Exercise and Bad Numbers

[tattooyu]

[I searched quite a while before posting this but couldn't find anything specific to my issue.]

In the past month, I have increased my exercise by taking longer brisk walks in the evening. Right now, it's not possible for me to exercise in the morning, except on the weekend. Repeatedly, after a good workout and feeling great, I have a terribly restless night of sleep OR I feel like I sleep well only to awake with really poor (for me) numbers. Either way, the next day or two is hell getting back on track.

Last night, I walked from 7:20 - 8:00 p.m. Felt great. Really great! When I came home, I ate dinner (pork tenderloin, Smart Bagel, thin Swiss cheese and cucumber chips). I waited until 10:30 p.m. to give myself time to unwind and digest the food.

Nov. 7, 2013

AHI: 4.3
AI: 0.5
HI: 3.8
Leak: 0.00 L/s (0.00 L/min)

Usual numbers

AHI: 1.5-2.5
AI: 0.0-0.3
HI: 1.5-2.5
Leak: 0.00-0.10 L/s (24-30 L/min conversion for you Respironics folks)

Boy, do I feel like ass. Lingering hypoxia symptoms are NO fun. I did awake a bit early to find that I had some really bad smelling gas (sorry, TMI) and my stomach was hurting. I'm wondering if exercising got stuff moving in my gut which disturbed my sleep. I may have ended up on my back, which is unusual, but I have no way of knowing for sure.

What gives?

[Pugsy]

Do you normally eat so late in the evening?
Was the tenderloin fried?

[tattooyu]

Do you normally eat so late in the evening?
Was the tenderloin fried?

It depends. We try to eat by 7 p.m. most days, so I guess that was a little late. However, I would have thought that 1 1/2-2 hours would have been enough time for things to settle. The tenderloin was cooked in our crockpot with some BBQ seasoning, kind of like pulled pork but very lean.

[BlackSpinner]

All the time I have been part of various exercise programs we were always told "Do not exercise before bed". Exercise changes your whole system by flooding it with hormones and chemicals which need to flush out of your system. This is good for you but not for your sleep. Some how hot sex seems to not do this for most people.

[tattooyu]

All the time I have been part of various exercise programs we were always told "Do not exercise before bed". Exercise changes your whole system by flooding it with hormones and chemicals which need to flush out of your system. This is good for you but not for your sleep. Some how hot sex seems to not do this for most people.

Perhaps that's part of it. If that's the case, I'm in a real pickle because I have to exercise and that's the only time I have right now. Before that I have to make Jonah's dinner, do chores and also wait for my wife to get home (around 7 p.m.) before I can leave. It's never simple or easy, is it?

[LSAT]

IMO...If the exercise makes you feel better and you sleep well...don't worry about the numbers (especially one night).

[zoocrewphoto]

I suspect it may be that you are eating so late. Do you eat later on nights when you exercise? I have acid reflux and choking problems if I go to sleep within 3 hours of dinner. A late snack, if small, is okay. But the full meal and then sleep is guaranteed to give me problems.

[tattooyu]

IMO...If the exercise makes you feel better and you sleep well...don't worry about the numbers (especially one night).

I sleep well except for a lot of nights (not all) when I exercise.

I suspect it may be that you are eating so late. Do you eat later on nights when you exercise? I have acid reflux and choking problems if I go to sleep within 3 hours of dinner. A late snack, if small, is okay. But the full meal and then sleep is guaranteed to give me problems.

For me, I get very sick if I eat before I exercise, so I kind of have to do it after. It's possible that it was what I ate and not when.

Thanks, everyone.

[BlackSpinner]

For me, I get very sick if I eat before I exercise, so I kind of have to do it after. It's possible that it was what I ate and not when.

Thanks, everyone.

I would not eat a big meal after exercising. What I would eat is something like a smoothie with protein or a simple soup. You might want to eat part of that kind of meal before the exercise and part after. You can drink a smoothie while making a kids dinner. Then by the time you get to exercise it is available as energy.

[Todzo]

[I searched quite a while before posting this but couldn't find anything specific to my issue.]

In the past month, I have increased my exercise by taking longer brisk walks in the evening. Right now, it's not possible for me to exercise in the morning, except on the weekend. Repeatedly, after a good workout and feeling great, I have a terribly restless night of sleep OR I feel like I sleep well only to awake with really poor (for me) numbers. Either way, the next day or two is hell getting back on track.

