Sleep deprivation and exercise

Nanbo

Nanbo

Cathlete
Can any of you do a Cathe workout when you are experiencing sleep deprivation? Yesterday I was "woozy tired" (my upstairs neighbors only let me have 3 hours sleep the night before :mad:). I was so out of it all day at work and felt fuzzy headed and out of body :oops:! I didn't trust myself to lift weights or do any fancy cardio when I got home last night so I just went on a 30 minute walk (stagger), went to bed, and slept for 10 straight uninterrupted hours (seriously, NEVER once woke up during the night :eek:). I hated missing my workout (it was RWH HCLB). I feel a lot better today so hopefully I can hit it today with gusto ;)!
This got me thinking about all of the other busy Cathletes that experience sleep deprivation every now and then....do you still stick to your workout routine?
 
I definitely think you did the right thing. What's the point of working out, if you are basically sleep-walking through every move? Every once in awhile, I will go through a few nights of insomnia. Lie there watching the clock. When that alarm rings in the morning, I want to throw it against the wall. Another zombie day.
 
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I have been feeling like that for the last 3 nights before last night, which I finally go a good night's sleep. I did a Cathe Live workout on the second morning of not getting enough sleep and felt totally wiped out the rest of the day. Same with yesterday, so I did not push it and just rested, minus normal life/wife duties. So I feel great today and have been up and about doing stuff since 7am, so now I'm ready to give a workout a try. I hate that feeling of being so tire that it doesn't feel like my body. Good luck on your workout today.:)

Kim
 
firemedic said:
I have been feeling like that for the last 3 nights before last night, which I finally go a good night's sleep. I did a Cathe Live workout on the second morning of not getting enough sleep and felt totally wiped out the rest of the day. Same with yesterday, so I did not push it and just rested, minus normal life/wife duties. So I feel great today and have been up and about doing stuff since 7am, so now I'm ready to give a workout a try. I hate that feeling of being so tire that it doesn't feel like my body. Good luck on your workout today.:)

Kim
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Same here...time to recuperate and get back to healthy routine.
 
Nanbo said:
Can any of you do a Cathe workout when you are experiencing sleep deprivation? Yesterday I was "woozy tired" (my upstairs neighbors only let me have 3 hours sleep the night before :mad:). I was so out of it all day at work and felt fuzzy headed and out of body :oops:! I didn't trust myself to lift weights or do any fancy cardio when I got home last night so I just went on a 30 minute walk (stagger), went to bed, and slept for 10 straight uninterrupted hours (seriously, NEVER once woke up during the night :eek:). I hated missing my workout (it was RWH HCLB). I feel a lot better today so hopefully I can hit it today with gusto ;)!
This got me thinking about all of the other busy Cathletes that experience sleep deprivation every now and then....do you still stick to your workout routine?
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Heck to the no! Cathe's workouts demand our best- good diet, good sleep, good focus. It's unsafe to do intense exercise when your full concentration is unavailable. Three hours is not enough sleep! Sometimes I can force myself through the day with a couple Excedrin and a good, strong caramel latte. Not the healthiest route in the world, but I naturally run low on both dopamine and serotonin, so I rationalize that choice easily enough. ;) I feel your pain, Nanbo! I hate missing workouts with a passion (just ask my mom, who is persona non grata if she interrupts a workout without it being a gashing-wound-to-the-head reason). I am so dedicated to workouts that I try to schedule them around my ideal time to work out, which is in very late morning or in the early afternoon. (I'm a college student, so this is workable for now). This can be inconvenient to others around me, especially my mom (she's disabled and relies on me for a lot of stuff). But luckily she is not a morning person, so she's often off to a slow start herself! Nighttime, a couple hours after dinner, is my second choice- but only if it has been an "ideal" day. Not a lot of jerks at work to deal with, tough college papers or studying, family drama, hours of chores, fibromyalgia pain acting up... I will modify my exercise plan before I neglect to work out at all. True rest days are rare. I'll do Stretch Max, Core Max, a lower-intensity cardio from The FIRM, a very modified total-body workout that I can do with my eyes closed because I know them so well, something to work up a sweat. Something I know I can complete, because I have a negative quirk in my mind about stopping a workout before it's finished. I'm not saying I'm right to put exercise first all the time, but I try to.

I know a lot of people force themselves to get up early before work or school and work out, and that's awesome. But I'm a night owl. I literally puke if I try to work out in the morning. I've tried and tried to reset myself, doesn't work. Do what's best for you, including working in some rest days when needed. Sleep deprivation is no freaking joke!
 
