I enjoy my poker games, but often I am so wound up, that I do not sleep well that night. I have heard this complaint from other players in my games, and here in this forum.

Does anyone have advice on how to wind down after poker? Things you have tried that work?

I smoke a bowl or two on the way home and put on some jazz or whatever easy listening I can find on the radio. Sleep like a baby. Otherwise I'm up for at least another 3-4 hours laying in my bed restless.

I have the same problem.

If I'm hosting, I thank my players for offering to help clean up (they always do) and send them home. Putting the gear away and cleaning up helps a little.

But most of the time, I go over the key hands of the evening in my head, then I go up to the Mancave and turn on the TV. It drives my wife a little crazy because when the poker buzz wears off, I'm often so tired that I fall asleep on the couch.

Tylenol PM FTW

Played live this past week, awake for 30+ hours and still had trouble sleeping, to much adreniline. started taking Tylenol PM after my sessions, slept like a log

When I am finished with a long session I often find myself exhausted, but my mind is still racing. So I sit down and record all the hands that I can remember where I faced a big decision. I try and remember all the details that I can, who was in the game, position, stack sizes, exact bet sizes, any reads I had. I enter all this information into a program on my phone. Is this excessive... maybe. But if I I don't do it, I lay in bed and think about it forever. I find that once I "get it out of the way" I fall asleep much faster.

If I am the host, I clean up and then take a shower. When I play an away game, I'll read some 2+2. Either way, I end up sleeping in the guest bedroom. The television doesn't work in there, so I'm off to sleep.

My standard is actually to play World of Warcraft for a bit after I get home. A little mindless hack and slash while my brain processes things tends to do wonders for me.

Some good suggestions here. Although it is late when I get home or when the last person leaves my place, and I want to get to bed for as much snooze time as I can, it sounds like staying up a while longer and decompressing might be get me more actual sleep time.

The drug suggestions won't work for me. I actually took a couple of Tylenol PM's last night. I floated around in outer space for a while, but they did not make me sleepy. I gave up smoking in college because it is just not my thing. I would have been up all night creating diagrams and outlines that would make absolutely no sense today.

It seems like virtual violence would amp me up more, but I could see how it is a release for others.

I think TV, reading, making some notes, and a shower are all worth a try.

Just hosted last night - we start at 7:00PM and run till 1:AM - this on a work night.

Game breaks, by the time I tidy up - its 1:30

and I mull and mull and mull hands over in my head....

Glad to hear I'm not the only one.....

I should do as someone else suggested and write down key notes/hands/player observations.

Last night's game was particularly excessive - I run a $40 max buy in (at a single time, players may reload all night) with measly .25/.25 blinds. I have $537 of chips to sell to players - they were all in play, with probably another $300 in cash on the table!

WTF 3200+ big blinds on the table... I've never played a game with a table that deep.

Feel like my game crossed a critical point last night - though I'm not sure what it is

Sarge

If a benadryl and a glass of wine or a beer doesn't put you into a deep slumber, see a doctor. Something's wrong with you.

The point in which you need to get more chips., maybe?

If I have a strong winning session I typically wind down and fall asleep real easy. If it's been a session full of brutal hands and some poor decisions that cost me some larger pots, or nights that I felt my game was just off, I have a very hard time winding down and really find myself mentally & physically trashed the following day. Amazing how therapeutic poker can be when things go well, and how detrimental it can be when it goes south
God I love this game, except when I hate it, lol!!!

Absolutely true. I love poker. But it doesn't always love me back.

Xanax

Gonna take me a while after THAT one.... dammit...

I accidentally folded a 7 vs. a raising 8 at a key spot, then ran bad with bring-ins and new guy had just enough hand to call me down on the big pot.

Oh well

I've been known to fall asleep at the table. I have no idea what you guys are talking about, actually. I play poker to wind down from other crap.

Sorry, that's no help whatsoever, other than to say "be glad poker turns you on and you have the energy to pay attention".

Don't know why, but this reminds me of the old joke: "I hope I die peacefully in my sleep like my Uncle Ken, not screaming and crying like the other people in the car."

Surprised no one has mentioned sex yet. Not intended to be facetious. Probably pertains only to those of us with immediately available and accomodating partners, otherwise the work/time involved in going out to pursue is self-defeating to the purpose of the thread. And won't be available every time (she has 51% of the vote, right?)...but when it is, should consistently do the trick (pardon the pun).

At my home game we always order pizza when we're winding up. That being said I enjoy the company of all the players (we're friends) so its really easy to relax with them and just chill.

Probably in the wrong thread. But I owned the bring in.

Waking her up when I stroll in at 4am doesn't seem to work out very well, and if I bust out early around midnight, then I'm not in the mood, lol

wait - wat?

Sarge

I need to stop dwelling on how I bustout and enjoy life, lol

Yeah, well, then this thread would not exist. Perspective is always there in the morning, isn't it?

Great thread. If I don't host, I tend to walk home while thinking about hands and just breath fresh air for 15-20 minutes. Then I grab a bite, brush my teeth and I'm usually fine. I too find that I'm much more winded up when I lose, so my advice would be to win.

That is all.

I have wondered if some light exercise would help. A short walk is worth a try.

Poker causes bursts of adrenaline, and you have to just sit there.

Or maybe I should be like Laak and jump around like a baboon.