Last night, I walked from 7:20 - 8:00 p.m. Felt great. Really great! When I came home, I ate dinner (pork tenderloin, Smart Bagel, thin Swiss cheese and cucumber chips). I waited until 10:30 p.m. to give myself time to unwind and digest the food.

Nov. 7, 2013

AHI: 4.3
AI: 0.5
HI: 3.8
Leak: 0.00 L/s (0.00 L/min)

Usual numbers

AHI: 1.5-2.5
AI: 0.0-0.3
HI: 1.5-2.5
Leak: 0.00-0.10 L/s (24-30 L/min conversion for you Respironics folks)

Boy, do I feel like ass. Lingering hypoxia symptoms are NO fun. I did awake a bit early to find that I had some really bad smelling gas (sorry, TMI) and my stomach was hurting. I'm wondering if exercising got stuff moving in my gut which disturbed my sleep. I may have ended up on my back, which is unusual, but I have no way of knowing for sure.

What gives?

As I read your post I am reminded of the seasonal variations I have noted while using CPAP and downloading and evaluating my data several times a week for the last many years.

First off, check your vitamin D levels. Those who are working with the D3 hormone (A.K.A. Vitamin D3) (e.g. Dr. Stasha Gominak, Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., Vitamin D Council) seem to be finding that the very low side of the “normal” range of 30-100 ng/L produces a range of symptoms including OSA, pain, and infection. All believe that a level lower than 50 ng/mL is not good and Dr. Stasha Gominak recommends 60-80 ng/mL for good health.

I am glad to hear that you are pursuing an active lifestyle. I have been doing so for at least the last five years. Along the way I have noticed times when my feet seemed to want to grow white hair (fungus from under the nails) – times when my bones seemed to ache – times when I seemed to have too much energy – times when it seemed to negatively affect my therapy. I am changing my metabolism (energy levels) and likely releasing toxins which have been stored in my fat deposits.

I believe it has helped me greatly to spend several of those years with the help of a registered dietitian meeting about every six weeks. You could easily spend a lifetime learning how to eat well and you absolutely should. Three of my current books are on nutritional subjects, I have several new cook books, I am learning to eat for health and strength. Recently I have learned of the dangers of sugar (see: http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Chance-bitter ... 0095ZMPTU/ ) and the values of taking better care of ones microbiome (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Honor-thy-Symbion ... 00ANVNQA2/ ).

I have found it useful to use a good pedometer to track steps in pursuit of my 10,000 steps a day. I started with about 2000/d at first and last summer went over 85% of the 10,000 a day averaged over all days. Last winter I added time with a personal trainer time and found the experience very helpful. This fall she became no longer available (moved to a better job) and I am reading to become my own since the other trainers right now do not seem a good fit and for financial reasons. I will probably connect with another personal trainer after Christmas.

I really do believe that everyone with OSA should be working with a dietitian and a personal trainer.

Last winter the training caused sore muscles and changes in my breathing reflexes which made sleep and CPAP therapy difficult. In the last two days I have been at the gym for a total of over three and one half hours. Most of the time I was on cycle or treadmill about 70% low level (metabolism and knee maintenance) and 30% aerobic and the first day included a resistance training set. The long term time in motion – which I have a lot of work to make possible (like a thousand or so miles a year walking for several years) is now resulting in some of the sweetest sleep I have had in years at a time of year I am usually not doing well.

I believe that learning to exercise and learning to eat well are very long term bit by bit processes. The more help you can get the better.

But yes there will be come bumps along the way.

[robysue]

As someone who simply cannot manage to get the exercise done in the morning or the afternoon, my brisk hour-long walks are all too often done in the evening---as in after 10 pm (if they're done at all, which is unfortunately all to often NOT the case these days. *sigh*). Yes, it's not great for bedtime, but then again, we all know my bedtime is 1:30ish. Usually the walk doesn't interfere too much with my sleep. But if I eat a big meal after 9:00 pm? All bets are off. Sometimes things are just fine and dandy. And sometimes I'm miserable with numbers to match.

I'd say switch the walk and the meal: Eat before the walk and slow down on the walk if necessary. I think it's the heavy meal too close to bedtime that may be interfering with your sleep.

[tattooyu]

Thanks, everyone. I will try switching up the meal with the exercise and see if that is an improvement over time.

[tattooyu]

Last night, I exercised right when I got home which was over an hour earlier than when I normally do it. After I got home, I had a full dinner. This time, I had no problems sleeping. That extra 1-2 hours really allowed my body and food to settle.