Is sleep as important as we think for growth?

[KingOfSushi]

Curious on others opinion on this.

I’ve had periods where I’ve slept about 6 hours for extended periods and made good progress, and others where I got 8+ but made less progress.

I feel personally as long as I wake up feeling well rested, that’s what matters more than the actual hours of sleep.

I recall Justin Harris saying he believes it’s the most “overrated” aspect of the bodybuilding pillars.

 

[livinlean]

Saying sleep is overrated would mean recovery is overrated.

Not all people need 8+ hours sleep. Some need more some need less. Im good around the 7 hour mark personally.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

I recall Justin Harris saying he believes it’s the most “overrated” aspect of the bodybuilding pillars.

to be fair, Justin said that about fat loss and performance sports, not growth. His quote was that most world records were probably broken on like 2 hrs of sleep and that we know from prep that guys are still able to get shredded on insane trensomnia. But growth is another beast.

 

[danieltx]

to be fair, Justin said that about fat loss and performance sports, not growth. His quote was that most world records were probably broken on like 2 hrs of sleep and that we know from prep that guys are still able to get shredded on insane trensomnia. But growth is another beast.

Absolutely - you won't build maximal muscle on 4 hours of sleep per night.

 

[KingOfSushi]

Absolutely - you won't build maximal muscle on 4 hours of sleep per night.

Well definitely agreed there. No one will function optimally on 4 hours. I’m referring more to the hard rule that many seem to have about 8 hours is needed etc.

I’ve always felt much better closer to 6

 

[Mufasa123]

There's some science we could discuss but making it real simple:

You know when you are sore all day or feel like you tweaked something and it nags constantly. Unless you took a real injury, you go to sleep and it's substantially better upon waking. That's a big clue.

As to how much you need and the state you are currently in... individual.

 

[cage99]

If I get less than 7-8hrs of sleep I’ll feel groggy and out of it all day. I honestly don’t know how some people survive of 3-6hrs of sleep. Just not how I’m wired. Love a good nights sleep!

Cage

 

[danieltx]

Well definitely agreed there. No one will function optimally on 4 hours. I’m referring more to the hard rule that many seem to have about 8 hours is needed etc.

I’ve always felt much better closer to 6

I think in a growing phase the more sleep you get the better because sleep is when the body truly recovers - all the day-to-day processes stop and resources go to repairing and rebuilding.

Think about a baby - it's constantly growing and all it does is eat and sleep. A bodybuilder who's trying to gain maximal size should approach things the same.

 

[qbkilla]

I think poliqiin said sleep is the most powerful anabolic. I'd be curious if there are any studies showing we do need 8 vs if we feel good on 7 or 6. I often sleep 6 and automatically wake up and feel great. I also think stress management is underated. Work relationship stress can kill gains.

 

[bbxtreme]

This is why I love wearing a whoop. An Oura ring works too.

It comes down to “quality” of sleep. You can sleep 8 hours a night with terrible quality and not recover well.

You could also hit 4-6 hours of good quality sleep and recover extremely well.

Comes down to sleep phases, time in each, RHR and breathing hence things like CPAP’s can be so beneficial to guys carrying more mass.

 

[Mufasa123]

This is why I love wearing a whoop. An Oura ring works too.

It comes down to “quality” of sleep. You can sleep 8 hours a night with terrible quality and not recover well.

You could also hit 4-6 hours of good quality sleep and recover extremely well.

Comes down to sleep phases, time in each, RHR and breathing hence things like CPAP’s can be so beneficial to guys carrying more mass.

Whoop and Cpap right here. What's amazed me recently is the stress graph and seeing how eating later produces huge levels of stress on body during sleep even quality food just eating late (which drives down quality and other numbers). Add a late night bar session and doom. That stress graph really made me a lot more conscious of meal timing for good sleep.

 

[bbxtreme]

Whoop and Cpap right here. What's amazed me recently is the stress graph and seeing how eating later produces huge levels of stress on body during sleep even quality food just eating late (which drives down quality and other numbers). Add a late night bar session and doom. That stress graph really made me a lot more conscious of meal timing for good sleep.

I started making my last meal 1-1.5 hours before bed because it was hitting my recovery. Still do glutamine and sleep stuff in a drink before bed, but food and def alcohol destroys recovery.

 

[buck]

I rarely slept more then 6 hours in my growth years as that was when i woke up. 6.5 hour on a long sleep. I always woke up a little groggy. Now i am older train less hard sleep 8 hours or more and wake up groggy. Woke up the same way as a kid. Hard to say what is optimal for most. But more is probably not a bad thing. I saw a study a few years ago with a tribe in the Amazon as i remember. They gave them something like a Fitbit watch to wear. seems they tended to spend 8 hours in bed but only slept 6. So sleep and rest may not be the same thing. Or maybe the tribe members were bored from not having TV and other screen to stare at and layed around in bed instead.

