Running at night & sleeping

[mmmcookiesnmilk]

I need to budget my time better and want to get in more cardio so I'm thinking about running at night. I'm worried that I'll have trouble sleeping if I exercise later in the day, has anyone had that experience? How many hours do you leave between running and sleep? There just aren't enough hours in the day!

[Ladycole]

I actually find that running in the evening actually makes me fall asleep faster and sleep much deeper. (Contrary to what I've heard & read!!)

If you are concerned, push the run to the limit in the last 5-10 minutes, so that you completely burn it out. Then walk/stretch for cooldown, get a whey/casein blend shake in while dressing down for a shower (at least that's what I do, always multitasking! , and you'll find the exhaustion + hot water preps you quite nicely for bed, at least imo.

[mmmcookiesnmilk]

yeah that sounds really nice actually, running really clears my mind too, so maybe it will help. I guess I should just give it a shot

[runner03]

I ran every single night at like 11p.m for over a year and never slept better! It goes person to person, so I would suggest trying it to see.

If you have the energy at night I would say go for it, its better than not doing any exercise, and will most likely help you sleep better.

[pbolton1]

I ran at 11pm my entire college years. We had a track across from my dorm that was lighted until midnight.

I slept great. I'm a "seriously disabled" night person though :-) I never get up before 10 and that is even with difficulty.

Try it and see how it works for you.