Re: A doctor with kiting experience on this forum ?
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:49 am
Great responses here, not much to add as a doctor.. apart from that it sucks when you get such serious complaints from doing something as great as kiteboarding! It probably feels like a punishment instead of the reward most of us feel after a good session.
I remember when I started kiteboarding I had some difficulties sleeping because I would get "reruns" of the session, but this wore of after some time.
As a psychiatrist I see a lot of people with sleeping disorders, mainly due to major psychiatric disorders. So I'm not sure I have anything more to add; a lot of theories here seem spot on as regards to the biochemistry: adrenaline and cortisol levels could very well hamper your sleep.
Adrenaline is best processed by mild activities such as walking. Cortisol levels may drop faster with less exposure to light. Now that days are getting shorter you may just find that the problem will get less because your biological clock reacts to that. If you can buy melatonin over the counter you could try anything up to 3mg to see if this helps (but inform your GP if you go over 1mg a day just in case).
Another thing is: sleeping is a strange activitity requiring you to "let go" of active thinking. If you find that you have more terrains in your life where "letting go" is a problem this could be something to adress. Meditation or psychological help are options then.
And a more paradoxical approach: if a good kite session gives you a sleepless night why not make plans what to do with the night? You certainly won't die from missing a night's sleep, why not profit from it? Finish that book you're reading, listen to music or start practising an instrument (your neighbours will love this last idea
Oh and if it persists: try to contact Eus van Someren in Holland: a highly respected sleep researcher who might be interested in measuring the chemistry levels, who knows; you could help science and science would help you...
http://www.neurosciencecampus-amsterdam ... /index.asp
I remember when I started kiteboarding I had some difficulties sleeping because I would get "reruns" of the session, but this wore of after some time.
As a psychiatrist I see a lot of people with sleeping disorders, mainly due to major psychiatric disorders. So I'm not sure I have anything more to add; a lot of theories here seem spot on as regards to the biochemistry: adrenaline and cortisol levels could very well hamper your sleep.
Adrenaline is best processed by mild activities such as walking. Cortisol levels may drop faster with less exposure to light. Now that days are getting shorter you may just find that the problem will get less because your biological clock reacts to that. If you can buy melatonin over the counter you could try anything up to 3mg to see if this helps (but inform your GP if you go over 1mg a day just in case).
Another thing is: sleeping is a strange activitity requiring you to "let go" of active thinking. If you find that you have more terrains in your life where "letting go" is a problem this could be something to adress. Meditation or psychological help are options then.
And a more paradoxical approach: if a good kite session gives you a sleepless night why not make plans what to do with the night? You certainly won't die from missing a night's sleep, why not profit from it? Finish that book you're reading, listen to music or start practising an instrument (your neighbours will love this last idea
Oh and if it persists: try to contact Eus van Someren in Holland: a highly respected sleep researcher who might be interested in measuring the chemistry levels, who knows; you could help science and science would help you...
http://www.neurosciencecampus-amsterdam ... /index.asp