I have been thinking about this myself. In your opinion what's considered a good night's rest?
I usually wake up at 4am and begin my workouts at 430am. That's providing I get a good night's sleep. I average about 7 to 7.5 hours a night but I am restless quite a few times through out the night. I hardley ever sleep the whole night through but I am not fully awake either. I will look at the clock maybe once or twice a night but always fall right back to sleep.
 
wonderwoman said:
I have been thinking about this myself. In your opinion what's considered a good night's rest?
I usually wake up at 4am and begin my workouts at 430am. That's providing I get a good night's sleep. I average about 7 to 7.5 hours a night but I am restless quite a few times through out the night. I hardley ever sleep the whole night through but I am not fully awake either. I will look at the clock maybe once or twice a night but always fall right back to sleep.
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Sleep studies show the ideal amount varies for everyone. Not everyone sleeps straight through the night all in one shot.

A friend of mine had a sleep study done, and her results were not uncommon. That is, after six hours of sleep, her body falls back into an unfavorable level of REM again, and she will wake up groggy because of this. She calls herself a "sleep Nazi". She gets up 6 a.m religously, after going to bed at 1130 or so, falling asleep by midnight.

Some people do best on six hours; some people need nine. Conditions like Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome or sleep apnea can affect both quantity of sleep and quality of sleep. Generally, people feel the need for less sleep the more they age, but medical conditions can affect this.

A sleep study can help. Mostly, you have to experiment and listen to your own body's cues, IMHO. I have never done well trying to wake up early or go to bed early. My circadian rhythm is not set up that way. It doesn't always jive with this society's views on "the early bird gets the worm" and all, but I am most productive at night. When I follow a later schedule, I need less sleep and feel far better. Many people are prescribed sleeping pills for insomnia when in fact they have circadian rhythm variations or problems. Everyone varies.
 
I haven't used an alarm clock in years; I tend to function best on a minimum of 8 hours of sleep. I try to be asleep by 10 pm and wake up around 6 am. This would be an "ideal" situation. My brain seems to know when my sleep is interrupted and will add that time in, so if I wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake for an hour, I will sleep until a total of 8 hours has been reached if I allow it. My bedroom window faces east and the morning sunlight usually wakes me up and makes me eager for the day. I love sunrises...I love the peaceful spring/summer mornings with the birds singing away while I have breakfast!
 
Sometimes (ok...most of the time), I feel like I'm perpetually tired. So perhaps I'm used to it by now. I have always worked out in the morning. As time goes by I have found I don't have as much spring in my step but once I get going....it's all good! When I'm off work I do my longer or more demanding wkouts (Body Max 2, X77). I try to make sure I get to bed at a decent hour as well. Trying to do an advanced wkout when I'm REALLY tired gave me a shoulder injury and a sprained ankle. So if you are tired, STOP and listen to your body! It will reward you later.
 
tlc93 said:
Sometimes (ok...most of the time), I feel like I'm perpetually tired. So perhaps I'm used to it by now. I have always worked out in the morning. As time goes by I have found I don't have as much spring in my step but once I get going....it's all good! When I'm off work I do my longer or more demanding wkouts (Body Max 2, X77). I try to make sure I get to bed at a decent hour as well. Trying to do an advanced wkout when I'm REALLY tired gave me a shoulder injury and a sprained ankle. So if you are tired, STOP and listen to your body! It will reward you later.
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I feel like I could have written this entire post myself. :) I'm convinced feeling tired, like I'm on an ever-increasing-in-speed-and-incline treadmill, that I will never get it all done OR much of it done well is the new normal today. At least in college, it is- although I felt that way constantly when working years ago full-time, too. I believe one of my professors is determined to push me to the edge and then over it with an impossible workload (not one person in the class has completed all her tasks). I think another was hired specifically to teach people how to deal with situations at work when you have a boss that knows less than you do, and can't even teach you well what they do know. College prep for the workforce without admin warning us of what they're doing...great strategy, considering my college has an 18% retention rate. (Eyes rolling right now...)

I think I need to lay off of myself a bit with the perfectionism, though. Today I finished a 50-minute total-body weight-training workout and felt like a failure. Why? For not being more advanced at what exercises I did do, not being able to top it off with thirty more minutes of an abs and lower-body floorwork DVD (I would have been late if I'd added it on), and not having more time to stretch. Why was I running behind? I'd been taking notes for an exam today. Doing household chores. Putting on my mom's shoes and helping her get out the door (she's physically disabled a bit). Yeah, I'm just an awful, lazy person. :s I'd completed a workout using the instructor-level weights and then some on upper body work. I used better form than ever before on lower body work, despite some severe hip pain earlier in the day. I was admiring my new oblique muscle and shoulders in the mirror earlier, but ended the workout feeling deflated. If I can't do a super-long workout that day and just wipe myself out, I'm displeased at my "lack of effort". WTH is wrong with me?! I love my workouts. I eat healthy. I work out almost daily. (I think I took a rest day three weeks ago.) I will hitting my thirty-fifth birthday in a few months more fit than ever in my life, which is exciting. Why am I so incredibly all-or-nothing? I didn't get this way until I started getting into the more intermediate-advanced level. Anyone else feel this compulsion about doing longer workouts?

