Whether you’re training for a marathon, part of a sports team, or simply trying to keep fit, proper recovery is important. Many people make the mistake of focusing solely on training and nutrition, forgetting that sleep also plays a vital role in health and fitness. While you’re sleeping, your body repairs itself; that’s when it recovers from workouts, and muscle growth takes place.
Learn how optimizing your sleep can help you maximize results at Fitness 19.
Why Sleep Matters for Muscle Growth
Sleep rests both your mind and your body. While you sleep, your body releases hormones that stimulate muscle growth, and it also repairs the tears that developed in your muscles during workouts. Sleep is vital for both mental and physical well-being.
There’s a lot going on while you’re asleep:
- Muscle recovery and repair. Strength training causes microtears in your muscles. While you’re asleep, those small tears are repaired, making your muscles stronger and more resilient.
- Growth hormone release. During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormone, which promotes the development of new muscle. Insufficient sleep means fewer strength gains.
- Protein synthesis. Your body makes proteins out of amino acids and uses those proteins to build muscle. Getting enough sleep helps you make and use protein more efficiently.
- Fatigue and injury risk reduction. Sleep also helps your brain consolidate knowledge and recover when you’re fatigued. If you’re not getting enough sleep, both your brain and your body will under perform, leaving you weaker, less focused, and more injury-prone.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Everyone is different, but in general, adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. If you’re an athlete or training intensely and putting a lot of strain on your body, you might need more sleep than this.
Sleep quality is just as important as the number of hours you spend in bed. Getting several hours of good quality, uninterrupted deep sleep is crucial. If you’re just lying in bed and can’t fall asleep, get up and read a book or listen to an audiobook for a while, and come back to bed when you’re tired.
Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
How can you tell if you’re not getting enough sleep? Watch for these signs:
- Difficulty getting up in the morning
- Feeling tired and groggy during the day
- Problems focusing
- Poor workout performance
- Slow recovery after workouts
- Increased soreness
- Mood swings or irritability
- Slower muscle/strength gains
Tips to Improve Sleep for Muscle Growth
If you’re struggling to fall asleep or feel as though the quality of sleep you’re getting isn’t good enough, following these tips to improve your sleep habits may help:
- Create a consistent sleep schedule. Having a regular bedtime and wake-up time helps you keep a consistent sleep schedule.
- Optimize your sleeping environment. Keep your bedroom dark, cool, quiet, and free from distractions.
- Limit stimulants. Avoid caffeine in the afternoons and evenings. If exercising makes it hard for you to sleep, try to do your workouts earlier in the day.
- Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol can impair sleep quality, but if you do indulge, avoid drinking late in the evening.
- Follow a presleep routine. Establish a routine to follow before bed each night, such as stretching, meditation, light reading, or just packing your bag for the gym the next day.
- Track your sleep. Never underestimate the power of metrics. Use an app or a wearable to track your sleep duration and quality to alert you to potential issues.
How Sleep and Training Work Together
Improving your sleep schedule could make a significant difference in the results you get from training. The most obvious benefit is having more energy and improved focus, which should translate to better workouts.
In the long-term, better sleep makes for better recovery, so you’ll be able to train harder if that’s your goal. You’ll also see enhanced results from each workout in terms of endurance and strength.
Insufficient sleep can lead to fatigue, stress, and loss of motivation. Taken too far, you run the risk of injuring yourself, especially if you’re lifting heavy weights, doing an intensive weight cut, or otherwise putting a lot of strain on your body. You wouldn’t do a marathon without fueling yourself properly or staying hydrated, so don’t try to train while fatigued.
Sleep doesn’t get as much attention as the other elements of working out, but it really matters. You can eat to fuel your body and train hard in the gym or put the miles in on the road, but if you’re not giving your body time to recover between workouts, you’re wasting your effort. Combine hard training with quality sleep, and muscle growth will come.
How Fitness 19 Can Help You Optimize Recovery
If you’re serious about your training, you should be working with a personal trainer who understands the importance of integrating recovery strategies into your fitness plan. Incorporating these strategies will help you maximize your results at the gym, whether you’re aiming for strength, stamina, or sport-specific performance.
At Fitness 19, we take a holistic approach to fitness. Our trainers consider not only your workout plans, but rest and active recovery, nutrition and sleep routines. We consider your lifestyle and the demands on your time outside the gym, and we work with you to produce a plan that suits you.
Take control of your training today. Work with our experts at Fitness 19 to create a fitness plan that maximizes results while prioritizing recovery.
