Bodybuilding is a lifestyle, a 24/7 sport, and every single aspect that is involved in building your body should be considered. One of these very crucial pieces of the puzzle is your sleep. 

Here are some quick and interesting facts about the effects of sleeping and how they would affect a bodybuilder:

Facts:

- Increased Growth Hormone while sleeping. During sleep, growth hormone levels peak. Human Growth Hormone is important for recovery, fat loss, muscle building effects, repair of injuries and more. Increasing your natural production of growth hormone will improve your performance in the gym and your gains.

- Rapid Eye movement is a phase during sleep that allows the body to restore organs, bones, and tissue; replenish immune cells; and circulates human growth hormone.

- Reduced energy consumption during sleep allows bodybuilders to maintain and increase size without having to eat many more meals.

- And obviously, the ability to wake up energized after a long nights rest is crucial for being able to put up big numbers in the gym, sustain muscle pumps, and generally perform adequately when the training perspective of bodybuilding and athletics come into play. Adenosine (a neurotransmitter that produces ATP in the body) sends signals to the brain that it needs to rest. During sleep, these levels of Adenosine decline, improving alertness in the brain. Having high levels of alertness lead to high levels of Motivation, which might be the biggest factor in training and bodybuilding.

Tips for Getting Adequate Sleep

How much sleep is optimal for muscle growth? It varies from person to person on how much sleep is optimal. There is no magic number and the quality of sleep also affects this number. Get enough sleep to feel rested, but not oversleep. Be sure that the room is dark and there aren’t any distractions. Doing this can ensure that you get the best quality of sleep during the night.

Taking a warm bath before bed is a great way to sooth and relax the muscles for sleep.

Avoid Caffeine and other stimulants late at night. It will be hard to fall asleep. Also, the consumption of alcohol interrupts the stages of sleep significantly.

What are the effects of not getting enough sleep?

Here is a list of effects, cited from sleepfoundation.org, that may occur when one does not get enough sleep:

• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information

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