Sleep Is UNDERrated.
So, I developed this new AWESOME trait some time in the recent years. It’s the Exhaustion Headache. I’ve been prone to random headaches that no medicine will cure for awhile, but last spring during Beauty and the Beast I realized it was related to consistent sleep deprivation. Once I caught up on my sleep? They would go away. But before that? NOTHING. Not even prescription pain pills, which I tried in desperation. NOTHING. No beer. No diet coke. No ibuprofen. NOTHING would help. Nothing but catching up on my sleep…that’s the only cure.
This is why I’m dead serious when I say: I NEED MY SLEEP.
I know women who do it all and when you ask them how they say, “I don’t sleep.”
I HATE THOSE WOMEN.
Okay, not HATE. But – I’m very jealous they have that as an option, because I do not. I had a rough week last week, not getting to bed as early as I’d like. Mainly because these evening runs keep me wired too late, but that’s beside the point. I didn’t get enough sleep last week, so I tried to catch up Saturday night and Sunday night. Well, it obviously didn’t work because all day yesterday I was in EXHAUSTION HEADACHE HELL.
My exhaustion headaches are a lot like the headaches I get when I’m trying to give up caffeine. (The times in my life when I’m obviously GOING CRAZY.) They affect my vision and my moods. And if that’s NOT ENOUGH to convince me to prioritize sleep above all else – I learned another down side to sleep deprivation last night.
Evidently I eat when I’m exhausted.
I’ve been doing much better with the anxiety eating at night thing, I’ve even dropped a pound or two. However, it turns out that I have the same reaction when I’m tired.
THIS – my friends – is why a lot of losing weight is as much emotional as it is physical.
I was so tired last night, and the headache was killing me, so I found myself CONSTANTLY eating until I could finally go to bed. I mean, I think I ingested about 3000 calories just last night between the time I got home and the time I went to bed. THAT’S A LOT OF EATING.
So…when you read those articles that say a huge key to losing weight is sleep? BELIEVE THEM.
I already feel better this morning. I guess it takes me 3 nights of good sleep to recover from 5 of not-ideal sleep. And that third day before I’m officially caught up? IS AN UGLY DAY full of headaches and bags of melting chocolate chips. (What? We don’t keep a lot of junk food in our house! I WAS DESPERATE.)
It’s funny how your body changes when you get older. I don’t think I had the mental stamina to run 14 miles in my 20s, but I could definitely survive on no sleep no problem. Now…I can run 14 miles but if I get less than 7 hours sleep several nights in a row? I’M A MESS.
What about you? Do you have the luxury of being able to live without sleep? Do you have trouble getting to sleep after exercise? Have you found a cure for that? Because, I don’t have one. I’ve dealt with not being able to sleep in my whole life. I wake up naturally at 4am, no problem. But this Not Be Able To Get To Sleep thing? Is new. I used to be able to just get in bed and crash when I wanted, but now that I’m running at night? Not so much. Any advice? And should I just lock the cabinets after night two of not sleeping well?
Dude. Right now? Dying. I got three hours of sleep on Sunday night and while last night was MUCH better, I didn’t sleep more than three hours in a row, and only got 5-6 total. Not enough caffeine in the WORLD. So. Tired.
You may have already considered this but your body does a lot of rehydrating when you are asleep. Could dehydration be contributing to your headaches? Are you drinking enough water?
Most definitely not! I’m horrible about drinking water. However, I’m so bad that I can typically differentiate between a dehydration headache, I get them so often. And as long as I nurse a bottle of water for awhile, they’ll usually go away. These do not *sigh*
BUT – I do need to hydrate more, in general. I’m sure it would at least HELP the headaches.
After years and years of having no trouble going to sleep, in the last 10 weeks I have experienced the same thing! It took me about 8 weeks to realize that it was only happening on the nights that I was exercising after dinner. It kind of makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one this happens to. I like the idea (above) that increasing water intake might help. I’m going to try that this week. I will be following the comments for other good ideas.
I actually started coming home after working out and popping Tylenol PM. Not sure if that’s a good idea long term, but it helps for that one night
I feel for you, because I suffer from migraines so I totally understand the pain that comes from having a headache that will not go away! And when you have to keep pushing through that and take care of your kids and work and everything else, it is awful. I’m so sorry.
Oh…I just kept moaning last nigh: MOMMY HAS A HEADACHE. But – it’s not migraine bad…those you really have to isolate yourself. I could at least tolerate my kids last night, just not win any parenting awards
You don’t have to win parenting awards every day! I think you do that plenty of days already.
About the headaches, I was thinking about the water suggestion which made me wonder if you could be sweating out nutrients that your body needs. My neuro has me taking magnesium, B-2, and co-enzyme Q-10 to try to reduce my migraines. Maybe your body is getting rid of something (in addition to missing the sleep) that is causing the headaches? Just a thought.
Yeah, the exercising at night thing? Not so good for getting to sleep. That’s the main reason I wake up at the ass crack of dawn and go to the gym. My husband prefers to work out at night and once he gets home ~9:30/10, he’s up until 11:30/midnight (he is not a morning person, and I don’t think he could motivate himself out of bed for the gym at 5am). Also, I am a bitch on wheels when I don’t get enough sleep, so I have the same hate for people who can survive on 4-5 hours of sleep every night!
