Sleep is one of the most essential needs of human beings since it is related to many physiological and cognitive functions of the body. Many experts recommend getting 7-9 hours of sleep, so your body can recover properly.
Believe it or not, sleeping well is also important when we exercise, especially if you want to gain muscle mass. Rest helps muscles recover and adapt after strength training.
In this sense, several studies have been carried out to determine how long you should sleep to improve the results of your training. However, the results obtained do not establish a fixed rest time, but rather focus on the quality of sleep.
To gain muscle mass, the body needs to perform muscle protein synthesis that promotes the adaptation of muscles after training. When we sleep poorly, the body has a lower protein synthesis and, instead of gaining muscle mass, muscle fibers can be rapidly degraded.
How can you improve your sleep?
If you want to avoid this problem, you can control some variables to sleep better every day. For this reason, we want to give you some tips so that you can rest properly. Let's get started!
- Room temperature: If possible, you should keep your room temperature between 15–20°C. Temperatures below or above this range make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Do not consume stimulants: you should avoid consuming any substance like caffeine that activates your central nervous system close to bedtime.
- Use a good mattress: the mattress you sleep on is very important. You should use a mattress that is not excessively soft, as this induces more movement while you sleep.
- Do yoga or meditation: doing 10 or 15 minutes of these activities before bed will help you relax; as well as encourage the activation of some neurotransmitters that are involved in sleep and help you rest.
