What is the connection with sleep and muscle mass? Does lack of sleep affect muscle growth in a major or minor way?

Sleep and Muscle Mass Connection Video

Do you know about the two S-words important in muscle building without fat? These two are stress and sleep. It’s essential that everyone serious about physique building should know about these two often-overlooked things. Let’s talk more about sleep, stress and muscle growth.

First, let’s discuss sleep. Whenever we lack sleep, our body and certain systems and functions take the toll. These very systems contribute greatly to building muscle without fat. One good example would be what is called the endocrine system. The hormones for muscle growth are released by this bodily system. The hormones which increase muscles takes a plunge and the hormones which increase fat storage rises up whenever we get less than 6 hours of sleep a night. Get at least 6 hours of sleep a night, and that’s the minimum. Aside from the endocrine system, other systems also suffer. Of course, you can’t work out if you’re not healthy right? Our speedy recovery and muscle repair is also highly dependent on our immune systems being robust. Not only that, metabolism also slows down to a crawling pace, giving us the tendency to store more fat. Here are a few tips for you to address this issue.

Drinking camomile tea around 60-120 minutes prior to your bedtime is really beneficial. It helps you get to sleep faster because its effect is to relax you. Another tip, if you’re that kind of person, is to not drink or take anything with caffeine before sleeping. For others, it works to avoid caffeine past 6pm. Find out what works for you. Lastly, make sure your workout is scheduled during the day when it doesn’t deter you from sleeping. See how exercise affects your ability to sleep for the period of time following the exercise. For some, working out a minimum of 3-4 hours before they plan to sleep works.

Now let’s discuss the second “S” – Stress. Stress works pretty much in the same manner as lack of sleep does. It’s the same systems that are affected by the lack of sleep which are also affected by too much stress. Your immune system receives the same kind of hit. Your endocrine system is also affected, giving you more fat storing hormones and less muscle building hormones. Your metabolism is negatively affected too. Not only that, your energy levels suffer and you don’t work out quite as a hard in the gym.

The following are two effective pieces of advice that you can follow when it comes to handling stress. It really helps to compartmentalize and segregate your different concerns. If work is stressing you out, then deal with it in the office, not at home with your loved ones. Try to keep the stress caged in the area of your life where it came from, not spilling over to other areas which are working great. This is not an easy thing, you’d have to keep at it and practice, but the rewards are surely worth your while.

Another thing to do would be to set your schedule such that the most important things are finished earlier during the day. For instance, do something like exercise or spending time with your loved ones early in the day when you have the most energy for it so that it gets done and it doesn’t get neglected. You get to finish important stuff early, and channel all your remaining energy into the next items in your list for the day.

These sleep and muscle tips have helped people in the past. Try them out, maybe you could get better results if you do so.