I don't know about the rest of you blokes (middle age and up), but whenever I go kitesurfing, that night I can't fall asleep for ages. In such case even if I eventually fall asleep I have very very poor quality sleep that night.

Essentially a great kiting session causes body to release epinephrine hormone and your body becomes hyper active, and it seams takes a long time for the effect to wear off, which seems to stimulate the brain, so your brain keeps going and can't slow down and drift off into sleep mode...

Anyone discovered a solution for this? Preferrably some natural solution that doesn't harm the body... (booze and sex didn't really work either)


p.s. laurie, can we increase the maxLength of the "subject" field , I had to sacrifice punctuation...

I hate to say it

you need to kite hardcore and pull moves that beat you up if you fail...

just ask anyone how well they sleep after being beaten for 3 - 5 hours or so

the body knows when you havent gone hard enough - it leaves you hyperactive

and you need to Man Up .... and drink more beer... the perfect ending to conciousness

2 codeine and a double vodka

and this is the interwebs you dont need punctuation

Kited in exmouth 6 days straight, 4 hour sessions...but I'm 38 with family, kids etc and although I just lasted keeping up with the 28 yr old with no ties, recovery the next day was sobering to say the least - and they hit the piss after, me, straight to bed.

I wear a camel hydration backpack, so always keep hydrated. This helps me sleepas well, I agree the adrenaline is running but your body would be dehydrated. Maybe this might help.

Also a long slow stretch afterward, slowbreathing, can slow your body and mind down.

In the old days what kept me up was thinking about the next level or next move I was going to try. Old man eppo doesn't think about these things anymore, so this might also be what is going on.

No TV after, stretch, stay hydrated and a big meal followed by sex with someone or yourself (what's the difference), can help.

hey eppo what do you put in hydro pack just water . I with you superlizard i genaraly just go to bed later then normal .The brain says your tired so goto bed earler cause you know you will be stuffed in the morning if you dont but you end up not sleeping well so go to bed later and usally passout quicker . Yep agree with 5 hrs but i have done it and the end result is you get so stuffed and start to stuff up like stomping just the littlist boost ends in a crash (what the f**k) so you try again (what the F**k) again and more ocean is drunk untill you realise that iam stuffed and have to stop for a while . So a good ses is about 3hrs max then a good 1/2 hour rest Then hit it again . Is hard to do when the wind is blowing good and freinds are still out there , but worth doing .

Very true lizard, feeling the same. 42 yo...

But than, I'm snowboarder and can do 8-9hrs easily per day, each day for 7-10 days...And sleeping well.

Not so well after 2-3hrs kitesurfing...Maybe the key is 1hr session, 15min rest? Like going up the mountain on a chair and having a rest.

Hm, might try that.

Problem is you're getting too good. I remember the early days, when a two hour session (involving consuming about 6L of seawater, and being stung by jellies) would be followed by a couple of beers sorting out the inevitable tangles. After that, it was like I'd been shot with a tranq dart - once fell asleep in the middle of a conversation before dinner!

Andrash said...

Adrenalin keeps you awake, endrophins put you relaxed and / or sleep. The difference is the way you kite. Either fight, conquer, risk and fear (adrenalin) which likely keep you excited and awake with occasional nighmares (super crash) or make love with the waves, with the ocean and almost explode in joy with a sense of constant orgasm (endorphins) and you more likely fall asleep with sweet dreams and most likely wake up with that so familiar tension around the groin (testosterone).
As for the hours. At 57 I am too old to get tired and too forgetful to remember when to stop. So for that 6-7 days stretch in Exmouth the sess often went over 3 hours especially when the swells were up. But sometimes 1.5-2 hours are just fine.

love your theory Andrash... when i think of it, those easy bond-with-the-nature type sessions result in being able to sleep.... but doing boosts on 9m in 35knots gusts has totally diff effect...

i still reckon, the most quality part of any kite session is in the beginning when you are least tired - that' when most progress can be made... busting best moves... most control... later on you keep kiting just because you don't wanna stop...


Will try zink and protein Kevin...

superlizard said...
love your theory Andrash... when i think of it, those easy bond-with-the-nature type sessions result in being able to sleep.... but doing boosts on 9m in 35knots gusts has totally diff effect...

i still reckon, the most quality part of any kite session is in the beginning when you are least tired - that' when most progress can be made... busting best moves... most control... later on you keep kiting just because you don't wanna stop...

...yes, I see... Adrenalin is quite addictive, although so are endorphins and both are excellent pain killers. That's how I could kite with a broken rib for another hour just to have a hard time to breath after coming in... let alone sleep...
... waves are just so feminine... carving a smooth bottom turn and hit the lip with a little spray... it makes my GF jelous... then the same wave can chew me up and spit me out like a rag... yes it's femine too...
I still wake up sometimes with nightmares about one session in Sumbawa, when I got a little too confident and got eaten up by a monster... and was wondering for days how did I make it alive... (my kite was ripped into pieces)...
...yes, kiting is a love affair...

Anyone discovered a solution for this? Preferrably some natural solution that doesn't harm the body...

Hey Lizard,

I know what you mean about the brain not shutting down, not so much after a good session but if I'm getting some new gear or going for a big session somewhere the next day I can get over enthusiastic and stay awake half the night

If your'e after some hippy stuff that works try valerian capsules, you can get them in most supermarkets. They seem to work by helping you relax - not sure how but they work but they do

Old man eppo doesn't think about these things anymore, so this might also be what is going on.

No TV after, stretch, stay hydrated and a big meal followed by sex with someone or yourself (what's the difference), can help.

Your a long way from being an old man Eppo. Toughen up!