Sleeping Pills before a race?
 

Wow, 7 hours sounds like more than enough. How many hours of sleep do you normally get a night?

I have raced with less than 5 hours of sleep the night before and I didn't seem to experience any tiredness on race day. I think that it's more important that you've been getting adequate sleep in the few nights preceding the night before the race.

I've read that two nights before an event is when you need adequate rest. If you need to pop a pill, do it then ... not the night before so it's already out of your system.

Ambien leaves your system within 5 hours. It is designed to put you into REM sleep faster, so that fewer hours of sleep feels more restful. It is safe to take if you are racing--they allow truck drivers and pilots to take it, whereas Benadryl will make you sleepy, but may leave you more groggy in the morning. Of course, you need a prescription for Ambien, but I think it would be a much better choice if you can get it. Lunesta is also a new drug that is supposed to help you fall asleep if you are having trouble calming your thoughts the night before. I don't know how long that stays in your system though. However, I would recommend first trying something like the "relaxation response" or some other meditation technique to try to clear your mind so you can get adequate rest.

Sometimes I take Tylenol PM two nights and the night before a race. I only take 1 tablet, hoping that I won't wake up too cloudy. It seems to help, that or I'm just starting to get used to the pre-race anxiety a little, and I'm sleeping better.

Gee, and I thought this thread was going to be about how to drug your competitors before a race...

I think you mean stage 4 sleep, that is where you get the majority of your mental and physical rest.

(sorry, im takin psychology and couldn't help it) :)

No, no, no. 7 hours sleep is plenty. Are you afraid you are going to fall asleep during the race. I don't think it will happen. If the problem is being sleepy after the race that may be caused by a shortage of a certain protein that when in short supply, releases Serotonin into the bloodstream. Experiment with adding different proteins into your diet.

no on the pills, in my opinion. some more races and you'll get over being (as) nervous beforehand. from what i've heard/read physical ability drops very little with a lack of sleep. it's more of the mental concentration that suffers. bike racing doesn't take that mental ability (any cat V races proves that), just be like pavlov's dogs- don't start salavating 'til you hear the bell ring... (and the announcer scream 'one lap to go, one lap to go...')

I wish I got 7 hours of sleep like, ever.

-D

Avoid sleeping pills, while some clear out by liver enzyme activity in 5-6 hours, they disrupt brain chemistry for days. I can't believe how casually people take these pills- most can lead to dependency.

Try things like relaxation exercises, biofeedback, warm milk. Sleep time is probably not as important as just rest.

I knew aguy with the same problem, he would just stay up all night before a race. He was abit odd...
7 hours is more than most people I know get...

Gee you must be the ONLY person that has had a hard time sleeping the night before a big race.

:rolleyes:

Don't sweat it, it won't affect your performance. If you're in shape you'll do fine, if you're not in shape, then the extra few hours of sleep ain't gonna help you anyway !

:p

jw

Out of curiousity, how many hours of sleep do you intend to get? 10 to 12?

On the opposite side: 4 hours of sleep + 3 races this weekend = 1 nasty head cold.

Don't pop the pills the night before.

oh boy do I have experience with this.

For me:

-Stessing about sleep = no sleep. But suprisingly, if its just one night, its really not as big a deal as you would think.

-Benedryl is also the ingredient of most of the over the counter sleep aids. For me it leaves me groggy the next day. I'd almost feel better not sleeping.

-Ambien if I take it long enough before doesn't bother me at all the next day(a good 8 hours). I also tend to wake up before 8 hours of rest though.

Really though, why ask a bunch of strangers on the internet. See what your doc thinks. He can probably give you way better advice.

My doc gave me valium so I could sleep on red-eye flights. Seemed to work. Wasn't racing the next day though.

I have a looooong ride coming up next month (136 miles) and will need to stay over at a friend's house, get up VERY early and travel an hour - wouldn't mind something that would knock me out early so I get a good night's sleep. Nothing worse than not being able to fall asleep sleeping in a strange bed, thinking about how early you need to get up and how long the ride is the next day.

When I saw the thread title, I was going to answer, "Only if you are riding a recumbent."

Seriously though, I can't imagine that poor sleep for one night will hurt your performance in any physical activity. I have trouble sleeping before traveling and before a major public speaking event, but usually not before a physical endeavor.

Any depressant will affect your performance in a bad way. Depending what/how much you take you might be able to overcome it. But you will be at a disadvantage. But very poor sleep the night before is even worse.

If you must then try to find something with the shortest half life possible, and take the lowest effective dose (and do everything else right, of course).

Hard physical activity will effectively accelerate your metabolism and deleterious effects of Rx with it, however, so long and/or late day races are better than early and short ones.

Both of these. I used to do my triathlons on about four hours of sleep. My two half-irons were each on like two hours of sleep. Am I drowsy after? Yes. Slower? No. If your body was ready the day before (and it should be, or just about) it's ready on race day. Just don't go do something like buy a car or try to do calculus.

Nice 10 year old thread bump.

To the OP, if you're still around, and others, I think it depends on how you react to the specific drug. Don't try it for the first time the night before the race. Try it a few times on the weekends leading up to the race to see how you react, and make sure to keep lots of water on the nightstand - some have left me uncomfortably parched in the middle of the night.

You should slip (sleep?) them in your opponents' bidons before the race.

Read a book. Works like a charm for me every night. Without something to stop my mind, I'll lay in bed for hours trying to fall asleep some nights. A real paper book works every time. I'll take medication when dying is my other choice.

adjective: OK; adjective: okay

1. satisfactory but not exceptionally or especially good.
"the flight was OK"

By definition... sure. Not especially good... not how I'd want to live. But OK. In the ole days we took hygiene in school. Learning how to care for our bodies and our minds isn't popular today. But, I know from experience... that learning how to sleep (without drugs) is highly beneficial.

Op probably quit racing by now. If not, experienced enough to not get lose sleep over it.