How important is sleep? You have started your exercise and weight training routine. This new discipline takes a bit getting used to. New diet. Check! Scheduled bodybuilding exercises. Check! However, the problem is that you like to watch late night TV, and you have always been used to getting about only 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Well, the rules of the game have changed. The nature of how long and how rested you feel after a night of sleep will vary once you have begun a fitness routine. Recuperation becomes critical to your overall success. In this article, I will address the importance of enough sleep, that is, how much is enough, and what happens if you don’t get sufficient quality rest as part of your health and fitness routine.

The 3 Things to Avoid About Getting Enough Sleep To Build Muscles

Thing to Avoid Number 1 – Assume That Sleep Is Not As Important As Diet and Exercise – Sleep and proper rest and recuperation is absolutely critical for muscle growth, and this must be a well-established premise and understanding before you start.

Thing to Avoid Number 2 - Avoid Alcoholic Beverages Just Before Going to Bed – Your customary beer and glass wine before bed can interfere will the quality of your sleep and will reduce the restful quality. You can wake up with a grogginess that will definitely interfere with your workout intensity.

Thing to Avoid Number 3 – Going to Bed Too Late – This may seem like an obvious one, but awareness is remembering what we already know. Unless, someone mentions it, for example, we are usually never aware of the air that we breathe that surrounds us every moment of the day.

The 3 Things to Do About Getting Enough Sleep To Build Muscles

Thing to Do Number 1 – Plan to Get About 8 Hours of Sleep – Now I know that some of you may balk at the idea of so many hours if you have been accustomed to get by with 6 or 7. Remember, you are stressing you body in new ways when you begin a regimen of progressive weight resistance training. You are suddenly doing more than usual, so it stands to reason that you will need to rest more than usual.

Thing to Do Number 2 – Go To Bed At the Same Time Each Night – This is probably the most important advice of all. Your body system loves routine and rhythm, and once you get the routine and rhythm of a regular sleep hour (and if possible sleeping in the same bed), you will notice that in as little as 3 weeks, you will fall asleep immediately and you will sleep deeper and wake up more refreshed.

Thing to Do Number 3 – Keep Up Your Same-Time, Same-Place Sleep Ritual Even on Weekends – Where things go wrong is on weekends. I realize that this is going to be hard at times, but do your best. My advice is that whenever you know that you will be out “pass your bedtime” on a weekend, take an afternoon nap of an hour or two. Naps are incredibly rejuvenating and will forestall any negative effects of staying out late to the minimum.

Yours in health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12-Week Fitness Guru”

P.S. Please leave me your comments.