Is having difficulty sleeping a common side effect of losing weight and getting fitter?

How close to bedtime are you working out?

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t exercise within 4 hours of bedtime.

When do you workout? Sometimes if I workout too late I have difficulty getting to sleep. @Likeradar you beat me to it…

I generally work out in the morning 7–8am or at the latest between 2 and 3pm if i don’t have time in the morning… but I’m generally too shattered to workout in the evenings so don’t like doing like (and I have heard too that it can keep you awake…)

Are you stressed out everyday?

Do you take thyroid medication?

I have trouble sleeping if I am hungry, so I cannot follow that advice of having a larger breakfast and small dinner.

I have noticed that I have trouble whenever something like diet or exercise changes in my daily routine. I’ve been eating less lately, and I’ve had trouble sleeping the past few night since this started. Have you been having trouble sleeping for the full 6 weeks you’ve been dieting and exercising? Usually, my body gets used to the change I’ve made and adapts to allow me to sleep better, but that only takes about one or two weeks. Sorry I can’t be of more help, I just wanted to share that you’re not alone. ;-)

If you are going about losing weight in the correct manner, ie: excercising but NOT obsessivly and eating sensibly then I can’t see that it would cause sleep problems. If you are healthier because of it you should find that you are sleeping better. You’ll probably find that there is another reason you are not sleeping. Stress maybe? Any other health problems? Something like that maybe.

If you are taking any supplements discontinue for 24 hours and see if it is remedied. Some supplements stimulate your body enough to disturb sleep.

@MrGeneVan Not particularlyanymoresothanusual!!!! :-) No…I’m not really I’m a single mum and I’m studying for a degree but generally my blood pressure is bang on the button and I am a lot less tense than I was six months ago…

@JLeslie No I don’t take thyroid medication…

@Les Thank you – Yes I’ve been struggling to sleep every night…apart from those at the weekend when I have a couple of glasses of wine (or a few more)

@Dog I’m taking Omeprazole a stomach medication but I don’t think that’s a stimulant… I take cod liver oil on a off for a joint problem and cranberry tablets every few days but I’m naughty with my supplements and always forget to take them so… not sure…

hmmmm

P.S I don’t take caffeine after munchtime…lunchtime either so…that rules that out…

You could try to take a break from working out for a week and see if that is really the reason why.

I’m not a doctor, but I thought I would mention that there are new studies coming out that Omeprazole is linked to bone loss, so as you lose weight, maybe you will be able to stop taking that drug. Some docs are saying that should really be a temporary measure and not a drug you take the rest of your life. Just thought you might want to know.

Congratulations on working out and losing weight with a 2½ year old to take care of. You are an inspiration.

@MrGeneVan eeeeeek…stop working out? you mean STOP? now if you’d have said that a few weeks ago I would be like overjoyed… but… I might just suffer the sleep loss and enjoy the weight loss, rather than the sleep gain and weight gain…

However, that would seem the very logical thing to do!! I might manage it next week…

@JLeslie Oh crokey! Well, I was recently diagnosed with Laryngeal Reflux Disease and my doctor has put me on the medication for 6 months! yikes! I’m a singer so… I’ll stick with the neds for now and up my calcium intake and all those other stuff that are supposed to be good for your bones…that which probably have other negative side effects !! lol :-)

@chyna Oh that’s really sweet…thank you xxx It’s really tough but a necessary measure!

@lynneblundell Six months isn’t very long, I wouldn’t be very worried. I know people who have been taking it for years. I think they blame it on the reduction of acid in the stomach, so the absorption of minerals is reduced.

oh good…phew :-)

Ok, so you are already under the care of a physician – then why on earth would you ask us, when a professional is standing by to help you? Fluther opinions are just that, opinions. You could benefit from some real medical advice.

I actually sleep better when I’m working out regularly.

Are you overly straining your muscles? Is that what’s keeping you awake? If you overdo it you might need to make a change in your workout routine. Other than that, I can’t think of any reason that might happen.

One other thing to check, if you lost a lot quickly and are on medication you might want to recheck your dosages with your doctor.

@cyndyh the dosages. That is why I asked about the thyroid medicine, if you had lost weight you might be overmedicated, but that would be true for any meds. Thank you for bringing that up again, I had not explained myself..

@JLeslie : I know it made a difference in my reaction to birth control years ago, so yes, I was thinking about any meds at all.

@cyndyh And slightly off subject, women should remember that most standard adult doses are effective for men, who usually weigh 40 pounds more than us. If you are a very thin woman, most likely you complain about a lot of medications giving you side effects, probably because you are very overmediicated.

@lynneblundell I’ve actually heard the opposite. So unless you’re starved to death and can’t sleep because you’re dreaming of a hamburger (with really oily chips and mayo on the side), then my guess is that the reason is entirely different. Especially with the excercise, you should be sleeping earlier than normal, and like a baby.

@lynneblundell Perhaps there is a certain person on your mind making it harder to sleep?

@lynneblundell : I think @chyna has it. That must be it. You need nookie. Then you’ll sleep better than ever. :^>

@JLeslie : Yep, there’s a reason they call it being “a lightweight”. Cheers!

@YARNLADY actually I’m not under a physician… and doctors over here are incredibly useless…(probably because we don’t pay for it directly) but that’s a whole other thread The speciailist that I saw for my throat problem… was just that: an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist. They are not there to answer general questions about sleep worries…

I could go and see my General Practitioner..but he’s a bit fed up of me…as I’m always going to the doctor with something…AND I didn’t really think this was a very serious matter to be taking to someone who has more important things to deal with…like the recent outbreak of Swine FLu…perhaps

ANyhow!

@chyna you!!! that’s naughtiness!! :-p And I quite like it too!

@Jack79 yes..I do dream of burgers sometimes.. with the really oily chips and mayo…Oh MY…you are such a tease! :-)

oh p.s @cyndyh I wouldn’t rule that out either!! lol It’s been a while! :-)

@lynneblundell : Generally, exercise should help you have healthier sleep patterns. From a psychological point of view, in order for us to fall asleep, we need to be able to ‘comfort ourselves’ into continuously deeper states of consciousness. This might be made difficult by numerous things. For example, excessive mental stimulation before going to bed. What is your routine like just before going to bed? Do you have a “cooling off” period before you try and sleep?

I generally study in the evenings when my son is in bed…I can’t do it any other time. But I do try to read something light before I go to sleep and I have a hot chocolate too! :-)

From the “LPR treatment“http://www.uthscsa.edu/oto/lpr.asp list: .Cut out caffeine, Avoid chocolate and mints, Avoid alcohol, and nine more tips.

Per Webgerd.com “While on ppi medication, if you notice any change in your routine see you doctor to discuss a possible dose adjustment”

I think being unable to sleep counts.

I’d just go to bed at 10pm and lie there, and enjoy the sensation of feeling physically tired. Close your eyes and enjoy it… you’ve earned it. I heard that lying there with your eyes closed—while obviously not the same as full sleep, is remarkably beneficial. And if your mind is still really active, well, get up and enjoy the extra energy your body has given you from all this exercising. See if you have a chance to power nap in the middle of the day….

I know when I am physically working hard (e.g., for a dance production) my body goes through a period of readjustment. Sleeping and eating patterns are in flux. Hot showers and gentle stretches do wonders for me.