[logan]

Just curious, I know an important part of muscle building is sleep, at least 8hrs. WHat if one night for whatever reason you only get 5-6 hrs of sleep. Would having a 1-2 hr nap help the body for missing some hours during the night? just curious?

[sifu]

You know that is a good question. In my physical therapy school it was found in research that 4-6 hours with proper "active rest" and nutrient support that patients were still rehabilitating at a normal rate.

[Cogar]

You do need the extra rest and a 90-minute or longer nap would be a good idea under those circumstances IMO. As a point of reference to the amount of sleep required, let me quote something from the January/February 2001 issue of Muscle Media.

Get Nine Hours of Sleep Per Night. Nine hours of sleep may sound like a lot, especially to those of us who are used to "getting by" with no more than seven. However, in a study published this past March in the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, researchers from the school's department of nutrition science discovered that people who slept an average of seven hours a night had significantly higher levels of cortisol in the afternoon than when they slept for nine hours a night. And as we've already seen, elevated cortisol levels may lead to unwanted bodyfat accumulation around the belly. So, to help keep cortisol levels in check, try to get at least nine hours of sleep per night.

[sifu]

Excellent read. Tufts is a awesome school, with good studies done on subjects.

[TMack40]

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magazine/zfactor.htm

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/anatomy/zfactor2.htm


For anyone interested in reading up more on sleep, very good in depth reads on the topic....

[BigVrunga]

I love to sleep. Ill hit a quick 30 minute nap after work or the gym whenever I can. I used to be one of those people that could get by on 4 hours a day...since Ive gained a lot of mass it seems if I get less than 8 Im a zombie.

BigV

[Cogar]

Originally posted by TMack40
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magazine/zfactor.htm

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/anatomy/zfactor2.htm


For anyone interested in reading up more on sleep, very good in depth reads on the topic....

Great articles. I bookmarked both of them.

[jhov]

Originally posted by logan
Just curious, I know an important part of muscle building is sleep, at least 8hrs. WHat if one night for whatever reason you only get 5-6 hrs of sleep. Would having a 1-2 hr nap help the body for missing some hours during the night? just curious?

well i have been researching sleep deprivation for about 2 weeks now and found a wealth of studies on the subject. it has been linked to many health isues including a raised risk for chd, accelerated aging and other serious sides such as severe dicoordination!!!
here is a study that might shed some light on the subject for you bro:
http://www.jhbmc.jhu.edu/healthcarenews03/03040703.html
hope this helps bro!!!
peace
j

[logan]

tmack40, WICKED articles on sleep mate!!! I learned a lot!!! well after readng that, I know what I'm going to do, sleep!
later

[Tubbs]

I read this thread and the responses and it was all good stuff. I have experimented with trying to find the perfect nap formula to not feel like **** and not lose too much time. But I just woke up on the couch, AGAIN, and hour later than I wanted because I broke my own rule . NEVER take a nap without having some way to wake yourself up! Have a set time and set an alarm, cellphone, TV or anything with a timer. You'll either wake up too late for something, or you'll wake up feeling like garbage and be groggy forever. The only way I have ever gotten the right nap "feeling" is to keep it short (less than 30 mins) or take a thermogenic before you take a nap. When you wake up later, it helps you snap out of sleep quick. How do I convince myself I'll only lay here for a minute???

[Cogar]

Tubbs, you are right that short naps (less than 30 minutes) will not leave you groggy. Still, having a nap that includes a full sleep cycle (90-120 minutes) will not leave you groggy either (in my experience), and that longer sleep will help you build some muscle. Waking up in an hour or so sucks though, since you are coming out of deep sleep. I agree that particular nap length does not work well at all.

[BigVrunga]

Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming? Where you have a dream so real that your mind percieves it as reality...you actually are conscious in the dream. There are methods to control this state - I wonder if you could induce a lucid dream state where you could train in ways that werent possible in reality.
We all know how powerful the mind muscle connection is, right? Well, what if you could summon this lucid dream state where you're squatting 800lbs for 20 reps?
It sounds wacky, but seriously - I wonder what is really possible way down deep in our brains.

BigV

[Iron Warrior]

Ahhhh, nothing like a great 30 min. nap after school. I do feel more refreshed when I get my power nap in the middle of the day in addition to 8-9 hours of sleep