2:00AM
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Your eyes snap open. What was that?
Just the neighbour’s dog. That bloody mutt has been waking you up every night for weeks now.
2:30AM
You’ve got another 5 hours to grab some shuteye before work. Your muscles are still sore from your workout and you’ve got another training session later.
The problem is… instead of drifting away into dreamland, you’re staring at the ceiling, eyes wide open.
This is gonna be a long night…
3:00AM
Still wide awake…
4:00AM
Only 3 hours left to fall asleep! It’s now or never… And it’s feeling like you’ll never fall asleep.
5:00AM
Your eyes are closed, and you feel a wonderful feeling of weightlessness as you float off into your slumber…
WOOOOOOOOOOF!
That DAMN DOG again!
You spend the next two hours lying in bed with bloodshot eyes. The incessant chirping of the alarm clock drags you out of bed and you zombie-walk through the entirety of your day.
But lack of sleep just makes you feel tired, right? Surely sleep deprivation won’t affect my gains?
Wrong.
Let’s look at two of the ways a poor night’s sleep is destroying your muscle-building progress:
Poor Sleep = Poor Performance
So you’ve gone through your work day in a daze. Now it’s time for your workout. Unfortunately being sleep-deprived will negatively impact your workout.
Not getting enough sleep will dampen your energy levels. Feeling sleepy makes you unfocused, and you won’t be able to concentrate properly on the exercise. This distracted mindset won’t let you train as hard as you normally can, and you’ll fail to give maximum effort to your lifts because you won’t be mentally alert. Instead of focusing on the mind-muscle connection while you lift, you’ll just be going through the motions.
Rest And Recharge
Sleep is essential for repairing muscle. Protein synthesis occurs (if you ate prior to sleeping), and growth hormone (GH) is released while we sleep. This very important hormone is used to recover and regenerate those damaged muscles you trained, thereby making them bigger. Any niggles and injuries will also be healing during this time.
Our brain will also be recharging during sleep. Having a rested mind is vital for building muscles; a fresh brain is a motivated brain, which is exactly what you need to have the optimal workout.
So how do we improve our sleep?
1. Have a consistent sleep schedule
Don’t go to bed at 10AM one night, 3AM the next night, and 12AM another night. This will interfere with your circadian rhythm (your body’s natural time cycle). Do your best to go to sleep and get up around the same time each day (that includes weekends!).
2. Go dark
Put your phones away! Looking at artificial light can increase alertness. That means no TV or computers either. And turn those nightlights off; lights suppress melatonin release, keeping you awake and making it harder to wind down.
3. Avoid caffeine
Caffeine increases wakefulness and stimulates your brain, so try not to drink coffee after lunch. Caffeine affects the body for up to 8 hours, so switch to teas and decaffeinated drinks if you’re planning on getting a good night’s sleep.
4. Don’t exercise right before bed
Intense exercise right before bed will do you no favours. Exercising right before bed will elevate your body temperature. Give yourself time to unwind and cool down, so try to exercise at least 2 hours before bedtime.
5. Control the temperature
I think we can all agree that it is easier to fall asleep on a cold night compared to a hot night. To help initiate sleep, and reach deeper levels of sleep, your body must be kept cool. The optimal ambient temperature to fall asleep at is around 17-19 degrees celsius.
6. Yoga
Performing yoga before bedtime is a fantastic way to alleviate stress and release everything you’ve been holding in! Don’t know how to practice yoga?
Come try a yoga class here at Hammers Gym! We’ve taught yoga to clients from Mitcham, Nunawading, Box Hill, and Blackburn. Pop down and learn a relaxing yoga routine to elevate your sleep quality!
Alright, now that you know how (and why) better sleep will help you get bigger muscles, jump in bed and get snoozing!
