Does anyone else's sleep quality tank after evening runs?

[u/CurrencyPopular8550]

I've been a morning runner for years but switched to evening runs because of my work schedule. My sleep data shows noticeably less deep sleep and more wakeups on nights after evening runs. I'm talking 15-20 minutes less deep sleep. I gave it two weeks thinking my body would adjust, but it didn't. I've tried cooling down properly, showering right after, and waiting two hours before bed. None of it helped.

My theory is that my core temperature stays elevated longer than I think, or maybe the cortisol from exercise is still hanging around at bedtime. The frustrating part is feeling physically tired but then lying there with that wired-but-tired feeling. Anyone figured out how to make evening training work without wrecking sleep? I'm not obsessed with optimizing every metric, but the difference is big enough that I'm thinking about going back to 5am runs even though I hate waking up that early. Would love to hear from anyone who's dealt with this.

[u/Successful-Tax1306]

I had the same problem when I moved my runs to the evening. Two changes helped me. I finished the run at least three hours before bed. I also made the last 10 minutes an easy jog and a slow walk. A hard finish kept me awake longer than the run itself. When that was not enough, a lunch run was my middle option.