Everybody knows that it’s a good idea for people – bodybuilders and everyday Joes – to enjoy 8 full hours of sleep each night. However, it’s fair to say that in this world of busy schedules and 24/7 available entertainment in the form of cable television and the internet, many of us don’t reach that 8 hours number very often. It’s understandable, as life is quite demanding. However, bodybuilders do need more sleep than their sedentary counterparts, and if you desire success in bodybuilding, you need to find a way to reach that magic number of 8 hours. Here are some tips for reaching this goal.

Timing is everything

You should always set an alarm for every nap and each night. Even if you have the ability to sleep in the following morning, you need to train your body to follow a clock. Additionally, sleeping in an extra two hours on a Sunday morning will undoubtedly result in you staying up too late on Sunday night, which will hurt your Monday workout. Plan ahead, and make consistency the goal with your sleeping, just as it is with your training and diet.

The bedroom

Remove distractions from your room. While it might be easier to fall asleep with music or television on, you are going to suffer a reduced quality of sleep as a result of the continual inputs you are experiencing all night long. Turn off the list of items that may be reeling in your head, and just focus on your breathing. The average person falls asleep in about seven minutes. Also, keeping the room as dark as possible will ensure you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Dine small

A half-sized meal before bed will help you to fall asleep faster, and sleep through the night without waking up hungry. It will also allow you to protect your muscle mass from catabolism, which often occurs when the bodybuilder goes for 8-10 hours with no protein. However, consuming a large meal can result in intestinal distress. Eat a small meal and hit the hay!

Water

Drink the bulk of your water during the day. Keep a bottle handy near bed so you can sip if you wake up thirsty, but avoid drinking a lot of water in the hours before you lay down.

Exercise

You shouldn’t exercise in the three hours before you attempt to go to sleep. Doing so can result in an elevation of metabolism, body temperature, and metabolism, which will certainly keep you awake at night.

Watch the fat burners

ECA (a stack consisting of 200 mg caffeine, 25 mg ephedrine, and 250 mg aspirin) is an extremely popular fat burner, used by tens of thousands of athletes each year. One of the side effects is an inability to fall asleep. Some bodybuilders embrace this side effect, as it means they’ll have more time in their day to train, cook, complete cardio, practice posing, and many of the other activities that arrive when a show is upcoming. However, your body still needs its 8 hours of sleep, even if the presence of ECA tells your body otherwise. Don’t fall into the trap of only sleeping 5-6 hours nightly because the ECA allows it. Your muscle mass will begin to disappear.

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