Last Updated On January 1, 2026
If you're someone who goes hard at the gym, you should be getting a good night's rest. However, if you take pre-workout and are having a hard time falling asleep, there could be a correlation.
So, does pre-workout keep you awake? Let's discuss how it can affect your sleep and how to get the best of both worlds.
Does Pre-Workout Keep You Up At Night?
Pre-workout could potentially keep you up at night. Pre-workouts often contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to difficulty falling and staying asleep, depending on the overall dose and timing of ingestion.
Therefore, it is advisable to avoid consuming pre-workout supplements in the evening or several hours before sleep.
Related Article - What Happens When You Take Too Much Pre-Workout?
6 Pre-Workout Ingredients That Can Keep You Awake
What exactly is in pre-workout that can make you stay awake?
1. Caffeine
The stimulating effects of caffeine can remain in the body for up to 10 hours after consumption, potentially causing restlessness and insomnia if taken close to bedtime.
In fact, caffeine could cause rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to occur earlier in the night and shift stages 3 and 4 sleep to later, which could mimic symptoms of insomnia.[1]
Learn More - How Much Caffeine Is In Pre-Workouts?
2. DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine)
DMAA is a powerful stimulant that mimics the effects of ephedrine and adrenaline. Anecdotal evidence shows that DMAA can cause sleep disturbances even 10 hours after ingestion.
While DMAA has been banned in many countries for safety concerns, it remains wildly popular in the bodybuilding community.
3. DMHA (Octodrine)
Previously used as a decongestant, DMHA is a central nervous system stimulant similar to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and can increase energy levels and alertness, potentially leading to sleep disturbances.
4. Creatine
Creatine supplementation, although unlikely, may disrupt sleep by reducing the brain's accumulation of adenosine, a sleep-inducing neuromodulator, thus potentially diminishing sleep depth and duration.[2]
Learn More - Can You Mix Creatine And Pre-Workout?
5. Synephrine
Synephrine, a stimulant structurally similar to ephedrine, stimulates adrenergic receptors, elevates heart rate and blood pressure, and thus thwarts the body's ability to enter a state conducive to sleep.[3]
7. Theobromine
Theobromine, a stimulant found in cocoa and chocolate, has a milder effect than caffeine but can still lead to sleep disturbances.[4]
Its 6 to 8-hour long half-life means it can remain in the body for a very long time, potentially affecting sleep quality even if taken earlier during the day.
How Long Can Pre-Workout Keep You Awake?
A pre-workout supplement can keep you awake for hours on end. Depending on when you took the pre-workout, you could be awake for the next 2 to 10 hours, but there is no way of knowing exactly how long will you stay awake.
You could try and do the math yourself, based on an educated guess that a pre-workout stays in your body for up to 8 hours, depending on its ingredient profile, the dose you take, but also your age, diet, weight, and personal tolerance to stimulants.
The key point, however, is if you take a potent pre-workout and try to fall asleep right after your training session, there's little to no chance of that happening.
Related Article - Pre-Workout Not Working?
5 Tips To Sleep Better After Taking Pre-Workout
If you took pre-workout, can't sleep, and need a resolution, don't worry! There are some tips and tricks you can utilize to help!
- 1Drink Water
Drinking water can help expedite the elimination of caffeine from the body by supporting the kidneys in filtering out toxins and waste products, including caffeine, through urine. While the evidence for this is mostly anecdotal, increasing fluid intake, can help dilute the caffeine concentration in the bloodstream, thereby mitigating its stimulatory effects and possibly aiding in the restoration of normal sleep patterns. - 2Use Pre-Workouts With Theanine
Theanine is known for its ability to promote relaxation without sedation, which can help counteract the stimulatory effects of caffeine. By increasing the levels of GABA in the brain, theanine might contribute to improved sleep quality and a more restful state conducive to sleep. - 3Take Magnesium Threonate or Bisglycinate
Magnesium threonate and magnesium bisglycinate have emerged as the go-to sleep supplements. While the effects of magnesium on sleep are not completely understood, anecdotal and scientific evidence suggest improvements in both sleep quality and duration.[5] - 4Use a Non-Stim Pre-Workout
You can use pre-workouts without stimulants (namely, caffeine) in them, such as Transparent Labs Stim-Free pre-workout. In fact, some of these pre-workouts may even aid sleep, if they contain ingredients such as abovementioned theanine. - 5Take Pre-Workout Before Noon
Taking pre-workouts before noon gives your body enough time to metabolize the caffeine and other stimulants that could be keeping you awake at night.
Learn More - Stimulant Vs Non-Stimulant Pre-Workout
Pre-Workout Keeping You Awake FAQs
Hooligan Pre-Workout by Apollon Nutrition contains a whopping 650 mg of caffeine, along with a few other stimulants such as theobromine. However, it seems like a new pre-workout comes out every day with even higher caffeine content.
Creatine has the potential to affect sleep. However, it is unlikely that creatine supplementation will have a significant effect on your sleep duration or quality.
It is not likely that beta-alanine will keep you awake. Beta-alanine is not a stimulant and does not exhibit any acute effects other than short-lived skin tingling.
Any time of day that's less than 3 to 4 hours away from your bedtime is too late for a pre-workout. Ideally, you'll want to take a pre-workout at least six hours prior to sleep.
There are several reputable sleeping track apps like SleepCycle, SleepPilot that can provide valuable insights into your sleep patterns. It tracks you sleep stages, and provides detailed sleep analysis.
Conclusion
Pre-workouts can definitely keep you awake due to their stimulant content, so the only correct way to go about this is to take your pre-workout earlier in the day or use stim-free products.
In the event of having to take a pre-workout closer to bedtime, try the tips mentioned above to try and combat the energy-inducing effects in order to get some quality sleep.
References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/186223/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435551/
3. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/19/4019
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370573/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/
Last Updated on January 1, 2026
