A doctor with kiting experience on this forum ?

[edt]

I am no doctor but u sure it's not allergies, bro? I suffer from them, so when I go outside to kite, it definitely kicks in, I could stay inside all day but that's no fun. try doing this, stay outside all day but don't kite then see how you sleep. maybe there is something about the outdoors that is doing it so maybe it's not the exercise maybe it's the damn pollen. Ragweed in particular. Exercise makes allergies worse so you might need to stay outdoors picnicking for 6 hours instead of 3 hours exercise to test this. If it's allergies you should notice it goes away after the first frost of the year.

[stijn depauw]

That is really helpful mike...to work away the adrenaline with a mild activity...never thóught of it but definitely worth trying !!!
Sorry Tone but strong beer I tried already, even in combination with sleeping pills. When the kitesession was intense, even alcohol + pills don't do the job.
It's not that I wake up at night, no, I just cannot start sleeping. I'm dead tired but simply cannot fall asleep, even when I'm lying peaceful in bed! Cause once I fall asleep, I continue sleeping till the morning. Taking off is my problem. Breaking down the adrenaline like mike puts it is worth trying. Many thanks for the advice, if more feedback or other guys with the same problem, please let me know!

[dyyylan]

haha, I'm the opposite I can't even stay awake past 8 or 9 pm sometimes if I kite hard, and sleep 12 hours or more.

Do you do anything before bed to relax? On non-kite days I started getting off the computer/tv an hour before bed and reading a book, that seems to help me fall asleep much easier.

[windybrit]

I am a light sleeper and have had sleep issues from time to time... my self help is as follows, it's not perfect but it works for me .. ("I'm no doctor but")
Try to go to organise life so you have a consistent bed time.
No caffeine after lunchtime.
No exercise closer than 2 hours before bed time.
Keep bedroom dark and quiet.

[Peter_Frank]

That is really helpful mike...to work away the adrenaline with a mild activity...never thóught of it but definitely worth trying !!!
Sorry Tone but strong beer I tried already, even in combination with sleeping pills. When the kitesession was intense, even alcohol + pills don't do the job.
It's not that I wake up at night, no, I just cannot start sleeping. I'm dead tired but simply cannot fall asleep, even when I'm lying peaceful in bed! Cause once I fall asleep, I continue sleeping till the morning. Taking off is my problem. Breaking down the adrenaline like mike puts it is worth trying. Many thanks for the advice, if more feedback or other guys with the same problem, please let me know!

Yes, as I said - when you get home you "can not" calm down right away, but need some different and relaxing activity to do this.

I think this goes for all of us, just different HOW and WHAT, and how fast....

Some relaxes with the family, others make dinner and other practical things, or watch TV, or share the experiences with friends or family, or similar.activities, to "get it out".

For most it is very natural to do this - but I think that some have difficulties with this, and then it becomes a problem, leading to insomnia.

Peter

[SupaEZ]

I am a light sleeper and have had sleep issues from time to time... my self help is as follows, it's not perfect but it works for me .. ("I'm no doctor but")
Try to go to organise life so you have a consistent bed time.
No caffeine after lunchtime.
No exercise closer than 2 hours before bed time.
Keep bedroom dark and quiet.

Good suggestions...and i may add i am no doctor either

Others things that may affect your sleep :

Your age....if you are over 50...men go through changes too with their bodies...it can last years

"Too much HEV close to bedtime"...High Energy visible Light.....blue light in other words
This type light is emitted from computer screens....tablets...smartphones..is very bad for some

Also can you breathe good in your room...you may want to add an air purifier
Those machines also create white noise which can help slip away quicker into sleep

Also your mattress is quite important
You may be a bit sore after kiting and if the mattress cause pressure points it does not help
We have a Tempur-Pedic model Rhapsody King Size at home and it is a sleep saver

I hope you find more zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz very soon

Please share how many times a week you kite and / or how long are your sessions
I personally ride 3 to 4 times a week between 1 and 1.5 hrs usually after work / before dinner

[Westozzy]

Used to be a chronic imnsoniac until my thirties. Which was handy for partying and long study sessions at Uni, but that's about it. I feel your pain man. I got a wife and two kids, now I cannot sleep enough!!

Not the entire truth. I still relapse.

Mine is psychological so not sure about yours.

So after a kite (and I kite a lot), I do a long stretch, concentrating on my breathing etc. takes your awareness away from the busy hungry mind which is always seeking more information. By putting my attention into my body it slows the maniac and quite dysfunctional machine we call the mind.

I also use ear plugs now and then to shut out external noise.

If you are still enough you will notice the underlying anxiety. You are not alone.

But you may indeed have some physiological condition of which I can't help as I'm no doctor.

[kiteontario]

Is it just sleeplessness after a day of kiteboarding? I'm a hockey player as well and it's commonly understood that after a game (especially those that end late at night) it's real hard to wind down and go to bed. That's actually why professional hockey teams will travel back home or to the next City they're playing right after a game instead of head to a hotel for sleep. They're wired!

I do find that after an awesome day of kiteboarding, I'm stoked and when it's time to wind down and close my eyes in bed, I start visualizing myself on the water and all the fun I had. I don't experience sleeplessness... but I've found myself waking up in the middle of the night dreaming I'm still out riding.

Cut out caffeine and processed sugars. That might help too if they're part of your daily intake.

[SSK]

I have a very similar sounding issue but not as severe as you describe. For me it is a mild form of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). If I do a hard day kiting or something like long distance running and my legs are fatigued, I cannot sleep. It is counter-intuitive because the more tired I am the more restless my legs are. The thing for me that works is to be in shape. So if I am running a lot or working out a lot then it does not seem to bother me as much. If I am just "weekend warrioring" it and not in good shape I notice it. If you do suffer from RLS there are a lot of medical and non medical treatments.
http://www.helpguide.org/life/restless_ ... me_rls.htm

[rocktor]

The body releases stress hormones http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_hormone during kiting which are epinephrine ( adrenaline ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine and cortisol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol. Epinephrine creates a "flight, freight or fight" response and inhibits sleep. Cortisol levels are normally low before normal sleep and slowly starts to rise peaking about half hour after you wake up. High cortisol levels activates gluconeogenesis and the body makes more glucose among many things and also inhibits melatonin. The plasma half life of epinephrine is 2-3 mins but that of cortisol is 60 - 120 mins.
Find ways to reduce your cortisol levels ( stress hormones ). Many ideas mentioned above work.