Question:
For the last few days, I have been having severe problems falling asleep, which leads to severe exhaustion on the following day and dizziness. Part of this is due to some psychiatric meditation I’m on, which has impacted my sleep cycle before. As a result of the resulting exhaustion, I have stopped working out after work – partly because I have no energy and partly because of me thinking that if I workout after 7pm, I will have way too much energy and endorphins and won’t be able to sleep. I also have thyroid and PCOS issues. This is really affecting me and I’d really really appreciate any advice anyone has.
Answer:
Very good question. What does sleep have to do with hormones, energy levels and time of day? Is sleep effected by our work, or general health status? How does exercise effect sleep?
When I was in college I called the body to have a “biological clock”. Meaning the body does know what time of the day it is due to natural light effecting our eyes and cells. Well, this is common sense duh! The Circadian Rhythm (biological clock) affected by EVERYTHING and it in turn effects EVERYTHING. If your sleep patterns are off, it can imbalance your hormones and vice versa.
Circadian rhythm
A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24 hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria.
In a strict sense, circadian rhythms are endogenously (internally) generated, although they can be influenced by external cues such as sunlight and temperature.
Circadian rhythms are important in determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of human beings.
There are clear patterns of brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities linked to this daily cycle.
You sleep pattern is affected by hormones, and I wouldn’t be surprised because you already suffer from PCOS – which is a result of major hormone / thyroid imbalance.
There are nutrients that help you restore the sleep cycle, such as Zinc and Magnesium, which must be taken 1 hour before bed time and 2 hours after dinner. This automatically puts your body at a “good position” to wind down for sleep, due to the food being mostly out of your stomach and getting ready for absorption.
Post Exercise Insomnia – yes it is a real thing but we have 2 different researches on it.
1. group shows that intense exercise promotes good sleep
2. one group shows intense exercise prevents sleeping early
It depends which class you fall into. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You have to understand YOUR body and train accordingly. Perhaps your are not exercising “hard” enough to get that “super tired” feeling later on. Or you are working out too hard. Set a trial and error method to find out what works for you. Seek to get your workout done three to four hours prior to bedtime
Coffee before a workout can enhance your fitness gains, but if you exercise in the late afternoon or evening, the caffeine may keep you awake.
Staying well hydrated during your workout can help blunt your cortisol response.
Try taking a hot bath, shower, or sauna just before bed. The sudden temperature drop from getting out of the bath helps your body shut itself down, facilitating sleep
Whatever you do in terms of exercise, you should never allow yourself to become sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation has the same effect on your immune system as physical stress or illness, which helps explain why poor-quality or insufficient sleep is tied to an increased risk of numerous chronic diseases. Research tells us that inadequate sleep can contribute to everything from physical aches and pains to diabetes, heart disease, hormonal illness (thyroid / pcos) and even irreversible brain damage.
It all boils down to how YOU feel. Plan accordingly, plan your workout, exactly what you are going to do, and stick to your routine. Plan your food, and nutrition and plan your sleep timing as well. A major contributor to poor sleep is social media and cell phones. The blue light from cell phones effects your eyes and brain as much as cocaine and heroine. Stay away from digital devices long before your bedtime. Turn off blue light / light bulbs and try to turn on red or yellow hue lights.
lastly, I would look into the psychiatric meditation. How is it helping you really?
Did you know that Functional Nutritional Therapy can help reverse PCOS and restore thyroid function? Read about Functional Nutritional Therapy for PCOS / Thyroid Function Here.
PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a group of symptoms resulting from a hormonal imbalance. It’s the number one cause of infertility in the U.S. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of women of childbearing age have PCOS, while at least 30 percent of all women have some symptoms of PCOS. And as with most chronic diseases and conditions, the prevalence of PCOS is increasing around the world.
Are you interested in PCOS / Thyroid Recovery? Click here to learn about Recovery Programmes.
Marina Farook 