
To build muscle, you need to make big changes to your lifestyle. Diet and exercise are especially important.
Many people forget that getting enough sleep is just as important as what they eat and how much they exercise. When trying to get in shape, that is.
Recent studies have shown that sleep is an important part of muscle growth and recovery. This means that getting enough sleep is important to reach your goals.
Notably, optimal outcomes tend to fall within the six to eight-hour range. This makes it clear why proper rest should be a priority when working on toning up.
This article explains how sleep can help shape our bodies. It also suggests how much sleep we should get each night for the best results.
Why Do Humans Need Sleep?
Sleep is really important for everyone, even though we don’t understand everything about it yet.
Scientists keep studying sleep because it’s a bit of a mystery, but they know it’s super important for people.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you can feel really tired and it can be harder to think and do stuff.
For hundreds of years, scientists have been looking at how sleep affects our health. They’ve come up with lots of ideas, some based on solid science and some are just guesses.
As we learn more about sleep, it’s important to remember how big a role it plays in our everyday lives.
The Theory of Inactivity
The theory of inactivity is a cool idea. It tries to explain how our sleep habits have changed over time because of evolution.
This idea says that animals started sleeping because they had to stay still and quiet when they were in danger.
Over many years, this staying still and quiet turned into the kind of sleep we have today. This happened because of something called natural selection.
However, this theory can help explain why we sleep. However, it’s important to remember that being asleep can actually be a bad idea if you’re in danger. It’s usually better to be awake and alert if you’re at risk.
The theory of inactivity tells a cool story about how sleep started. However, it also makes us wonder about how sleep can affect our safety in different ways.
The Theory of Energy Conservation
The theory of energy conservation holds that sleep plays a key role in the competition for and efficient use of energy resources. This is an important factor in natural selection.
It suggests that sleep enables our bodies to reduce both the demand for and consumption of energy. This occurs during times when it is difficult to find food.
Comparatively, when we are sleeping, our body temperature and caloric needs are much lower than when we are awake.
This gives rise to the idea that a major function of sleep is to aid us in conserving our energy resources.
Theories of Restorative Practices
Restorative practices talk about how important sleep is for our health and happiness. When we’re asleep, our bodies do a bunch of repairs that make us stronger and help our immune systems fight off sickness.
Studies have shown that animals who don’t get enough sleep can get sick and even die in just a few weeks. This happens because their immune systems stop working properly.
This shows us how important sleep really is. Most of the growth of our muscles and the fixing of our body tissues happen while we’re sleeping. During sleep, our bodies also make proteins and release growth hormones.
Something important about sleep is that a compound called adenosine builds up in our bodies while we’re awake and makes us feel sleepy.
When we sleep, our bodies get rid of this extra adenosine, which is why we feel all fresh and ready to go when we wake up.
So, getting enough good sleep doesn’t just make us think better, it also helps our muscles grow and makes us healthier overall.
How a Sleep Deprivation Affects the Development of Muscle
Building muscles requires plenty of sleep. However, many people might not know that not getting enough sleep can slow them down.
If you don’t get enough sleep, your body might not be able to fix itself or grow as well as it should, and you might not get the results you’re hoping for.
Sleep is really important not just for making muscles, but also for how fast you reach your fitness goals.
That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough sleep. It’ll help your muscles grow better and speed up your overall progress.
Interfering With the Secretion of Hormones
Sleep is super important for helping muscles grow because it’s when certain hormones needed for this process get released.
Growth hormones are important for muscle development. They are usually released during a part of sleep called stage three. But if people don’t get enough sleep, it messes up their normal sleep cycle and makes it harder for these hormones to be released.
Not getting enough sleep can make people feel hungrier. This can lead them to eat more calories. It might also make them gain weight and muscle.
Studies also show that not getting enough sleep makes testosterone levels drop and cortisol levels go up. This can hurt muscle growth and performance in different ways.
Having a good sleep schedule is really important for keeping hormone levels right. It’s also important for overall good health.
Keeping the Fat While Shedding the Muscle
Getting enough sleep is super important for keeping our bodies healthy. Not getting enough sleep can lead to losing muscle and not losing as much fat.
In a study from 2010, people who only slept for 5.5 hours each night lost 55% less fat and 60% more muscle than people who slept for 8.5 hours.
