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I've completed a couple of long rides recently and really had trouble sleeping afterwards. Yesterdays was a 110 mile MTB charity ride and despite being exhausted I struggled to sleep. I hadn't taken on any caffeine supplements. Is there a physiological reason why it's hard to sleep after endurance rides? Any similar experiences?
Your body isn't convinced that the thing you've been running away from for the last 8 hours isn't going to get you in your sleep...
I suffer from this too. I've read somewhere that being slightly dehydrated can cause restlesness. I try to wind down as much as I can after longer rides, making sure i have at least 4-5 hours before going to bed. I feel your pain - all you want to do is sleep, but its the last thing you can do. I'll be watching this thread with some interest
I used to get the same after really hard training - the old 'too tired to sleep' adage. It's fairly common.
For me it's always dehydration.........esp if you wind down with a beer or glass of wine or two.
Yep me too, like the beer idea to try and get rehydrated! May try that this weekend.
I have this problem after evening/night rides...finish times can be anywhere between 6pm and 9.30pm
Tired, but the body/mind wont/cant sleep.
I think the nettles didn't help, either. Mad itchy arms and legs aren't that conducive to restful sleep
Yep - me too. If I finish a night ride at 10 ish, I spend an hour downstairs before i go to bed, and then still can't sleep.
It seems worse when it's been dark for the whole ride. i put it down to the rush of riding in the dark.
Likewise, if I drive back somewhere late at night, i can't just turn in then either.
Scaled sums it up pretty well; multiple hours of exertion lead to lots of cortisol and other stress hormones being released and from a sleep point of view you're still in 'flight or fight' mode
Yep, although mine was due to leg muscle spasms and a general aching in the legs, even after stretching, the science bods say it's due to depleted magnesium? Anyway, I gave sis nocte a try, it did work but it's very expensive and contains artificial sweetener, iDave recommended a zipvit alternative that's good with whole milk, I'm yet to try it though, maybe just start with old fashioned hot milk or horlicks?
This could be early signs of overtraining, be careful I know through bitter experience take it easy For a few days and see if the sleep improves...
Me too š I had to give up on the night riding (well more than 1 hour) as the lack of sleep just killed me the next day.
A pal of mine said to just keep on doing it and you eventually start sleeping, but after the second night I was a zombie for about a week š I may try again as the nights are drawing in
Yes, I've had this after races or centuries on the road - tired but not sleepy. Interesting to read what might cause it. Next time it happens might try some yoga!
night nurse is good, and the bottled stuff
I do a few evening rides usually finish between 10pm and 11pm and suffer as described above, agree with the nettle comment also that just makes it worse.
Tights to stop the nettles, bath post ride, with lights dimmed, and then two big 660 ml bottles of seƱorita beater. Sleeeeeeeep.........