r/leangains • u/warrior4202 • Oct 31 '24
Do you find you need less sleep (6-7 hours) when bulking?
I think all the extra energy from food has me not needing much sleep to crush it every day
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u/Brojangles1234 Oct 31 '24
No you definitely want more if anything, even if that includes a daytime nap. Adding muscle on top of recovery is a strenuous biological process, you’re not becoming a superhero because you’re getting bigger and stronger. You grow when you’re resting, asleep primarily. You will only ever find this to be the case if you look around professional athlete and bodybuilder recommendations. There’s no situation where less sleep is better, it is always distinctly worse lol.
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Oct 31 '24
You probably are just eating more carbs and/or micronutrients so feel more awake. Biomechanically speaking you generally want to get more sleep.
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u/simple_mech Oct 31 '24
Whatever works in the long term. It might be OK short term but as your body adjusts to the increased caloric intake, you may find yourself needing more sleep. Maybe it isn't less sleep when bulking, this is your normal sleep, and you just need more sleep when cutting.
I know this turns into a discussion of relative and frame of reference, yet I think the argument that maintenance is the correct form of reference, rather than cutting.
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u/PluckedEyeball Oct 31 '24
You should be sleeping as much as possible during a bulk since you’re trying to maximise recovery and growth. Why would you forcibly get fatter for the sake of putting on muscle then sleep less on purpose therefore gaining less muscle?
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u/Due-Albatross5909 Nov 01 '24
You need that deep sleep to build muscle—don’t neglect it. You should be aiming for 8hrs (7 at the very least). If I’m training hard, my body wants more sleep (feel better closer to 9hrs). Everyone is different though, and you can get away with it if you’re young. But it catches up to you.
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u/warrior4202 Nov 01 '24
I get it, I would sleep 9 hrs every night if I could, but some days I am not tired and only able to fall asleep for barely 7 hours
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u/Due-Albatross5909 Nov 01 '24
There are certain things you can take to support your sleep—magnesium (bi-glycinate) and tart cherry juice. Both will contribute to more restful, deeper/longer sleep.
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u/Correct-Charity-508 Leangains is a program Nov 02 '24
do you take a tart cherry extract? i’ve been exploring sleep aids so I’m going to give both of those a try.
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u/mime454 Nov 01 '24
When I was the same (slightly underweight) weight every day, I reliably slept 8 hours. Now I only get 7 despite maintaining excellent sleep hygiene. I don’t really feel much more tired but I wish I could still get 8.
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u/warrior4202 Nov 01 '24
It's frustrating when you're consistently getting the lower end of the recommended 7-9 hr range, even if you feel fine. Are you currently bulking?
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u/rogueman999 Nov 01 '24
Not widely known, but creatine (larger doses) is incredibly good at compensating the effects of not enough sleep. It doesn't replace it, obviously, and it still adds up, plus you do need sleep to build muscle so I wouldn't recommend skimping on bed time, but as far as functioning better, it's way up there with stimulants, only much cleaner.
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Nov 04 '24
If anything I need more. When bulking my level of interest sir goes up. The amount of muscle repair and protein synthesis my body requires is higher. I get 💩 results on 💩 sleep.
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u/rucksackmac Nov 07 '24
Get more sleep. prioritize it. When I started hitting my micros I got a ton of crazy energy and generally feel alert, productive and awake. It's easy to mistake that feeling for being rested and not needing sleep.
If you're eating halfway decently (a variety of fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains), you're likely getting a lot or even all of your RDAs without thinking about it. I hit them fairly mindlessly during a cut.
Just sleep. sleeeeep.
And if you don't have kids please for the love of god sleep.
sleeeeeeeeeeep.
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u/brosterdamus Oct 31 '24
Broscience but could be right. You're getting more "recovery" from food, maybe need less from other areas.
Still, I want my 8.
Then again, I also train harder when bulking.