Getting a Good Night’s Sleep Means Gains in the Gym

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise, right? At least that’s how the old say goes. But sleep also is essential for bulking up your muscles, too. If you do not see gains in the gym, it may because you’re not getting the proper sleep you think you are. Don’t worry, however – Millennium Smiles in Frisco, Texas, can help.

How Does Sleep Matter for Working Out?

Researchers have found that sleep is critical for strength training recovery, and it also helps repair damaged muscle tissue after you lift weights. So, if you’re not getting enough sleep, or you’re getting poor quality sleep, you won’t bulk up like you want because you won’t be able to build muscle.

When you sleep and reach the N3 stage of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, your body produces proteins and muscle-building hormones necessary to grow – including human growth hormone (HGH). Additionally, during this stage of sleep, your body increases blood flow to your muscles, and this increased blood flow brings with it the oxygen and other nutrients to damaged areas to start repairing tissue.

NREM isn’t the only stage of sleep necessary to muscle recovery; during REM sleep, your muscles relax, which relieves tension and pain.

What Is ‘Good’ Sleep?

Ideally, you should sleep between seven to nine hours a night. If you’re working out regularly, you may want a little more to help build muscle and muscle strength.

Sleep can also help improve your muscle coordination, muscle memory, and reaction time.

Overall, getting enough sleep helps to improve your athletic performance.

Getting enough sleep also helps to improve your overall health, too. Individuals living with sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing cardiac conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, cognitive decline, and a range of other serious health problems.

Signs of sleep apnea include snoring, gasping for breath, difficulty staying asleep, frequent nighttime urination, daytime fatigue, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings.

So, if you are seeing the signs of sleep apnea and want to bulk up and build muscle – or at least getting a better workout and improve your recovery, call Millennium Smiles in Frisco, Texas, at 972- 468-8771 to talk about a sleep study.