sleeping and bodybuilding... is going back to sleep for an hour useless?

[Twin]

do you have to be sleeping for like 2-3 hours so that your in a deep cycle of sleep for your body to start releasing all those growth hormones when you sleep? or does it start within 10 mins of sleeping? The reason why im wondering is because sometimes for some reason i will wake up with only like 6 1/2 hours of sleep. and even though i can wake up... i try to get back to sleep to get my 8 hours of sleep... anyone with knowledge on this subject know about this?


like if i go to bed at 1 am. and i wake up at 8 am... i will try to go back to sleep because i didnt get my 8 hours of sleep in. curious if i should just stop being picky and wake up and get out of bed with only 7 hours of sleep if im already up...

also sometimes its annoying. i will be awake and ready to kick ass at 9 am. with 6 hours of sleep. but then ill go back to sleep and wake up at 11-12pm and feel like crap. but i only do this because im obssessed with bodybuilding and really want all the extra boosts i can get... to repair my body the best i can... (not to sound like a douchebag)

[DanB]

I'm nearly sure its about 2-3 hrs before you fall into REM sleep and you get your nice gh pulse, not 100% sure but I'm sure staff will see it and correct this if I'm wrong

EDIT

And I feel your pain, I've slept about 3hrs since wednesday, its now Friday afternoon over here lol

Mabey look into melatonin it does nothing for me but 3-6mg usually does the trick for alot of people to get uninterupted night sleep

[Igifuno]

It takes 1-2 hours for REM to occur (90 mins is regarded to be the magic number). And then there are different 'periods' of REM. Prior to REM sleep, you're in NREM stages (1-4). The body will begin to repair and regenerate tissue) as well as build muscle and strengthen the immune system) as early as during NREM. So you don't need to be in REM to get the benefits of the rest you're getting.

Igi

[auswest]

Don't mean to hijack but on the same topic, anyone know of any good natural sleep aids?
I've just ordered bulk zma, going to give that a shot.

[Igifuno]

Other than Melatonin, there is chamomile which you can get in tea or even a topical ointment. Also valerian, which helps with restlessness, nervousness and some people with insomnia use it as well (although melatonin or chamomile is considered a better option for most).

[Times Roman]

you know when you are remming since this is also the dream state. I'm a little different. It takes me the ttypical 90 minutes or so to initially get to this level. but i get up several times a night, and then after i hit the head, almost immediately start remming again.

[Igifuno]

you know when you are remming since this is also the dream state. I'm a little different. It takes me the ttypical 90 minutes or so to initially get to this level. but i get up several times a night, and then after i hit the head, almost immediately start remming again.

I've recently started getting up a few times throughout the night. I really pisses me off.

[Misery13]

I don't go back to sleep because I feel shitty like you do. Than I'm all messed up the rest of the day. Melatonin is a great natural sleep aid and I recently read in Muscular Development that it also helps you maintain muscle mass.

[Natural selection]

I find if i get woken up on melatonin and cant fall back asleep. usually i sleep through but if my bed time shake has me going pee at 4am, im fuct

[Twin]

I've recently started getting up a few times throughout the night. I really pisses me off.

yea i know that feel. i went to bed at 1 am last night. i woke up at 4:30 am for some random reason and was pissed off because the birds were chirping loud too. i think the birds woke me up actually.. then i woke up again at 8:30 - 9 am with a raging boner... then went back to sleep... then i slept like a baby it seemed like and dreamed till 12:20 pm.


also i noticed i can dream within 15 mins of sleeping. i know this because sometimes on my 15 min break at work, im very tired and have my alarm set for 15 mins and i dream a little bit for 5-10 mins.


def gonna have to give mel a try!

[DanB]

I miss sleep