Sleep Question? Am i getting enough?

[onebadyfz450]

I only get about 6 hours of sleep a night.

Is this hurting my gains?

I dont really have a choice, except if i cut down my workout?

[F16falcon]

I only get about 6 hours of sleep a night.

Is this hurting my gains?

I dont really have a choice, except if i cut down my workout?

I went through a period of time where I was getting 8+ per night and also a period of time where I got about 6 hours per night and I noticed no difference in gains or how hard I could go in the gym. Nothing scientific but just an anecdote.

[always_sunny]

I went through a period of time where I was getting 8+ per night and also a period of time where I got about 6 hours per night and I noticed no difference in gains or how hard I could go in the gym. Nothing scientific but just an anecdote.

Same. The only difference i found was i was just overall tired constantly and lacked some of the drive to workout.

[C29i]

Enough sleep is subjective, I need 9 hours personally, I know people who only need 5 and people who need 11 hours (srs).

Enough sleep is when you wake up not tired simple as that. If you can function during the day at what you think is max efficiency you are getting enough.

[kusok]

I only get about 6 hours of sleep a night.

Is this hurting my gains?

I dont really have a choice, except if i cut down my workout?

Yes, it is.

And yes you do have a choice. Naps, change schedule, reject going out, refuse to do some things for other people etc. Demand shorter work hours etc.

Sleep is #1. Find the way.

[Trillios]

Everyone is different but from personal experience in a week that I don't sleep I could swear it hinders my progress. How do I know? Because later that week that I got a full night's rest I woke up looking 2x better than last week. I realize a lot of other factors may have gone into play but I personally feel sleep is #1 like Kusok said.

[Xyst]

I remember a study a while back that suggested people who are sleep deprived tend to eat ~20% calories per day than when they are not deprived. There have been studies linking sleep (or lack of sleep rather) to body mass.

Is this the case for you? I honestly don't know. In the short term, 6 hours a night a decent amount for me. In the long run, I like to be closer to about 8 hours a night. I personally notice a difference in the gym if I'm not getting enough rest. You could always try sacking in a couple nights for 8 hours and seeing if your notice an increase in energy or not. Worst case scenario you're well rested for a couple days, right?

[mbettis]

Usually takes ~2 hours for human growth hormone to start releasing it self and working in your body, so then you're only getting 4 hours of it per night, 7 nights a week. That's 28 hours. Someone who gets 8 hours per night gets it 42 hours a week. Just a thought.

[AttackLife]

I remember a study a while back that suggested people who are sleep deprived tend to eat ~20% calories per day than when they are not deprived. There have been studies linking sleep (or lack of sleep rather) to body mass.

Is this the case for you? I honestly don't know. In the short term, 6 hours a night a decent amount for me. In the long run, I like to be closer to about 8 hours a night. I personally notice a difference in the gym if I'm not getting enough rest. You could always try sacking in a couple nights for 8 hours and seeing if your notice an increase in energy or not. Worst case scenario you're well rested for a couple days, right?

Yeah I read that too, lack of sleep increases ghrelin (stimulates hunger) and decreases leptin (inhibits appetite). It's not conclusive but that's were the science is leaning. It would make sense, less sleep = less energy and more food = more energy but I might be too simplistic with that analysis.

Sleep is a huge, summer is also tough on me when it comes to getting an adequate night of sleep. It's so hot + humid. During the work week I probably get 6 straight hours of sleep at night and then take a two hour nap after dinner. It's a bad habit. Now that I'm getting laid off this won't be a problem and I can sleep normally.

Naps might not help because you need both REM sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep, mainly stages 3+4 (slow wave sleep) restore your body. When you're sleep less than you need you aren't getting enough REM sleep. As you continue to get less sleep your brain is constantly trying to make up for the lack of REM sleep as the lack of REM sleep builds up. You will notice that you enter REM sleep a lot faster than usual. Your brain does so at the cost of slow wave sleep, which like I mentioned aids in the restoration of your body. Sorry if you can't really follow, I took psych 100 three semesters ago but I think I managed to retain this pretty accurately.

That's why all-nighters in college are bad, the next day you're brain is functioning with out REM sleep and the day after that it makes up for the REM sleep and you're in REM twice as long as you should be, and aren't in non-REM sleep as long as you need to be.

