Often people who are actively involved in sports complain: "I can’t fall asleep after training." Why is this happening? After all, usually physical activity contributes to sound sleep. However, it also happens that a person after a sports load cannot sleep for a long time or constantly wakes up. Consider the possible causes of such insomnia and ways to deal with it.
Workout - stress for the body
Sports training is a kind of stress for the body. All systems and bodies have to work to the limit of their capabilities. Often athletes are perplexed: "Why not fall asleep after training?" Indeed, subjectively, a person feels very tired after such a heavy load.
However, one must not forget that physical exercise can also have an exciting effect on the body. The endocrine system at the time of exercise releases hormones that cause increased heart rate, increased sweating and fever. Training often has not a relaxing, but a stimulating effect.
You can often hear from athletes: "I can’t fall asleep after training." If a person was engaged in physical exercises in the afternoon, then this is a natural phenomenon. Indeed, a few hours before going to bed, the body was subjected to increased stress. As a result, the nervous and endocrine systems continue to work in an enhanced mode at night.
Causes
Consider the most common causes of insomnia after exercise:
- Increased cortisol production. This adrenal hormone has an exciting effect and helps to adapt to physical activity. Normally, it falls in the evening and at night, but rises in the morning. If a person trains in the evening, then the body has to produce cortisol in an increased amount. Athletes often say: "I can’t fall asleep after an evening workout." This is due to the fact that the level of cortisol after exercise has not yet had time to fall by night.
- Increased secretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine. The production of these hormones is enhanced by the load on the muscles. They also have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, promote vigor and increased activity. It is important to remember that the level of adrenaline drops rapidly, and norepinephrine can be increased even 2 days after training. This can cause insomnia.
- Fever. Sometimes you can hear such complaints: "After training, I can’t fall asleep, and when the dream still comes, I constantly wake up." Frequent waking up may be associated with a violation of thermoregulation. Long competitions or training lead to an increase in body temperature. And it takes some time for the thermoregulation to normalize.
- Dehydration. During exercise, sweating is always enhanced. Therefore, athletes are recommended to drink water during training. Otherwise, dehydration forms, which leads to a decrease in melatonin - the sleep hormone.
Next, we will consider methods of dealing with insomnia, depending on the cause of its occurrence.
Body adaptation
Very often beginner athletes ask: "Why can not I fall asleep after training?" This is due to the fact that the human body has not yet adapted to physical activity.
Experienced athletes usually fall asleep easily even after evening workouts. For them, such physical stress is common. Sleep problems occur when the load becomes unusual. This can be for beginners, as well as after competitions or during the first training after a long break.
Typically, such insomnia disappears on its own after a few days. The body adapts to the load, and sleep normalizes.
Excessive exercise
In sports, there is such a thing as overtraining. This is a condition when the volume and intensity of training exceeds the body's recovery abilities. As a result, a person does not have time to normalize the level of hormones cortisol and norepinephrine. One of the signs of this condition is insomnia.
Often, athletes after intensive preparation for important competitions say: "I can’t fall asleep after training." What to do in this case? After all, reducing physical activity is not always possible.
With "overtraining" it is useful to take a contrast shower before bedtime and drink warm milk with honey. It will calm the body. In the room for sleeping, you should maintain a cool temperature (about +20 degrees). Before falling asleep, you should try to relax your muscles as much as possible.
Breathing exercises will help you fall asleep quickly. It is necessary to inhale into 4 accounts, and exhale into 8 accounts. During exhalation, air must first be released from the chest, and then from the abdomen. Such breathing exercises will help normalize cortisol and norepinephrine levels.
Emotional overstimulation
During training, a person's brain biochemistry changes. A large amount of dopamine and endorphins is produced. These compounds are called hormones of joy. They really lead to a good mood. However, these substances can also cause excessive emotional arousal, which prevents sleep.
In this case, light soothing preparations based on plants can help: valerian, hawthorn, motherwort. You should only avoid taking alcohol-based tinctures. Do not take strong sleeping pills. Such funds cause lethargy and drowsiness during the day, and as a result, a person can not fully train.
Sports nutrition
There are cases when physical activity is moderate, and the athlete is emotionally calm, but nevertheless he falls asleep with difficulty. The man is perplexed: "Why can't I fall asleep after training?"
Many people involved in sports use special nutrition. Such products are called pre-workout complexes. They usually contain beneficial amino acids and proteins. But they may also include energy supplements (caffeine and taurine). They cause excitement of the central nervous system. Their excess can lead not only to insomnia, but also to tachycardia and increased blood pressure.
In this case, it is useful to take a decoction of chamomile for the night. It somewhat stops the action of stimulants. If caffeine is part of sports nutrition, then you need to eat tight and drink plenty of water. This will reduce the effect of energy.
Some power athletes accept weight gainers. These are carbohydrate mixtures that provide the body with all the necessary substances for increased physical activity. However, gainers cannot be taken at night. Otherwise, the body will spend energy on digesting carbohydrates, and it will be very difficult to sleep. If you accidentally took such an additive in the evening, then digestive enzymes can help: Mezim, Festal, Creon. They will help the body quickly process nutrients.