s totally dark and I have a ceiling fan to keep me cool (and strangely the background noise helps me sleep). I have an alarm clock light that simulates the sun setting over a 30 min period and then simulates the sun slowly rising for 30 mins ending at the time the alarm has been set for - I’ve found this has been a game changer for ensuring I’m not stressed by a noisy alarm in the morning.
I still need to work on my bedtime routine (she says laying in bed using her phone ) but my main issue is my stomach and having to get up to use the toilet in the night; on a good night it’s just once to pee but when things aren’t settled it can be 3 or 4 times and it’s not just to pee My stomach continues to be a problem I am trying to solve
I keep a regular routine, even on weekends–up at 5 a.m and in bed by 9:15 p.m. Sometimes I let myself sleep in on Sundays but my body is so used to its routine that sleeping in means 5:30 or 6. I am a really good sleeper. I can sleep through my 10 pound cat curling up and snoring on my chest as long as his whiskers don’t tickle my face.
The only flaw is my husband who is not a good sleeper. Because of his MS he gets up and down a lot during the night and when he is really uncomfortable he moves around a lot in bed. He wakes me up frequently which then weirdly triggers a hot flash almost every time. I used to think it was the hot flashes that woke me up but they only happen after I am fully a wake for a minute or two. So when James has a bad night I do too, but I try to not get angry at him since his night was a lot worse.
I did not know all that about the wool bedding @Tracyligemagreen. It might be time for a bedroom makeover
I’ve always been a light sleeper and Josh snores plus he likes to fall asleep to the TV. Plus he had some back issues a while back so a tatami mat on the floor works best for him.
No lights, fan on and, if people are noisy I’ll turn on the house system fan. I have a controllable thermostat and it’s set to 67 at night. I wake up if anyone messes with it.
For me the sounds of water (rain and waves), no music (I tend to tune into a specific instrument and listen to it). My cats all know if they want to be in the room it’s bedtime so they snuggle up until sunrise (when they were kittens and quarantined from the general population or too small to be out at night they got shut in the bedroom with me. So it’s natural for them to sleep most of the night).
When I travel the sounds of the city lure me to sleep or I wear earplugs if I’m with a noisy sleeper.
And as weird as it sounds, sometimes sticking just a foot out from the covers is enough.
With all the travel the past 1.5 months to such different time zones I’m a bit off. Usually asleep by 10:25-10:30, up around 6.
Some nights I sleep well (10:00 pm - 6:00 am) and other nights I will wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get to back to sleep. About 3 months ago I got a new pair of prescription glasses @ Costco that have blue light filtering. I was surprised as they have made a difference since I started wearing them. I seem to fall asleep quicker and sleep more sound. I take out my contacts and put on my glasses around 6:00 pm, and wear them till I go to bed.
I would say most of the time I fall asleep within 20 minutes of getting into bed, but most nights I wake at least once at night. Sometimes something wakes me, sometimes I’m not sure.
Snoring husband here too. I don’t use earplugs because I get anxious about not hearing my alarm when it goes off. That and I don’t like the feeling of them. I do use white noise (rushing water playlist programmed into Pandora). I’m the lightest sleeper ever- always have been. I used to wake up when my husband stood up from his office chair, 2 rooms over from the bedroom.
I’m also prone to nightmares and night terrors and it isn’t unusual for me to talk in my sleep, startle awake at nothing, or (less commonly) wake up screaming. I’ve tried mealtonin off and on but it seems to trigger the night terrors and not really help me sleep. I do use a weighted blanket, along with 3 other blankets stacked on top of that.
My husband is also an insomniac. I’ve learned that there are actually 2 different kinds of insomnia. There’s sleep onset insomnia (can’t fall asleep, him), and sleep interrupt insomnia (can’t stay asleep, me).
I go to sleep around the same time most nights (9-10p) but I do vary my wake up time depending on my work schedule for the day. Getting out of bed and moving is really hard for me. I try to have at least one day per week where I don’t set an alarm and try to let myself sleep as much as I need.
Joining this conversation a bit late, but it speaks to my heart! I have no trouble falling asleep, but I can’t stay asleep. A few months ago, I went through a sleep study and found I have moderate apnea, and began using a CPAP machine. After the initial few weeks of tangling with the hose (and the hose winning!), I finally can sleep most of the night with it. I also don’t snore anymore.
I was horrified to find out I was waking 19 times per hour, which is on the lower side of moderate apnea.
Menopause has really messed with my sleep. I no longer get hot flashes, but I do sleep warm, and can wake in soaked sheets. Our room is kept cool, and I use a synthetic down comforter. We just got a weighted blanket to try, but I’m very curious about the wool blankets mentioned. Might get one and try it.
I’ve tried various supplements, Melatonin & 5HTP, but none have worked to keep me asleep through the night. I’m sure some of that is stress. I always hope after a hard workout that I’ll be able to sleep through the night, as my mind and body crave that.
So, I’ll start shopping around for a wool blanket and pillow, and will try the weighted blanket in the meantime.
Also, to add to the other string about runny noses, my nose runs whether inside or outside, winter or summer. I have to use a hanky (I use bandanas), as it doesn’t just run but it pours! I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s no biggie, but I always have to make sure I have someplace to keep my hanky if I don’t have jersey pockets, such as mountain biking in a t shirt.
Loving that we can have these conversations!
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And I find it hard to nap.
Nights are just welllll all the above - Fitbit tells me last night though that I got good sleep lol. Joking aside I do feel rested today:hugs:
snoring husband here too!! I also use ear plugs- will try the wax ones 
) but my main issue is my stomach and having to get up to use the toilet in the night; on a good night it’s just once to pee but when things aren’t settled it can be 3 or 4 times and it’s not just to pee 