[titdoctor]

Eating a bowl of oatmeal before bed always puts me out for 8-10 hours. I'm talking DEEP sleep here, I actually remember alot of my dreams and everything. The only problem is, getting up in the morning is fkin hard!

[mbettis]

Eating a bowl of oatmeal before bed always puts me out for 8-10 hours. I'm talking DEEP sleep here, I actually remember alot of my dreams and everything. The only problem is, getting up in the morning is fkin hard!

Actually remembering your dreams means you aren't sleeping very deeply. When you don't remember your dreams it means you're deep deep down.

[TBU720]

Well, how old are you? I really can't tell by your picture. If you are close to 30, 6 hours might be enough.

If you are 20 or under then you probably want to be getting more sleep.

May I ask what you are doing with the other 18 hours of your day?

[AttackLife]

Actually remembering your dreams means you aren't sleeping very deeply. When you don't remember your dreams it means you're deep deep down.

Or it means that he's waking up in the middle of a REM cycle.

[determined4000]

Try to catch up on weekends. Unfortunately I have been 6-7 hours during the week but try to get 9-10 on the weekends. Take naps if you ever have some extra time.

[dontburstmy]

You need to have a minimum of 8 hours of sleep for the body to function properly....

I only get about 6 hours of sleep a night.

Is this hurting my gains?

I dont really have a choice, except if i cut down my workout?

[onebadyfz450]

Well, how old are you? I really can't tell by your picture. If you are close to 30, 6 hours might be enough.

If you are 20 or under then you probably want to be getting more sleep.

May I ask what you are doing with the other 18 hours of your day?

I have a 1 year old so i cant go to the gym till she goes to sleep at 9 (dont worry moms at home)

So lets say im at the gym 2 hours, by the time i get home. I have my PWO Shake, wait 1 hour and have my PWO meal.

By then its at least 12, 12:30, then i have to wake up for work at 6.

Yeah its sucks...

Im 27 by the way.

[determined4000]

I have a 1 year old so i cant go to the gym till she goes to sleep at 9 (dont worry moms at home)

So lets say im at the gym 2 hours, by the time i get home. I have my PWO Shake, wait 1 hour and have my PWO meal.

By then its at least 12, 12:30, then i have to wake up for work at 6.

Yeah its sucks...

Im 27 by the way.

what are you doing at the gym for 2 hours?
why do you have to do a shake, wait an hour and then eat again
Just eat a PWO meal after,

[Matt104]

Try to catch up on weekends. Unfortunately I have been 6-7 hours during the week but try to get 9-10 on the weekends. Take naps if you ever have some extra time.

I'm not an expert on this but isn't catching up on sleep bad for you? To my knowledge you're supposed to keep a very rigid schedule with sleeping and go to bed/wake up around the same times every day.

Sleep is a huge concern for me because I'm basically an insomniac, it takes FOREVER for me to fall asleep. On average it takes around 2 hrs for me to fall asleep when I decide to go to bed. Some nights I sleep pretty good and get around 7 hrs a night and others I get around 2-3.

[determined4000]

I'm not an expert on this but isn't catching up on sleep bad for you? To my knowledge you're supposed to keep a very rigid schedule with sleeping and go to bed/wake up around the same times every day.

Sleep is a huge concern for me because I'm basically an insomniac, it takes FOREVER for me to fall asleep. On average it takes around 2 hrs for me to fall asleep when I decide to go to bed. Some nights I sleep pretty good and get around 7 hrs a night and others I get around 2-3.

catching up on sleep worse than being sleep deprived? I doubt it

[onebadyfz450]

Usually takes ~2 hours for human growth hormone to start releasing it self and working in your body

So if i wake up in the middle of the night to take a piss, i have to wait 2 more hours again for my human growth hormone to start over again?

what are you doing at the gym for 2 hours?
why do you have to do a shake, wait an hour and then eat again
Just eat a PWO meal after,

I do 2 body parts a day, so I usually spend a hour per body part, ( I know I heard that is too long, im trying to speed it up )

My buddy who owns a supplement store said I need to wait for a hour after my PWO shake to consume my PWO meal