Getting enough sleep for gains

[jamesg]

Some nights .. more like 5hrs. I can nap in the day. 90% of the time I can fall asleep within minutes

Same here, for the last 20 years at least, total around 7h/day of which 4-5 by night. At school I slept 9 hours continuous, but that's over 60 years ago. In those times I worked all day and was afloat a couple of hours.

I open the e-book at night and have read more eng lit in the last 5 years than in all my life before. Recommend anything from Jane Austen and Trollope to KC Constantine and Enchanted April.

Being too lazy now to want to change and having met no real problems, I take it as is. I think even my ½h/day erg helps stabilize things too - and maybe the Mediterranean diet with plenty of fruit and veg but zero alcohol. If.. don't fix..

Sleep research is all well and good. Necessarily human research applies to a certain set of conditions and to a certain target cohort that might buy it, which may not be our current situation.

[Cant Climb]

Just a little contribution to the thread.

I've thought about sleep quality for years and how it drives my training and results. Currently i'm in bed from 11-6 every night. If i am super tired from hard workouts or everyday stress i will take the occasional nap. I opt for the 15-20 minute power nap, with as much darkness and quiet as possible. My new favorite spot is on the floor in my old old basement. No lights and just a blanket on the floor with pillow.

Occasionally i've tried to implement sleeping 9 hours each night. But when i do this it works for one night. One night i sleep for 9 hours then the next three nights i'm tossing an turning all night and overall things turnout worse - i feel more tired.

Something i saw awhile that changed my attitude on sleep was a "Day in the Life" video on Youtube of a crossfitter. This guy was top top 20 in the 2018 Open. He completed on a team though at the games. This guy slept like 5-6 hours a night. That was it. He still functioned at a high level at his full time job, family and of course crossfit training. I don't know. Just seeing that video changed my outlook - maybe sleep is highly individual.

[Gammmmo]

Just a little contribution to the thread.

I've thought about sleep quality for years and how it drives my training and results. Currently i'm in bed from 11-6 every night. If i am super tired from hard workouts or everyday stress i will take the occasional nap. I opt for the 15-20 minute power nap, with as much darkness and quiet as possible. My new favorite spot is on the floor in my old old basement. No lights and just a blanket on the floor with pillow.

Occasionally i've tried to implement sleeping 9 hours each night. But when i do this it works for one night. One night i sleep for 9 hours then the next three nights i'm tossing an turning all night and overall things turnout worse - i feel more tired.

Something i saw awhile that changed my attitude on sleep was a "Day in the Life" video on Youtube of a crossfitter. This guy was top top 20 in the 2018 Open. He completed on a team though at the games. This guy slept like 5-6 hours a night. That was it. He still functioned at a high level at his full time job, family and of course crossfit training. I don't know. Just seeing that video changed my outlook - maybe sleep is highly individual.

It definitely is individual and sleep distribution plays a role too i.e. whether it's gotten in one block or broken up. I wish I could find the study referenced by Youtuber Jeff Nippard (IIRC) that said if sleep wasn't optimal you could still get good gains.

Of late in the UK we have a heatwave and sleep is always worse for me during these. Been getting good results from having a cold shower before bed and using a freezer pack when in bed. I'm also reserving use of sleep aids such as melatonin, magnesium and L-Tryptophan for the 2 midweek days when I do weights and have to get up for work as opposed to Fri/Sat when I do weights but don't work following day.

[sjors]

UPDATE: been taking this again after several months of abstinence and also a different brand. I've been taking it for just over a week and this has coincided with a marked decrease in anxiety and negative moods (I won't go into why I am susceptible to this but I'll just say that the last 3-4 years my life has been much more changeable than I've been comfortable with). Placebo? Don't think so. If it is it's a helluva coincidence. So far I'm putting ashwaghanda under my (fairly small) supplement list that works. Only time will tell if I see more of the purported benefits.

Interesting: Paul can you share the brand? Still positive about ashwaghanda?

[Gammmmo]

UPDATE: been taking this again after several months of abstinence and also a different brand. I've been taking it for just over a week and this has coincided with a marked decrease in anxiety and negative moods (I won't go into why I am susceptible to this but I'll just say that the last 3-4 years my life has been much more changeable than I've been comfortable with). Placebo? Don't think so. If it is it's a helluva coincidence. So far I'm putting ashwaghanda under my (fairly small) supplement list that works. Only time will tell if I see more of the purported benefits.

Interesting: Paul can you share the brand? Still positive about ashwaghanda?

Yes, and it works almost straight away. I think it's best to cycle it's use maybe 6 weeks on, few weeks off.

[sjors]

Yes, and it works almost straight away. I think it's best to cycle it's use maybe 6 weeks on, few weeks off.

Thanks. And thats because you could get addicted to it?

[Gammmmo]

More about efficacy...

[sjors]

More about efficacy...

For those interested: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12 ... enefits#10

[Dangerscouse]

More about efficacy...

For those interested: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12 ... enefits#10

Thanks Siebe

[sjors]

More about efficacy...

I ordered some in the U.K. Today. I will share my experiences after a while.

Thanks Siebe

You're welcome Stu...? Is that your first name?

[Dangerscouse]

More about efficacy...

I ordered some in the U.K. Today. I will share my experiences after a while.

Thanks Siebe

You're welcome Stu...? Is that your first name?

Yes it is, Siebe.

Thanks also to Paul for the recommendation as I've bought some for my wife who struggles with sleeping. Hopefully, this time, this may help her.

[lindsayh]

Must say and just my reading of it but there are a lot of "maybe/can/limited/needs more work/shown in animal studies" weasel words for mine

[Gammmmo]

Must say and just my reading of it but there are a lot of "maybe/can/limited/needs more work/shown in animal studies" weasel words for mine

sure...do your own research....make up your own mind...my experience may be different from anyone else's.