This post brought to you by sleep deprivation, LOL. :)
 
You have so much on your plate right now. I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. Take it one day at a time. I use to feel the same way as you but then I realized I don't need to work out everyday for 2 hrs to be healthy. All I need is 30-40 minutes 5-6 days a week. Some workouts are intense and some are not. I do throw in some yoga in there 2-3 days a week also. We are not perfect and need to take care of ourselves too.


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TurquoiseEyes said:
I think I need to lay off of myself a bit with the perfectionism, though.
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Yes...
Perfection does not exist IMHO...Although the word is clearly defined in the dictionary,
We can only aim toward it while we take care of ourselves within healthy boundaries.

TurquoiseEyes said:
I work out almost daily. (I think I took a rest day three weeks ago.) I will hitting my thirty-fifth birthday in a few months more fit than ever in my life, which is exciting. Why am I so incredibly all-or-nothing? I didn't get this way until I started getting into the more intermediate-advanced level. Anyone else feel this compulsion about doing longer workouts?
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Please do not beat yourself up. An hour---60 minutes is more than enough.30,45 minutes
are finely reasonable. I personally do not feel the pressure to do longer workouts at all. 60 minutes is
my prefered average. I do add 30 45 minutes sometimes depending on rotation but just with
a purpose of creating a confusion in the body.

What make a workout session effective is not necessarily
the duration. A twenty minutes ALL OUT tabata followed by a 45 minutes weight during the day can be
proven to be better.A day rest of doing nothing a part from daily household task, walking ,running errands etc...
every 6 or 7 days is not harmful neither is it a sign of laziness IMO.

If I was in your shoes right now, i would back off from any workout for few day.
I would take a week end somewhere to clear my head. Meet friends for chats,---a girly night out possibly;);)
I would then after feel motivated, reinvigorated and have a happy :):)smile to hit those muscles.
Not sure about you but I can not fully concentrate if deeply too much is on my plate. I would rather back off for few hours/days,
refocus and resume the rotation.This does not happen often to me though.

All the best
 
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Many years ago on this forum I posted a similar situation. I was told by a personal trainer to take a week off and do nothing. I didn't like the advice but I took it. Guilt free. After a week of rest I came back better than before. More endurance. More strength. I had gained from that week and not lost. It was solid advice.
I think the idea is to be fit not exhausted and/or injured. I think we all lose sight of that at times.
 
nckfitheart2009 said:
Yes...
Perfection does not exist IMHO...Although the word is clearly defined in the dictionary,
We can only aim toward it while we take care of ourselves within healthy boundaries.



Please do not beat yourself up. An hour---60 minutes is more than enough.30,45 minutes
are finely reasonable. I personally do not feel the pressure to do longer workouts at all. 60 minutes is
my prefered average. I do add 30 45 minutes sometimes depending on rotation but just with
a purpose of creating a confusion in the body.

What make a workout session effective is not necessarily
the duration. A twenty minutes ALL OUT tabata followed by a 45 minutes weight during the day can be
proven to be better.A day rest of doing nothing a part from daily household task, walking ,running errands etc...
every 6 or 7 days is not harmful neither is it a sign of laziness IMO.

If I was in your shoes right now, i would back off from any workout for few day.
I would take a week end somewhere to clear my head. Meet friends for chats,---a girly night out possibly;);)
I would then after feel motivated, reinvigorated and have a happy :):)smile to hit those muscles.
Not sure about you but I can not fully concentrate if deeply too much is on my plate. I would rather back off for few hours/days,
refocus and resume the rotation.This does not happen often to me though.

All the best
Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice. I took a rest day yesterday completely, and admittedly feel better today for having done so, less achy and grouchy. :) I definitely needed it! From being obese many years, maybe it's just this knee-jerk reaction to not working out daily (or almost daily). I spent a lot of years being lazy or out-of-commission, and I have an admittedly irrational fear of gaining significant weight back or losing fitness. I do need a lot of cardio to keep that aspect of fitness up for myself, but I probably ought to pull back on the intensity and/or duration of my workouts a bit. :)
 
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