Yeah – I would love it if my running group/class would do early morning runs. I’d have to miss boot camp, but I’d do it for the group! But since I do boot camp at 5:30am, I can’t run before hand b/c it’s dark and quiet and creepy and I’m a big giant wus! Although I have done it a few times, when I’ve had to, I did NOT like it!
Longtime reader here and I just had to comment to say that I am EXACTLY the same way when i don’t get enough sleep: headache and then the overeating. I feel that when I don’t sleep enough I get a headache and my body feels that something is not right and it thinks: maybe I’m hungry, let’s eat and that’ll get rid of the headache and it doesn’t…let’s try some more…it’s an ongoing SUCKY cycle. I know that I need to get at LEAST 6 hours of sleep for me to not get the headache from hell. Find your magic number and stick to it
I cannot comment on the night exercise part but I can comment on the no sleep part. I learned not to sleep when my 6 year old was born. He is autistic and he never sleeps so neither do I. Over the years I have just finally adjusted to only getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night and it is interrupted sleep. That is the hard part. If it was solid it would be better. It is not something I choose to do but it chose me so I adapt. I think our bodies just learn to adapt to whatever our circumstances are and then we can deal with it but it takes a LONG time. I was a zombie for the first 3 years and how I did not get fired from my job is a miracle!!! LOL I say try melatonin, that is what we give my son to try and get him to sleep. It is all natural and it does not help you stay asleep it just aids you in drifting off quickly.
Sorry that was so wordy!!
Any possibility of tricking your eating? Like chewing a piece of gum in between snacks? When I do my graze eating at night I always go from sweet to salty and back to sweet again but I can sometimes satiate (one of) the sweet cravings with some gum. And the chewing motion may help with your headaches a bit. When I get bad ones at night, am usually stressed so my jaw is tighter and the chewing helps loosen some of the tension.
I have had trouble falling asleep after a nighttime workout and I found that the trick for me to wind down and become sleepy is a nice hot bath.
I will second and third the comments that say that water helps with my headaches, and if you do go for that hot bath, it helps to take a tall glass of water to drink while you’re in there to replace what you will lose in sweat in the bath!
Angela – It’s funny you suggest this because I say that a warm bath cures EVERYTHING. And many nights I do just what you say!
It’s funny b/c for a distance runner, you’re supposed to “Ice Down” after a long run but I don’t. Even when my trainers/coaches tell me taking a warm bath after a long run is NOT GOOD for my joints? I do it anyway because it feels AMAZING to me. I think my joints never got the memo.
I totally hear you on the “need sleep” thing. I’ve never been able to pull all-nighters, and can’t function on only 4 or 5 hours. I’ve always been super envious of those who could! I love my sleep, but some days it does feel like a huge waste of time.
Huh. I have chronic headaches, but never thought that they might be sleep related. I just knew that I pop pills like crazy in an attempt to knock them out and it never works. Last night though, I got a good night’s sleep, and no headache today.
Yeah, the “I don’t sleep” people… I am insanely jealous of those people that can get by on 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night.
There are two times of the year when I really don’t get a whole lot of sleep. Mardi Gras and French Quarter Fest/Jazz Fest. Really the second one is the one that potentially can do me in. I work for bands so I work every night for about 3 weeks straight if not 4, plus the day job and I go to the fest during the day. Now I know that I could NOT go to the fest during the day, however because I love music so much, my body will wake me up even after 2 hours of sleep saying “gotta go, gotta go!!” I average maybe 4 hours a night for a month. For about a two weeks after I am useless. I do get the headaches as well, however I have found that if I keep myself hydrated it gets a little more tolerable….it doesn’t go away but a bit better.
I need my sleep, too. I always overeat when I’m tired, and I have trouble getting anything done. I’ve been thinking about getting up early before my kids wake up to get a walk in and have some me time, but ha! I need that sleep. Especially since my husband works until 10 pm, and we need some time together. Also, because I have a not-yet-two month old. We’re only sleeping in two hour spurts. Hopefully in a few months my mornings will be a bit earlier.
Thanks for sharing your life, Zoot. You seem a lot like me. And if you can run 14 MILES, then I should be able to run just one mile all in a row.
Running’s not my strong suit. I liked your post on getting over the mommy guilt of leaving your kids every once in a while. I have that guilt big time.
I need sleep too, I also hate people who say, oh i don’t need any sleep…blah. When i hit the sack I have a running mind, I sometime call it the social worker curse because I am replaying my whole freaking day. What I have found that keeps me able to go to bed, is turning off all electronics one hour before bed, I have a bedtime too and then reading (usually a romance novel *gasp*) to unwind. This has done me good.l…..
oh, I feel ya. I can supposedly “function” on very little sleep, but not for long, and it definitely takes me longer to recover than it ever used to.
I definitely need my sleep. I am just flat out exhausted lately by 10 p.m. easily. If I get a crappy night’s sleep (less than 7 hours) two nights in a row? I AM TOAST.
I told my husband last night I need to get some more multivitamins so I am not just so wiped by 10. It’s only the sexy talk for us in bed now. (LOL)
I honestly don’t know how women have babies after 40 (I’m 42.) I’d be a hot mess of exhaustion and crankiness.