You feel sleepy after morning exercise because it increases dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in your body. These changes reduce the central nervous system’s capacity to activate your muscles, leading to prominent fatigue and a desire to take a nap.
But isn’t exercise supposed to make you feel energized and refreshed rather than lethargic and sleepy?
Causes Of Feeling Sleepy After A Workout:
1. You Are New To The Morning Routine
For people who are used to being productive as night riders, it is very difficult to switch to a morning routine. Maybe very recently you have started to wake up early and began exercising and stuff.
Your body is not yet used to this new morning routine, and it could be the reason why you feel sleepy in the morning after exercise.
Just stay in the routine, and let the body get used to this new time shift of waking up early in the morning and working out.
But the important thing is don’t overdose yourself with caffeine before a workout, a good way to measure if you have drunk too much coffee is your heart rate and breath during the workout.
If the heart is pumping higher than usual or the breath feels different, chances are that you overdosed on caffeine, and it can actually impact your workout performance negatively, rather than taking the lethargy or sleepiness away.
So bottom line, stay in this new routine for a few days to observe if it gets normal or not and don’t drink too much coffee before a workout, that feeling of sleepiness will go away once you are used to the new routine of waking up early and working out.
2. Your Body Is Not Yet Used To Workouts
Either you are an absolute beginner or you are coming back to a workout routine. In both these cases, a workout can get tough on your body, and tire you in a way that it is not used to yet.
A tired body craves two things, food and rest. Your feelings of being sleepy after a workout in the morning could be due to one or both of these reasons.
Eat a good healthy meal after a workout and rest to re-energize yourself for the next workout.
3. You Are Not Drinking Enough Water
60% of our body is made up of water. Workouts on the other hand are demanding and dehydrating.
Your body loses a huge amount of fluid during a workout. As a result, it is obvious that you will get dehydrated.
Water is the best drink to rehydrate but if you are not too fond of it, mix things up and drink some coconut water, sports drinks, fruit juices, flavored water, etc to fulfill your hydration needs.
It’s a bit of a tradeoff. You give away a part of your physical energy to break and rip the muscles in order for them to get rebuilt in a more stronger and beautiful shape, and your body loses water in the form of sweat, which needs to be refueled in the form of drinks.
You have to constantly keep drinking during a workout either in the shape of a sports drink, energy drink, or even water.
If that need of the body is not fulfilled in a timely manner, it can make you feel lethargic and weak during and after a workout and can cause the abnormal need to sleep more.
4. It’s A Medical Condition
You can make tweaks to fix any other issue, but if it’s a medical condition, the problem of feeling sleepy after working out in the morning can only be resolved by taking advice from a medical specialist.
It might be something different that is constantly making you feel sleepy no matter whether you are working out or not.
In case of any negative symptoms consult a doctor. Also if you have any existing medical conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, COPD, or sleep apnea, you must workout on the advice of a doctor.
Issues with the thyroid and heart can also be the reason of feeling sleepy after workout.
5. You Are Not Well-Rested
This may be the sole reason why you feel sleepy after exercising in the morning.
For any adult to be fully rested, seven or more hours of sleep each night are necessary.
If you do not sleep enough and exercise vigorously in the morning, your body will be unable to convert that effort into productivity.
Exercising without proper sleep is not advisable; in fact, it can be dangerous. Sleep deprivation can cause a variety of health risks, including heart disease.
Before going for a run in the morning or heading to the gym, ensure that you get a good night’s rest.
Muscles grow outside the gym, and all other workout goals are achieved through proper breaks for sleep and nourishment between workouts.
If you worked out early in the morning with only five hours of sleep the night before, not only would it impact your performance during the workout, but it could also weaken you.
There is a greater risk of injury associated with a body that is not in good shape to exercise. Therefore, maintaining a consistent sleep routine at night is essential.
Some Other Post Workout Sleep Issues In The Morning And Their Solutions:
1. Is It Good To Sleep After Exercise In The Morning?
Yes, it is good to sleep after exercise in the morning. Your body and mind will get some rest, and you will feel more energized and refreshed afterward.
The only negative in sleeping after exercise in the morning is that morning usually is the time for work, and if you fell asleep at that time, you might not be able to complete other important daily tasks.
2. Why Am I So Tired After Working Out In The Morning?
Feeling tired after working out in the morning happens mainly because of two reasons:
- Lack of energy in the body because what you ate last night is long converted into blood sugar, and your body is relying on fats to burn calories.
- Due to dehydration because you are not refueling after a workout.
Other than that, generally, there are 3 more reasons why exercise makes me tired not energized.
And besides food and water, there can be issues like being new to the morning workout routine, not being well rested, having a medical condition, or even pushing yourself way too hard that can cause tiredness after a workout in the morning.
3. Can Too Much Exercise Cause Insomnia?
It is a common belief that exercising can cause insomnia. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.
Exercise reduces stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins in the body. This not only helps you sleep better but also improves your mood and mental health.
But just like too much water can spoil the crop, exercising for more than an hour can cause your body to release adrenaline which will keep you awake at night.
If you are experiencing insomnia after exercising, then it is maybe because of working out too heavily and beyond your physical capability.
Extreme workouts can cause stress and anxiety that can disturb sleep patterns and cause insomnia.
All in all, exercising in a moderate and controlled manner won’t cause any insomnia.
4. Does Exercise Make You Sleep More?
No exercise won’t make you sleep more, but for sure it will help you sleep better.
This happens because exercise reduces your body’s production of cortisol, the hormone that helps regulate your response to stress.
Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly experience less daytime fatigue, anxiety, and depression. It can also improve mood and increase energy levels in the evening.
The benefits of exercise go beyond improving sleep quality: it can also help you lose weight, balance blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
5. Best Time To Exercise For Sleep:
The best time to exercise for sleep is in the morning. Exercise helps with sleep because it releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers. It also releases serotonin, which is a chemical that makes people feel good.
Exercise also increases body temperature, causing people to feel more awake. This feeling of wakefulness lasts for about 30 minutes after exercising.
Exercising in the morning can help people sleep better at night because it causes their body temperature to rise and stay elevated for up to 3 hours after physical activity.
6. How To Not Feel Sleepy After Workout?
Listed below are the 5 tips on how to not feel sleepy after working out:
- Make sure you are well-hydrated before and after your workout. Dehydration can cause fatigue and make it difficult for your body to recover from the workout.
- Avoid working out too close to bedtime. Working out late in the day can make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
- Try taking a caffeinated beverage. Caffeine can help improve alertness and energy levels.
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates. A healthy diet can help keep you energized throughout the day and especially after a workout.
- Engage in some relaxation techniques after your workout. yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises can help you wind down and relax after your workout.
Conclusion:
Besides the medical condition, there are many ways you can get rid of feeling sleepy after exercise in the morning.
Bring a balance to your workouts. Don’t go way too hard on yourself. Take care of your diet and rest well for the next day’s workout. Within weeks you will see the results, and there won’t be any issues of feeling sleepy after exercise in the morning.