Hey Everyone!
Welcome back to my blog!
Today I’d like to take a dive into overtraining and how it can impact your sleeping patterns. Now, I think it goes without saying that everyone at some point or another has struggled with sleep – but have you ever made the association that its your training style/load that could be causing it?
We operate in a world where social media is king. Everyone sees everyone during their best – hitting PB’s & training as hard as possible everyday. This knocks on to all watching – if they’re doing it and seeing all these results then that must be what I need!
The inevitable will end up happening – when training intensity or volume consistently outpaces recovery, the body starts to push back & performance begins to decrease.
This has happened to me on quite a few occasions – I get sucked into doing more workouts, trying as hard as I can as I’m always racing & inevitably I’ve found myself injured.
Ignorantly I tried to work around that injury and then find another part of my body falling apart. This is easy for me to look back on and see now, but at the time there’s nothing you could’ve said to me to stop me from training the way I was. I knew best for me and that was that.
This is where having a coach can be clutch – someone who can look from the outside and notice when things aren’t quite right.
So lets take a look at how overtraining works & how we can avoid the detrimental effect to performance and sleep
1.What is Overtraining
Overtraining isn’t just about feeling tired after a tough week — it’s a long term imbalance between training stressors and recovery capacity. It can happen to anyone, from elite athletes chasing performance to everyday gym-goers trying to outwork a plateau in lifts/workouts.
Common Signs Include:
– Decreased performance despite increased effort
– Persistent fatigue
– Mood swings or irritability
– Elevated resting heart rate or poor HRV
– Sleep disturbances
2. How Overtraining Disrupts Sleep
Sleep is where recovery happens. But when the body is overstressed, it struggles to enter the deep, restorative stages of sleep. Here’s how:
Cortisol Overload
Overtraining elevates cortisol — your body’s primary stress hormone. Chronically high cortisol suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall and stay asleep. The result? You feel wired at night and sluggish in the morning.
Nervous System Imbalance
High-intensity training keeps the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) activated. Without enough parasympathetic (rest and digest) input, your body stays in a heightened state of alert — even when you’re trying to wind down.
Restlessness
Mental fatigue, anxiety, and irritability are common in overtrained individuals. These symptoms often show up at night as difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking, or vivid dreams.
Physical Discomfort
Lingering soreness, joint pain, or muscle tightness can make it hard to get comfortable in bed. Even minor aches feel amplified when your recovery is compromised.
3. Why Sleep Matters for Recovery
Sleep isn’t passive — it’s an active recovery tool. Like anything with recovery we have to work at it in an attempt to make it better. Not just suffer and hope for the best.
What Happens During Deep Sleep
– Growth hormone is released to repair muscle tissue
– The brain consolidates motor learning and skill acquisition
- Inflammation is regulated
- Energy systems are replenished
Without quality sleep, your body can’t adapt to training — and progress stalls. Its important to point out that this isn’t an acute effect. Everyone has a bad night sleep at some point or another. We’re talking about continual bad sleep over long periods of time!
4. Signs To Look Out For!
If you take a holistic look at your training/lifestyle and notice some of the following happening over long periods of time – it might be time to change!
– Trouble falling asleep or waking up frequently
– Feeling unrefreshed despite 7–9 hours in bed
– Increased resting heart rate or decreased HRV
– Plateaued or declining performance
- Mood changes or Lack of Motivation
5. How To Up Your Recovery Game
Deload regularly: Plan lower-intensity weeks every 4–8 weeks
Prioritise sleep hygiene: Cool, dark room; consistent bedtime; no screens before bed
Fuel your body: Under-eating can amplify stress and impair recovery
Track recovery metrics: Use HRV, RHR, or subjective fatigue to guide training
Listen to your body: Resting will not make you fall behind! It will help you get ahead
6. Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my last decade of CrossFit— both as a coach and as someone who trains daily — it’s that progress doesn’t come from pushing harder at all costs. Realistically, no one cares about your workout scores. So comparison is pointless.
Overtraining and doing more doesn’t make you more committed. Prioritising sleep, rest, and smarter programming does. That’s what separates short-term effort from long-term results.
Happy Fitnessing!
Sam
