Strategies to calm down after evening sessions

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by s_mair, Aug 31, 2015.

  1. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    There is a quite basic issue that is bothering me now for quite some time and what's better than asking all of you guys and gals for suggestions or your ways to handle it?!

    The problem: I find it very hard to calm down and be able to fall asleep after an evening trainings session or clubnight. For example, our clubnight starts at 8 pm and ends at 10 pm. So after a quick shower I am back home by around 10.30 pm with blood circulation and brain functions still fully in action-mode, but with muscles would love to go to bed directly.

    I am then sitting in front of the TV for like another hour but most of the time it takes even longer until my mind really slows down and allows me to fall asleep - mostly depending on how intense the session had been. It even happens that I am lying fully awake until 1.30 am.
    And not surprisingly, I wake up the next morning and feel quite tired and beat-up, and that is not just because of the training.

    So I would be very interested in your typical procedures after an evening session before going to sleep and if you maybe have some useful tips for me how to improve my calm-down time. :rolleyes:
     
  2. phili

    phili Regular Member

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    I think I recently read a study or it might just have been a regular article about this. Can't remember the title now but it basically said that your problem is totally normal among athletes. Some people are lucky enough to be able to fall asleep right after they are done but the majority had the same trouble you and I have.There is little you can do to influence that. Other than having a cool down routine at the end of training nothing proved to be useful.
     
  3. TeddyC

    TeddyC Regular Member

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    Drinking chamomile tea or warm milk should help...
     
  4. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    Phili is quite correct in that this is pretty common.

    Cooling down slowly from intense exercise is quite useful. For example going for a long walk.
    Avoid eating after a late night session. That will only fool your body into thinking you are gearing up for some more action.
    Certainly avoid drinking alcohol after a late night session.

    Lastly, avoid the dreaded TV/computer trap. ; It would seem logical that 'sitting' in front of a screen passively would relax you. But it actually keeps your brain from settling down. You are much better to do a few mundane chores, like cleaning the kitchen, or sorting laundry. Mindless stuff. Then try to go to bed.

    If you have done all these clever things, and still find yourself lying in bed staring at the ceiling 45 minutes later, then get up and do a few more mindless tasks, or do a few stretches, or read a book. Then try lying down again 30-40 minutes later.

    The best defence of all is not to play so late at night in the first place. Of course that is easier said than done.
    I'll admit that I broke every one of the above suggestions just last night. :rolleyes:

    Here's a pile of news articles on sleep that you may wish to peruse. But as with all advice, take with a grain of salt.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/
     
  5. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    As with all herbal remedies, chamomile works for some, and not for others. But worth a try.

    Warm milk does contain tryptophan -- a chemical that aids sleep. But to convert the proteins in milk to a useful amount of tryptophan, I've read that you have to lightly simmer while stiring for several minutes. Not just chuck it in the microwave. As Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley have demonstrated, technique (not just ingredients) brings results in alchemy. ;)
     
  6. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

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    Keep your room cool... esp. during summer time. Too warm (or too cold) could be a problem. Also, keep lighting dim in your room. Bright light stimulate your brain. Have a look at this article regarding Melatonin (a hormone) also. You maybe able to buy it from drug stores. Read the warnings, however.

    http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview

    Thorough stretching of your hard-worked muscles may help. Sometimes after a late occasional evening game night, I could find myself not knowing where to put my legs. Stretching seems to help me feel better.

    Light music may also help. Light readings e.g. magazine may help. In a nutshell, there're things you could do to tell your body it's time to sleep. And go to bed at a regular time daily. At first you may struggle. But over time, a regular routine should help. Don't stress yourself if you find you've trouble falling asleep immediately. Fidget already gave some good advice.

    If you've sleep problems for whatever reasons, there might be a tendency to catch up sleep in afternoon or evenings. 30 minutes of nap may help. But don't sleep too long and too late (e.g. after 6:00 p.m.), if you plan to go to bed before 12:00 a.m. say. This extra sleep interfere.

    Certainly, and obvious, avoid caffeine, after 5:00 p.m., including Coke.

    Hope all these helps.
     
