Anyone else have this problem?

[Pings Bass]

Helps if you curtail coffee and other stimulants by mid-afternoon and go easy on the booze. And don't forget to hydrate. A big post-gig breakfast at an all-night diner always did the trick for me when I was doing the late night gigs. We had it in our band agreement that we'd deduct that meal from the night's earnings as an expense like gas and lodging. In bed before dawn and sleeping like a baby before the sun came up.

 

[Stumbo]

Weekend warriors are part-time shift workers so we can have the same problems as others where you have to work when your body clock has timed your sleep.

Shift work sleep disorder - Wikipedia

 

[Cave Puppy]

Smoke some Indica weed when you get home.

Before, during and after gigs, too! (just me - ymmv. Please no negative comments about this. It's better (IMO) than the pharmaceutical sleep aids previously mentioned in this thread).

 

[BradH]

I keep zzzQuill in the car & take a shot when I am leaving the gig.
It helps by the time I get home or to the hotel room to fall asleep easier.

 

[Stumbo]

Before, during and after gigs, too! (just me - ymmv. Please no negative comments about this. It's better (IMO) than the pharmaceutical sleep aids previously mentioned in this thread).

Hey, it's medicinal! No worries.

 

[Fun With Dirt]

If it is me, I am on a routine. I wake up at about 6am no matter what. So, if i come home at 2 am, then I am still getting up at 6. lol.

 

[Charlzm]

Most of my gigs have been on work nights, so I have gone straight to bed and to sleep after most gigs. Luckily, I generally have no trouble sleeping.

 

[Chad Michael]

Wow who would have thought this would turn in to California vs. the rest (no pun intended)

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Great gig last night. 3 sets of rock cover tunes (including Red Barchetta!). Place was packed. Lots of ladies, lots of dancing, lots of fun. End at 1am, at my house at 2am. Shower, go to bed. Cannot sleep. Finally drift off about 5am, back awake at 6. Fall back asleep only to be up for good at 9. 4 hours of sleep. Feel like I've been hit by a truck today.
It sucks, but what sucks more is that it's been like this for about 6 months now. I literally can't sleep more than a few hours after a gig. Some gigs I don't sleep at all after. It's to the point where I'm considering quitting the band. Any thoughts? Is this common? I'm at my wits end here. FWIW all of our gigs are the 4 hour bar-band type.

Maybe look into getting a real nice mattress. If the mattress is a real good one, your body relaxes and falling asleep comes much easier. Also, you'll feel better when you get out of bed. Never underestimate the importance of a good mattress.

 

[arbiterusa]

I have the same problem only because I have a wonderful dog, who I love very much in spite of him getting me up at five AM pretty much no matter what. Which is on me; I trained him.

You mentioned:

Lots of ladies

That one will get me worked up to where I can't sleep. The rest is not a problem, but if I've been getting the friendly eye all night, sleep is quite difficult.

 

[BEADG63]

I always need to wind down after a gig. I can't just come home and hit the sack.

Hmm, probably just my age, but I was out like a light about 5 minutes after I got home and in bed.
Details - Left for gig at 5:30PM, drove 1.5 hours, loaded in, played show - 3.5 hours with one 25 minute break halfway thru, broke down my gear and loaded it, assisted with breakdown and loading of PA (breakdown for everything took 35 minutes) drove 1.5 hours home, took nighttime meds (not sleep aids) and got in bed. All told was about 8 hours from time I left to time I went to bed. I was whooped when I got home...

 

[DJ Bebop]

Great gig last night. 3 sets of rock cover tunes (including Red Barchetta!). Place was packed. Lots of ladies, lots of dancing, lots of fun. End at 1am, at my house at 2am. Shower, go to bed. Cannot sleep. Finally drift off about 5am, back awake at 6. Fall back asleep only to be up for good at 9. 4 hours of sleep. Feel like I've been hit by a truck today.
It sucks, but what sucks more is that it's been like this for about 6 months now. I literally can't sleep more than a few hours after a gig. Some gigs I don't sleep at all after. It's to the point where I'm considering quitting the band. Any thoughts? Is this common? I'm at my wits end here. FWIW all of our gigs are the 4 hour bar-band type.

There's a remedy for this.

 

[RustyAxe]

Not unusual for me to get home after a 3-4 hour gig, grab one of my acoustic six-strings, and play for another hour or two. Like last night. Then up at 5:15 am. Madness!

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

I usually make a cocktail, watch some TV, usually fall asleep about an hour after I get home.
this last friday night I got home about 2:00am, went to bed about 3:00am, and slept until 2:30pm.
My gf woke me up and asked me if I knew what time it was, I was like, "nah, let me sleep!"
she told me it was 2:30 and I figured I should get up and eat something. felt good to sleep so long.

 

[LBS-bass]

Five pages and I'm sure this has already been said, but it's adrenaline. The only thing you can do is make sure you have plenty of time to unwind afterward, give yourself permission to sleep in the following day, and maybe try something at bedtime to help you wind down. Where it's legal, you could try a relaxing cannabis strain specially bred for sleep, or an herbal tea and some melatonin.

I personally swear by my homemade cannabis butter for sleep because I can control what goes into it. Some strains have the opposite effect on me but if I know what I'm putting in there I get some great sleep from it. I don't use recreational cannabis. I live in a state where it is legal, so that may not be an option for everyone.

 

[dalkowski]

If it's an awesome, high-energy gig with a full house of feeling-no-pain rump-shakers and generous tippers, I totally take that vibe home with me and need to power down slowly. This has happened to me approximately once.

 

[nilorius]

I remember i had kind of problems at the middle of the gig, when i suddenly did't see the right chords, or my left hand played the wrong ones, but it was long, long time ago.

 

[waveman]

Depends on how long I played and how long it took me to get home and how tired I am. But for the most I usually have to shower before going to bed...wifey no like after gig smell in bed. So I have to wind down about 30 minutes after that.

 

[mikecd1]

Great gig last night. 3 sets of rock cover tunes (including Red Barchetta!). Place was packed. Lots of ladies, lots of dancing, lots of fun. End at 1am, at my house at 2am. Shower, go to bed. Cannot sleep. Finally drift off about 5am, back awake at 6. Fall back asleep only to be up for good at 9. 4 hours of sleep. Feel like I've been hit by a truck today.
It sucks, but what sucks more is that it's been like this for about 6 months now. I literally can't sleep more than a few hours after a gig. Some gigs I don't sleep at all after. It's to the point where I'm considering quitting the band. Any thoughts? Is this common? I'm at my wits end here. FWIW all of our gigs are the 4 hour bar-band type.

Haven't read all the posts, but make sure you're using some ear protection. I have permanent ringing (tinnitus) and if I don't use some protection will have extra loud ringing and can't sleep at all. With the plugs I'm usually asleep within an hour or so after coming home and a shower or other relaxation (insert your poison here) and perhaps even a small bite to eat.

 

[SactoBass]

Sheesh!!! I *NEVER* get the chance to fall asleep after a gig because as soon as the gig ends, all of the females wanna chase after me for hours to try and get a piece of me. I often have to buy new clothes because they tear mine to shreds whenever they get ahold of me. It's getting expensive. Can't a guy just play music and be left alone afterwards to relax?