As many ambitious excercisers know, working out in the evening makes most people too alert to sleep well. With that in mind, it's better to schedule your workouts to be more in sync with the body's natural sleep and wake cycles.

In fact, some research suggests that a person sleeps best when the metabolism is slower. The good news is that it's possible to control your metabolism by timing your exercise. Heavy exercise speeds up the metabolism, but about six hours later, your metabolism will slow to a point below where it would have been if you hadn't worked out.

Timing Is Everything

A good night's sleep is crucial for health -- emotional as well as physical. Although evenings might seem the best block of time for exercising, in the long run, poor quality sleep will catch up with you. Consider exercising at other times during the day, if at all possible. For example, train in the morning before work, or during your lunch hour, or in the late afternoon if you can.

Late afternoon, too, is a great time for an overachiever to work out and begin unwinding. Then, if your health club has the facilities, hit the whirlpool or sauna. You'll still have the whole evening ahead for other activities, including a light supper. Then, when bedtime approaches, you might curl up with a good book and relax.

Some other Suggestions for Better ZZZZs 

• Avoid caffeine. That cola or two or that cup of tea may have too much of the stimulant for you in the evening. Even your mid-afternoon cup of coffee may be affecting your sleep. Consider switching to decaffeinated coffee, tea, or cola and see if you notice a difference.
• Check with your doctor or pharmacist regarding any medications you may be taking. Both prescription and over-the-counter, especially those "non-drowsy" formulas, may keep you awake. Check if you have questions about your medicines.
• Don't go to bed either hungry or over full. Instead, eat a light snack late in the evening.
• A firm, comfortable mattress is crucial. Buy a new mattress if you need one. It is one of the best investments you can make.
• Check your pillow. You need adequate support for your neck and head, but too thick a pillow can be a pain in the neck. If you're uncomfortable, you won't get to sleep as quickly as you wish and you won't get the kind of sleep you should.
• Don't have the bedroom too hot or too cold.
• Listen to relaxing and/or quiet music.
• Go to bed later at night. You won't sleep anyway, so why not do something you enjoy instead of worrying about not sleeping?
• Avoid alcohol. A few drinks might make you conk out more easily, but you'll be more likely to wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.
• Don't worry about not sleeping. If you can't get to sleep within a few minutes, or if you wake up and can't get back to sleep within a few minutes, try reading a book or some similar quiet activity.
• Do not resort to sleeping pills. For chronic insomniacs, they can become habit forming.
• Avoid daytime naps.
• Don't sleep in really late on the weekend mornings. Waking up at 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock on Saturday and Sunday may seem to give you extra sleep, but ultimately it throws off your natural cycle and leaves you tired.
• Try to cut down on your psychological stress. This is a common factor in sleeplessness. Try not to worry so much, especially about things that are beyond your control. Do your best, and don't feel guilty that you can't do more. Even an archetypical overachiever can't be a superman or superwoman all of the time.

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