sleep

[dieten6134]

i always hear that getting a good 8 hours of sleep is great for a person who lifts weights and is looking to build muscle but how reliable is this statement.

i normally get about 5 hours of sleep a night. i lift 3-4 times a week. people usually tell me that 5 hours is not enough, but im not overly tired all the time and i think for me, 5 hours is enough.

my question is really this...... if i started to make sure i got a minimum of 8 hours a night and kept everything else the same, i.e workouts, diet. would i see a difference in my results, size or strength?

[NU_nutrition_TS]

Latest research indicates that sleep is the pre-eminent factor in maintaining optimum health - even above diet & exercise! Lack of sleep certainly drives up cortisol. Growth hormone is released during sound sleep. These factors alone would have a bearing on achieving optimum size and strength from training.

However, people do vary in their requirement for sleep and while 8 hours is considered a desirable average for most, some can get by on just 6 while others cannot function optimally without 10! Sleep deprivation can have cumulative effects, so an occasional lie in to make up for lost sleep elsewhere is not always the best strategy. On the other hand, if you have the logistic freedom to do it, a cat nap here and there - when the body calls for it - is probably a good thing and a way for the body to compensate.

Maybe you are fortunate that you only require that much sleep and forcing yourself to sleep longer would be detrimental. If you really don't feel overtired all the time and can function optimally both physically and mentally, I wouldn't worry about it - that could make things worse! The main thing is to ensure whatever sleep you do get is sound and uninterrupted.

[Duncan]

For my own part, sleep is extremely important but I am largely unsuccessful in my efforts to get a good night's sleep consistently. I have noticed that during long periods with insufficient sleep I eventually stop noticing the symptoms, but after a good week or two of long uninterrupted nights I start to notice that everything is easier to do, my muscles don't continually ache (this has nothing to do with DOMS or anything, just a general discomfort) and the colour returns to my face (again, I don't notice a pale skin tone when there's a problem, I just notice an improvement when I get better sleep).

I would suggest that even if you don't feel overly tired, if you got better sleep for about two weeks you'd notice an improvement in all areas of health/phyical function. 5 hours is very little in my opinion.

[Amritos]

Basically, exam period, trained very well and
ate very well but had little sleep. 4-5 hours a night max. Witnessed very slow improvment in body condition.

Now, starting to eat properly and train properly again after the post-exams mental period and after 9 days of solid 7-8 hours a night and strict diet, I'm seeing more improvement than I did in the space of 4 weeks in exam period!

That kind of suggests how much sleep helps!

[Ripped Barbarian]

Quality as well as quantity.

You can have 8 hours sleep a night and it can still be crap sleep.

You need deep uninterrupted sleep, 4 cycles and wake naturally rather than mid cycle.

Anything from heat, snoring, full bladder, psychological issues etc can make poor quality sleep.

Remember the power of 3 in the world of health and nutrition!
1/3 diet, 1/3 training, 1/3 rest (sleep)!

(You'll find the number 3 is very useful in many aspects of nature, for good reason)

[Duncan]

When I started using L-Tryptophan I noticed the quality of my sleep improve, so while I wasn't actually getting any more sleep (in terms of duration) I felt improvements as described in my last post after a week or two of taking it.

[Amritos]

Once I started taking a bit of taurine before bed (around 3-4g), I found myself to sleep excellently and also as soon as I hit the pillow I now sleep almost immediately! This is strange too because of how low my carb intake is in the evening and near bedtime.

[hailtotheking]

I could never function properly on 5 hours sleep, let alone train. I think if you made an effort to get more sleep you would see some pretty noticeable results.

ZMA + l-tryptophan are a great combo for me in getting a good nights sleep.

[Luffers]

I strive for 8 eight hours but probably get 7-7.5 consistently, on the weekends I get 8-9.

One thing I've always found strange about taurine is, it can be used to help with sleep but also as a pre workout stim ! How does that work ??

[hailtotheking]

Taurine actually makes me more alert - always. It didnt work for me pre-bed.