Insomnia from exercising???

So it seems that since I've started doing CC, I've actually been sleeping less. It's not because I don't want to, but I can't seem to fall asleep and I don't sleep well.

I do suffer from depression and I've had issues with insomnia before, but I recently weened myself off of my Trazodone, which was prescribed for sleep, because I'm trying to get pregnant and my therapist told me that it has a higher risk for causing birth defects than my regular antidepressant does.

SO, I was sleeping fine for a few weeks, then I started calorie counting. I don't know if it's because my mind is racing at night, planning the next day's meals and activities, or if it's because I exercise in the evenings. The issue with that is again, the insomnia issue. I've always been a night person, NEVER a morning person, so working out in the morning is pretty much out of the question. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep early enough or get enough restful sleep to feel ok with getting up early to exercise.

Does anyone have any insight or suggestions?

I deal with the same problem and found for me that a couple of things help. If it's a sertonin/melatonin issue you can try walking around outside midday for about 15-30 minutes. That helps set your internal clock.  Eliminate your caffeine by around 4:00 pm. A lot of people say 6:00 but as a fellow imsoniac I know that's not enough. Excercise will jolt your body awake and the earlier you can get to excercise and leave yourself time before bed the better off you are. Melatonin may be an option. It's cheap, over the counter, and helps me a lot. Try eating some Turkey it's got triptophan which also helps you feel or get drousy. Lastly try taking a luke warm bath before bed it can help your body come down from stress.

Oh yeah and beware stress/depression/imsomnia is a self feeding demon. You're depressed/stressed cause you can't sleep (which affects fertility causing you to stress) so you're bodies wired up and won't let you sleep which amkes you stressed/depressed.. get it? Plan your meals out midday. Take an hour or two before bedtime and unwind, really unwind. Take a notepad to bed with you and if you think of somthing write it down to deal with tomorrow.

Aaron

Yeah, I've been battling with depression for about 13 years, so I'm definitely well aware of the cycle of stress/depression/insomnia.

I have been walking on my 15 minute breaks at work, but I still feel the urge to exercise more when I get home, which can be anywhere between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

I never drink coffee/caffiene after 2 p.m. and I find myself waking up multiple times during the night even when I take melatonin.

The idea of taking a warm bath before bed is something I have never tried though. I think I will definitely try that. I also need to try to remember take a notepad to bed with me so that I can just write out everything that's going through my head every night. I've done it before, and it does help, but I lie there and think "if I close my eyes long enough, I'll just fall asleep." HA! WRONG!

As far as trying to get preggers you should check out fertilityfriend.com it may have some info that's useful to you. And the bath should be warm. Apparently a hot bath will wake you up!

Aaron

Noted. Thanks a bunch for responding, I really appreciate it.

I used to have a bad insomnia problem, I still kind of do but not to as bad of a degree, and I found that if I exercise about an hour or two before I go to sleep, it comes back. I fixed it by simply working out in the mornings, or through out the day. Since you said no mornings (hahaha), it helps to wait about 3-4 hours (for me anyway) before I got to sleep after I work out.

I wish you luck on having a baby though. Hope I could have helped with your sleeping issues.

yea

I'm weening off trazedone at night too! I was on a really munchkin dose though - half a standard dose. Perhaps immovane may work better and not interfere with the pregnancy? Check it with your GP.