  7. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

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    One more thing - I won't go to bed with empty stomach. It just bothers me. But don't eat too much. No spicy, deep fried food, or anything else that's hard to digest either. A can of Campbell Cream of Chicken/Mushroom soup helps me.
     
  8. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    Very useful tips and links so far, thanks very much for that! And there are some which I will definitely try soon. I actually never tried to keep myself busy (with boring and mindless stuff) or reading a book instead of watching TV but in theory that sounds quite logical. I have tried the classic warm milk method (made in the non-hermione way) but that just caused a weird stomach.
    A bit of light food (some oatmeal or a simple protein shake) for sure is also not bad though.

    I guess it's most important to develop some kind of routine after training that clearly tells your body and brain that it's time to sleep - even if you have just finished torturing it with full-on singles matches.

    Overall I don't consider that issue being a real problem that's affecting me in daily life but I just like to work on improving small things that are annoying me. And that one is definitely on my list since it literally keeps me from attending some evening sessions before a day when I need to get up early.
     
    #8 s_mair, Aug 31, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2015
  9. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    happens to me quite often during late night badminton session. usually take an hour more to sleep.

    i search for some solutions and there are 2 interesting ones:

    - 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

    i haven't tried them so YMMV.
     
  10. Dimo

    Dimo Regular Member

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    S*x aids sleep [afterwards, of course!].
     
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  11. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    that's also exercise!
     
  12. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    Tadaaaa... solution found, thread might as well be closed...
     
  13. reytave

    reytave Regular Member

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    this has been a long problem for me but i came to accept it. it's a natural reaction of our body. usuallly, it takes 4-6 hours after intense exercise for our core body temperature to go back to normal. That's the best time to fall asleep as well. so if you finish your games or taining at 10pm, then you can sleep after 2 am. ive tried forcing myself to sleep early right after an evening session but i can't. some people are lucky though that they are not affected at all.
     
  14. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    If it takes 4-6 hours for core body temperature to drop to normal, wouldn't we still be sweating for much of that time?
     
  15. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    For me, relaxing classical instrumental music (eg. Beethoven's Piano Concerto #5, 2nd movement) before bedtime helps put me in the right state to fall asleep. Most important is not to think about the games you just played that night, eg. what you should or should not have done.
     
    #15 visor, Sep 1, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2015
  16. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    Not thinking about the previous games is definitely an important thing there. I feel a clear difference if the session contained metally intense and close matches or if there were only relaxed and social matches just for the fun of it. Even if the physical effort was at the same level.
    That's why I try to limit the re-thinking-phase to the 20 minutes drive home after training. Well... sometimes it works really well, sometimes not at all. That's the thing with brains - they are so damn hard to control! ;)

    It looks like most of you agree that watching TV to relax is a thing that should be avoided. So I will for sure try this when season preparation is starting again in 2 weeks.
     
  17. DuckFeet

    DuckFeet Regular Member

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    Oh dear. So my routine is grab a beer (dad swears by it for after a run), put on the tv and send out a few messages about the earlier games. I think the chatting helps with closure, so I can stop thinking about the games. At least I managed to tidy the kitchen :)
    I did find that I got to sleep sooner with no beer but I think knees and shin splints feel better the next day. Anti inflammatory effect or something.
     
  18. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

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    A beer right after a run is the best thing on earth! But okay... I live in bavaria and around here, beer is considered to be the cure against almost everything. :D
    The only thing I don't like about having a beer right before I go to sleep is, that it needs to leave my system again right at the moment when I have finally fallen asleep.
     
  19. mikescully

    mikescully Regular Member

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    I have exactly same badminton schedule with OP. Cooling down 5 mins before ending is definitely important just as phili mentioned to relax the body. I usually go for a hot bath after arriving home, then 15mins full body massage on my massage chair for relaxing my tired muscles while checking youtube, SNS and BC, then pray to God before bed. I find praying helping to peace and relax my mind and soul, for non religious people, meditation is the closest alternative. (^o^)
     
  20. phili

    phili Regular Member

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    Adding a bit of foam rolling to my cooldown routine has helped me with calming down as well. I guess the cooldown is really important because ever since I started doing a cooldown routine I feel not as tired the day after.

    A light jog to start, then some stretching and finishing off with the foam roller is my way.
     

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