 

[Shelby]

I can always tell when a client has had low sleep - they're watery, their fat loss slows, they just look like shit.
Low sleep also messes with leptin and ghrelin so hunger is higher, and food is less satiating.
Low sleep = low emotional regulation. It interferes with cognition in general. Low sleep is linked to cognitive decline and dementia.
This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of suboptimal health outcomes from inadequate sleep.
Everyone is different in their exact sleep needs but most would benefit from more, not less.

 

[Alzadosghost]

I don’t ever sleep more than 3-4 hours at the most. Often only two with multiple times waking up. Iv been doing this no sleep shit my entire life as long as I can remember and Iv recovered enough to work a physically brutal job, play football and train all at the same time. My mom and one of my brothers also have the same issue with insomnia or whatever you want to call it. I’m healthy, super active and constantly on the go. I’m working a regular job and have my own business that’s very physically demanding and manage just fine. Iv also been training often twice a day before work at 330-4 and after work at night. I mean I’m not the biggest guy on earth but I have been as much as 260+ lean lbs in my early 30s and am still built better then most guys and much better than most guys my age. I know im probably a rare example but I have achieved alot of things in my life with hardly sleeping.

 

[Mufasa123]

I don’t ever sleep more than 3-4 hours at the most. Often only two with multiple times waking up. Iv been doing this no sleep shit my entire life as long as I can remember and Iv recovered enough to work a physically brutal job, play football and train all at the same time. My mom and one of my brothers also have the same issue with insomnia or whatever you want to call it. I’m healthy, super active and constantly on the go. I’m working a regular job and have my own business that’s very physically demanding and manage just fine. Iv also been training often twice a day before work at 330-4 and after work at night. I mean I’m not the biggest guy on earth but I have been as much as 260+ lean lbs in my early 30s and am still built better then most guys and much better than most guys my age. I know im probably a rare example but I have achieved alot of things in my life with hardly sleeping.

Very individual and some people are wired like this. Napoleon was a notable one. 3-4hrs a night even during grueling campaigns.

I have a friend (doctor/research) who told me some about his research into sleep. He can spot people and generally call their sleep/rest requirement. Kind of developed a sense. He also says a lot of people who don't track their sleep grossly overestimate how much they get. Case in point, he asked me early on and I said 7-8hrs. Months later I had been using a smart watch to monitor my sleep (later disc I had sleep apnea - watch didn't show shit). Anyway we were having beers and I mentioned that I got a lot less sleep than I thought and told him. His response was, "I knew right away you didn't measure your sleep. Just didn't feel like arguing. When you told me 7-8hrs my first thought was 'the fuck you do'"

Kind of funny but ended up learning a bit about his work etc.

 

[Love_to_Bodybuild]

I awake at 4 pm and sleep at 7 pm. On competition days , previously, have to be at pj at 8, then go back to hotel, sleep, then be on at five.

May have to try taking a sleeping pill like phenibut this year, just because being on very little sleep or none at all, matters for pj and night awards.

 

[Eguz22]

I have never felt the need for 8 hours or more, for me it is impossible and when I sleep a lot I don't necessarily wake up better than when I sleep less.

When I eat more and am not on a diet, sleep is a little better, but I wake up groggy. When I'm on a diet and doing cardio, I have more insomnia, I feel like shit, but I don't feel like I'm retarded. Eating and sleeping more does that to me, especially if I have carbs.

So, I have discovered that if I want to have a more rested body and grow, I need to eat more and try to sleep more, but on a psychological/intellectual level, it sucks.

And well, if the studies on sleep hours are true, I must not have a very good life expectancy, lol.

 

[control]

I don’t ever sleep more than 3-4 hours at the most. Often only two with multiple times waking up. Iv been doing this no sleep shit my entire life as long as I can remember and Iv recovered enough to work a physically brutal job, play football and train all at the same time. My mom and one of my brothers also have the same issue with insomnia or whatever you want to call it. I’m healthy, super active and constantly on the go. I’m working a regular job and have my own business that’s very physically demanding and manage just fine. Iv also been training often twice a day before work at 330-4 and after work at night. I mean I’m not the biggest guy on earth but I have been as much as 260+ lean lbs in my early 30s and am still built better then most guys and much better than most guys my age. I know im probably a rare example but I have achieved alot of things in my life with hardly sleeping.

You probably have the DEC2 gene

 

[Swifto]

I like my sleep so much my gf used to call me Rip Van Winkle lol

Now I average 7-8 hours with my CPAP (if my 2 year old doesnt get up!).