Then in 2018, another study looked at what happened when 15 young guys didn’t sleep for just one night. They found that not sleeping enough led to more breakdown of proteins in muscles. This also caused higher levels of substances that make our fat cells store fat.
Also, research shows that sleeping for only 6 hours each night isn’t enough for building muscles effectively.
So, if people want to build lean muscle and lose extra fat, they need to make sure they’re getting enough sleep.
Bringing Down Glycogen Levels
Glycogen levels are really important for keeping us going and feeling good. Glucose, which is a type of sugar, is the main energy source for our bodies.
When we sleep, glucose gets turned into glycogen, and that gets stored in our muscles to use later on.
So, if we don’t get enough sleep, it could really affect how well we do things because there wouldn’t be as much glycogen in our muscles.
A recent study found that male athletes didn’t sprint as well when they lacked sleep. They also struggled with pacing.
To keep your health and physical performance at their best, it’s important to get enough sleep and keep your glycogen levels just right.
How Many Hours of Sleep Are Need to Grow Muscle?
Some people think that sleeping for just six hours is enough, but it turns out that’s not enough time for our bodies to build muscle effectively.
To make sure our muscles are growing and our bodies are staying healthy, we should aim to sleep between seven and nine hours each night.
Taking a nap can help us feel less tired, more alert, improve our mood, and perform better at things.
But remember, naps aren’t a replacement for a good night’s sleep and should be used carefully. If we nap without thinking about it, we might end up feeling drowsy and confused. This could make it harder to sleep at night.
To get the best results, we should take naps before the middle of the afternoon and keep them short, about 10 to 20 minutes long. By following these rules, we can help our muscles grow and keep our overall health in check.
Tips On How To Get A Better Night’s Sleep
Increasing one’s exposure to bright light during the day
Getting a lot of bright light during your day can really help make your sleep better and longer.
If you spend at least two hours each day in natural sunlight or in really bright artificial light, you could see big improvements in how well you sleep.
Studies have shown that doing this can help you wake up less during your sleep, by up to two hours, and make your sleep more effective.
So, taking on this simple habit could lead to a healthier lifestyle by making your sleep better and helping you feel good overall.
Evening exposure to blue light should be decreased
We’re using electronics like phones, tablets, and computers more and more. Getting too much blue light in the evening is starting to be a problem.
Blue light comes from the screens of these devices and can mess with our sleep by tricking our brain into thinking it’s still daytime.
This makes it tough to sleep. It stops our bodies from making melatonin, the hormone that helps us know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up.
To help with this problem, we should try to stop using electronics at least 30 minutes before we go to bed. Or, we can turn on the blue light blocker setting that most devices have now.
Doing this can help us sleep better and stay healthier in a world where we use electronics so much.
No Coffee After 2 in the Afternoon
The role of caffeine in maintaining our energy levels and alertness throughout the day is well-known.
However, it is crucial to consider the timing of caffeine consumption, particularly avoiding it after 2 p.m.
This practice can significantly improve your sleep quality, as it takes roughly 6 hours for your body to metabolize caffeine.
By abstaining from coffee after 2 p.m., you allow your body sufficient time to process caffeine. This ensures that it does not interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. Adopting this habit can lead to enhanced rest and, ultimately, a healthier lifestyle.
Is 6 Hours Of Sleep Enough To Build Muscle Summary
Not getting enough sleep can be really bad, especially if you’re an athlete. How well and how much you sleep can affect how much muscle you gain, just like strength training, eating right, and getting the right nutrients do.
Studies have shown that only sleeping for six hours isn’t enough if you want to build muscle. Even if you’re really busy, doctors and researchers say that you should try to get 7-9 hours of good sleep every night for the best health and performance.
If you don’t get enough good sleep, it can make you not perform as well physically and can hurt your overall health.

Hi, I'm Dave Moffat the founder and Chief Editor of steroidsourcetalk.com and certified International Personal Trainer and Certified Nutritionist. My passion has always been bodybuilding but with 15 years' experience in weight loss programs too, it's hard not to mention all that when you're working at your fitness level fullest (I hope). When Im not in the gym or spending time away from my family i often think about what advice would help others achieve theirs goals just like these inspired mine.