Crossfit Norwest, Raw strength and conditioning and Barefoot Evolution Discussion Forum

[Mark]

This has been happening ever since I started training and Steppo mentioned he had the same thing going on.

I could count on 1 hand the number of times I have slept the night through since joining @ norwest (6 weeks?) and it's definately holding me back. I either wake up several times a night or wake up in the early hours 2AM and am completly wide awake and take a couple of hours to get back to sleep and wake up feeling like crap.

Is this a newbie phenomenon or am I abnormal?

I am normally a really sound sleeper and this is the first time ever that this has occurred.

Usually do a bit of light reading before bed 10:00 PM at the latest as I thought that TV might be over-stimulating my brain with the rapidly shifting images? Otherwise the normal pattern if life is get up 6:30, head to work, home by 5:30, walk the dogs if enough time, head to the gym, come home hav dinner, relax and to bed.

This is in another topic i posted about today but it was off-topic so thought I'd start a new one.

[Dazza jackson]

hey mark ive been there before when i first started, crossfit is definately mentally challenging as it is physically.
can i ask what do you think about when you wake up? do you think about crossfit,your training etc?
at one point i was training hard preparing for regional qualifiers for the games and i wasnt performing to what i was capable of and what rob knew i was capable of, but there are so many things that come into play that i had to figure out what the problem was, in my case i think it was over training i got consumed by crossfit and i was losing sleep over it but after talking to rob and assessing my training program and lifestyle we corrected it and havnt looked back since, and now im proberbly the one at the gym that trains the least but ive found now that im getting better results.
if anyone can help you out with your problem rob would be the one to talk to, if i can help in anyway from my experiences feel free to have a chat about it.
im off to bed!

[Mark]

Hey Dazza,

Think it is possibly a bit of over-reaching and under nutrition.. had the last 2 days off, had a big feed (as much as I wanted) last night of just normal buffet food and slept great, woke up with no soreness (first time in about 4-5 weeks).

Too many people are awesome at Norwest and you could be right..bit too much too soon and too much worry about stuff like that.

[Joel]

Mark,

I get the same thing. A doctor suggested to me it could be either extended elevated core temperature from over-reaching, or possibly depleted glycogen stores. I haven't been eating post workout, but I will be from now on (apparantly bananas and honey are two good foods to help replace glycogen) and some protein as well, in the 20 mins or so after workout.

Will let you know how it goes.

Joel.

[Mark]

Now you mention it I'm heading toward glycogen stores perhaps? I took in a bunch of carbs of all types last night some pasta/potatos/noodles and had the best sleep in quite a while + DOMS all but vanished.

I've been slack with PWO nutrition, normally get home, shower and make dinner so maybe my PWO window is shorter than I had assumed.

[Rob]

Mark,

I think that each person is an individual. By exercising late in the day you may amped up with all types hormones running through your body..... Adenaline, cortisol, not to mention your core temp etc. Maybe the intensity of the workouts and the time of day it occurs is preventing the sleep.

The other day you mentioned you slept well after a counter meal at the pub? Was this sleep due to the typical crash after an unfavourable carbohydrate meal?

[GillianS25]

I've been having this problem to Mark. I've been waking up 3 times a night- at the moment and especially after Crossfit- I feel to wide awake and pumping with Adrenaline and I think this is whats causing it.

BTW Rob if your reading this Dan called me today- discussed some things - he said he was gonna call you about it, I did ask him not to as I didn't want it to be ackward when I come in tomorrow, but he said it would be okay- as you two are good mates

[Dan]

Gill,
I did call him and he was fine of course. I mentioned some of the things that you have kept from him and will suggest to you again to be open, honest and accountable with everything you put in your mouth and how you are feeling. Not sleeping like you do and not mentioning it is inexcuseable. More related to your diet from me will be in your diet log.

To All,
Rob is absolutely correct, elevated hormones, cortisol in particular, is likely what is going on and is common with CF. If you are not eating properly, your body is already stressed, if your not sleeping properly, your body is already stressed, if you come to CFNW and train hard, your body is stressed, hello cortisol.
Suggest everyone google cortisol to have a read, I CBF reposting it all, there is heaps of discussion here and elsewhere on it. The bad thing about it, on top of all the negative effects on your body, is that the pancreas keeps releasing it into your system if it detects it, meaning once it starts its a vicious circle. Cortisol will also release insulin which is a double whammy.

Other things that will stress your body are poor diet, people who maximise the shit out of the 20% in the 80/20 rule (I am looking at you Joel) and, for example, drink themselves stupid on weekends thinking its not having a negative effect, or people who sneak in bad things like a piece of bread here and there, current science is that inflames your system for at least 30 days after eating.

Look at everything in your lives.

[Mark]

Mark,

I think that each person is an individual. By exercising late in the day you may amped up with all types hormones running through your body..... Adenaline, cortisol, not to mention your core temp etc. Maybe the intensity of the workouts and the time of day it occurs is preventing the sleep.

The other day you mentioned you slept well after a counter meal at the pub? Was this sleep due to the typical crash after an unfavourable carbohydrate meal?

You are dead right, it's definately hormonal and I've most likely been over reaching and my muscles have been sore as f*ck which may have been waking me up.

Perhaps it may have been the masses of seratonin released after a bunch of unfavourable carbs..however it was the first morning I woke up not afflicted by DOMS. I don't intend to continue eating like that - I hope you know I'm not stupid but definately getting diet tweaked and paying much more attention to PWO nutrition and working out how to enhance recovery, get stress down and thus be a happy chappy.

Friday I had a zone style meal steak and veges + fats and had a 1 block snack directly after training friday..the result a good nights sleep.

expect a bunch of Q's on this as I'm looking to tweak this crazy style of eating as the quantities of food are enormous, can't find out why anyone would every be unsatisfied with favourable food choices when zoning (esp Paleo zone).

Dan.

Thanks for the input - defo got the cortisol flowing: both Bec and I moved house, started new Jobs and crossfit all on the same week and the residual stress is prob still hanging around which is why she got sick almost straight away.

[Dan]

Keep all the questions coming Mark.