Thread: Sleep

7-8 hours.

What if you get less, is there no way of making this sleep back up?

It's an individual thing.. Personally, I get 5 hours during the week, and 6 on the weekends..

the norm is 7 - 8 hours sleep

check out this free report on powerful sleep

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

Although many factors influence how much sleep you really need, the common recommendation is eight hours a night. But individual needs vary greatly.

By Michael Breus, PhD
WebMD Feature Reviewed By Stuart Meyers, MD


Although many factors influence how much sleep you really need, most young adults report sleeping about seven and a half hours on weekday nights and eight and a half hours on weekend nights. And the common recommendation is eight hours a night. But individual needs vary greatly. There are so-called short-sleepers and long-sleepers -- those who need as little as five and a half hours to as much as about nine and a half hours.

How much sleep you require depends on several factors including:

Your inherited genetic need
Your sleep hygiene (those daily activities you control, from drinking coffee or alcohol to smoking and exercise)
The quality of your sleep
Your 24-hour daily cycle known as the circadian rhythm
For example, smoking, drinking, and exercise can affect your sleep dramatically. What you actually do in bed (like reading or watching TV) and how much exposure to light you have (looking at that bright computer screen 'til midnight) will also significantly alter both the quality and quantity of your sleep. They all interact to determine how long you need to sleep to wake up feeling refreshed and remain alert throughout the day.


Your Sleep Debt

OK, so how do you determine how much sleep you really need?

First, let's look at your bank account -- your sleep bank account, that is -- and see if you have a debt to pay. Throughout the day, you take out about eight hours from this account, generating a sleep debt. Over the course of the night, as you snooze, you replenish your account. If you sleep only, say, six and a half hours, you still owe one and a half hours. If you do this for five nights in a row, you have lost an entire night's sleep! You will then need extra sleep over the next few days to replenish your sleep debt.

How much sleep do you get -- do you have a sleep debt? Do this simple test: Starting on a Sunday, do not drink alcohol or caffeine; do not smoke; go to sleep about the same time every night; and get an uninterrupted seven to eight hours of sleep for the next six nights. Then, on Saturday morning, sleep in. See how long your body will let you sleep. If you sleep longer than you did during the week -- then you have a sleep debt. So you should consider getting more sleep each night to replenish that sleep debt. Hey, not so easy, you say. Well, give it a try and do the best you can. Why?

Not getting the proper amount of and the best quality sleep may have serious consequences. Many studies have shown that sleep deprivation adversely affects performance and alertness. Reducing sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night reduces daytime alertness by about one-third. Excessive daytime sleepiness impairs memory and the ability to think and process information, and contributes to a substantially increased risk of sustaining an occupational injury.


The bottom line is that you should wake up feeling relatively refreshed, and you should generally not feel sleepy during the day. If this is not the case, you may have an unrecognized sleep disorder and should see your doctor or a sleep specialist.


Originally published April 1, 2003.
Medically updated Sept. 10, 2004.


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SOURCES: Sleep Medicine, Kryger, Meir, et al., Third Edition, 2000. Sleep: "Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and risk of Occupational Injuries in Non-shift Daytime Workers," Vol. no. 3. Sleep: "Dose-response Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Human Psychomotor Vigilance and Subjective Awareness," Vol. 22, No. 2. Sleep: "We Are Chronically Sleep Deprived," Vol. 18 No. 10. The Promise of Sleep, by William Dement.

does more sleep equate to more growth?

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

does more sleep equate to more growth?

nope...it is the quality of sleep not the quantity that matters

I read that article that was posted and I understand completely that there are numerous factors going into whether or not you got quality sleep or not but how are you able to make sure you are getting quality sleep 100% of the time?

who cares? Just fuckin sleep til u feel the need to get up. You guys are overreacting to this issue. Just go to bed, sleep, get up. Dont worry about the hours u get.

Do you have any idea how many people don't "feel the need to get up?"

I think it's a valid question because the amount and quality of your sleep is something that is very important.

I have to get up during the week or else I would sleep to 9:30am everyday.

I'm 67 and as long as I can remember as an adult, my sleep requirement has been 6hrs., maybe 7 hrs. max. I'm in agreement with those who say quality of sleep is better than quantity.

My sleep is deep and feels like I've slept for 10hrs., when I awake. When I do have difficulty sleeping at times I take ZMA, which for me brings back that deep sleep. However, I do have these realistic wild dreams (good dreams) which are very vivid in color.

Peace

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

I read that article that was posted and I understand completely that there are numerous factors going into whether or not you got quality sleep or not but how are you able to make sure you are getting quality sleep 100% of the time?

well you obviously can't get quality sleep 100% of the time. but exercising regularly, eating healthy and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is about the best you can do...

Originally Posted by LAM

nope...it is the quality of sleep not the quantity that matters

I wonder if anyone's done any studies linking muscle growth and dreams of incredibly hot girls or of sex. That's quality sleep, right?

Originally Posted by LAM

nope...it is the quality of sleep not the quantity that matters

well then does lack of quality sleep equate to less growth? basically, I was told to train hard, eat right, and sleep alot. Obviously training and eating are extremely important, but where does sleep fall in that scale? If I slept with great quality more often would I be bigger?

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

well then does lack of quality sleep equate to less growth? basically, I was told to train hard, eat right, and sleep alot. Obviously training and eating are extremely important, but where does sleep fall in that scale? If I slept with great quality more often would I be bigger?

certainly...anything that disrupts your sleep patterns will effect your growth. 60% or growth occurs at night but only with adequate nutrition and rest.

too many people think that longer sleep periods equal more growth. but the longer you are alsleep the longer the catabolic state

The "IFBB Pro Undercover" on bodybuilding.com says a good hour nap after workout is needed for optimal growth. Personally, I could never do that.