I have been fighting with the inability to get a good nights rest for a over a week. I began a strength training program that is pretty intense. I typically train in the evenings for about an hour, and always try to be finished by no later than 6:30pm. But I have noticed that I cannot seem to get a decent nights sleep since I have started this program. Is it possible that training in the late afternoon is keeping me from sleeping well, or could it just be my mental preparation for sleep in the evenings?

Great question! While it is true that exercise can stimulate your body enough to make it difficult to sleep, it usually does not last more than a few hours. If you are finishing no later than 6:30, and you go to bed by 10:00, this should not be a problem. However, you are not the first person who has mentioned having this difficulty to me. It seems to be more common after an exceptionally heavy or more intense leg training session.

I believe this may be happening because of an increase in cortisol. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that your body releases in response to physical or mental stress. Most people are aware of the association between mental stress and occasional sleep difficulties. But, when it comes to exercise it may seem a little foreign. You would think that a good workout would make you sleep like a baby but it doesn’t always work this way!

I would suggest three things. The first would be to make sure you are maintaining proper hydration levels before, during, and after your exercise session. It always sounds easy to say, “just drink more water!” But, it is very important. Drinking water ensures the proper removal of waste products, which keeps your system properly flushed. The second thing to do is make sure you are getting adequate amounts of the anti-oxidant vitamins A, B, C, and E by eating unprocessed fruits and vegetables and fresh fish, and through supplementation. The third thing to do would be to look at taking a supplement called HMB. HMB (ß-hydroxy ß-methylbutyrate) is a patented amino acid metabolite that was discovered by research scientists at Iowa State University. It appears that this amino acid metabolite supports the body's ability to minimize protein breakdown subsequent to stress such as intense exercise. Very simply, it minimizes protein breakdown by blocking the cortisol response. This reduction in cortisol levels not only enhances your muscle mass but should help you sleep better as well.