sleep?

[chewbacca1991]

alright thanks everybody definitely going to bump up it to 7 hours a night now and cut back. Or I could opt for 6 hours a night with naps but my 1/2 hour naps tend to turn into 5 hours of sleep. So pretty sure I will now stick with 7 hours a night no more no less. The sleep aids are definitely make a big difference btw.

[chewbacca1991]

@Stefanie

In college, it seemed that being a student-athlete, and with a job, was a wonderful thing, because time got structured really nicely (after the meticulous organization of a ‘master-plan’ :p), and everything got done. However, training was not high quality, and sometimes, 6 hours of sleep sufficed during the week.

Now that I’ve been attempting frequent high quality training sessions for a couple of years, I realize how much sleep is needed, especially along with studies, and if two nights go with 6 hours of sleep, I can barely think the third day.

You mentioned 5 intense lifting sessions per week, so that could be a slight problem, but perhaps if you are a beginner, you will be doing less high CNS demanding stuff (since you won’t be able to reach your max potential yet). Hopefully it will all progress nicely for you. Good luck =)

(p.s. cut down on the social life. You’ll make enough friends during class and training, and whatever else, and don’t volunteer so much - please do not attack :rolleyes: - in the end, you’ll wish you had done more for yourself, plus, there will be plenty of time to become Mother Teresa when you get older and have more resources)

i have been training for the sport for a year but still classify myself as a beginner.

[Stefanie]

Ok, is there some kind of pill/supplement that compensates, even a little, for the lack of sleep?

I’m tired all the time now, and I’m sleeping 7-8 hours per night, sometimes I even take a power nap in the afternoon (but rarely), but I can’t sleep all day… I have so much work to do.

Perhaps for those who can’t sleep 10+ hours, who train hard, while also stressing the brain with work, should have their iron levels checked? (this is just what one coach here suggested, because most athletes have hematocrit issues, which adds fatigue)

I’m also taking 750mg carnitine per day (for more than a year now); I know Charlie recommended 2000mg per day for sprinters (cognitive support)

Any supplement thoughts on this?

Thank you in advance.

[tb2010]

@Stefanie

Ok, is there some kind of pill/supplement that compensates, even a little, for the lack of sleep?

I’m tired all the time now, and I’m sleeping 7-8 hours per night, sometimes I even take a power nap in the afternoon (but rarely), but I can’t sleep all day… I have so much work to do.

Perhaps for those who can’t sleep 10+ hours, who train hard, while also stressing the brain with work, should have their iron levels checked? (this is just what one coach here suggested, because most athletes have hematocrit issues, which adds fatigue)

I’m also taking 750mg carnitine per day (for more than a year now); I know Charlie recommended 2000mg per day for sprinters (cognitive support)

Any supplement thoughts on this?

Thank you in advance.

i started taking zma and it has done wonders for my sleep

[lylemcd]

@Stefanie

Ok, is there some kind of pill/supplement that compensates, even a little, for the lack of sleep?

I’m tired all the time now, and I’m sleeping 7-8 hours per night, sometimes I even take a power nap in the afternoon (but rarely), but I can’t sleep all day… I have so much work to do.

Perhaps for those who can’t sleep 10+ hours, who train hard, while also stressing the brain with work, should have their iron levels checked? (this is just what one coach here suggested, because most athletes have hematocrit issues, which adds fatigue)

I’m also taking 750mg carnitine per day (for more than a year now); I know Charlie recommended 2000mg per day for sprinters (cognitive support)

Any supplement thoughts on this?

Thank you in advance.

You might try theanine, 100-200 mg about an hour before bedtime. At least one study out of Japan found that it improved subjective sleep quality. Again, one of those things that works for some and not for all.

[Stefanie]

@lylemcd

You might try theanine, 100-200 mg about an hour before bedtime. At least one study out of Japan found that it improved subjective sleep quality. Again, one of those things that works for some and not for all.

I’ll read into ZMA and theanine, although I’m an excellent sleeper… so, I don’t think that’s my problem, exactly. I see tons of dreams every night, and they are always vivid.
I just want more… and more, because I always do something during the day that tires my brain.

[tb2010]

@Stefanie

I’ll read into ZMA and theanine, although I’m an excellent sleeper… so, I don’t think that’s my problem, exactly. I see tons of dreams every night, and they are always vivid.
I just want more… and more, because I always do something during the day that tires my brain.

maybe you have a sleeping disorder, narcolepsy runs in my family, so if i dont get 8.5+ hours a night im a wreck the next day

[100m001]

@Chris6878

I would say that with your schedule including med school and serious training your gonna die out sooner or later. Sleep is very very important. When you study you will be using brain power. Same with your training. ITs gonna catch up to you. Your gonna hve to drop something, maybe the social life. lol. I once had two jobs while training. train 5am-8, 1st job 8-5, 2nd 6-11. sleep 11:30 to 4;30. After a week I would fall asleep at work. I ended up getting let go from the 2nd job. I just couldnt handle it. IMO 6 hours will not cut it. Serious athletes need 8 hours minimum. unless you can make up for those 6 hour days with power naps and a long sleep day during the week. Your gonna have to drop something.

Yes, I agree with this.

[100m001]

As far as a supplement that helps you sleep, Sleep 1, worked great for me. I woke up refreshed and I felt very masculine for the rest of the day.

http://nutrition53.com/Store/Product.aspx?id=2&productid=496&categoryid=75

And on a side note, I was looking at a lecture on youtube given by a neuroscientist, and the lecture was about improving brain function, and he said the best supplement that induced deep sleep and improved brain function was a herb that use to be legal to buy back in the 90s’ but now you need a prescription for it. He went on to say that the deeper you sleep the more you will be able to interact with life in a more profound way.

I need to spend a day tracking down the lecture as I lost the link (and the name of the supplement), but when I do I will post it here.

[nycjay01]

@100m001

As far as a supplement that helps you sleep, Sleep 1, worked great for me. I woke up refreshed and I felt very masculine for the rest of the day.

http://nutrition53.com/Store/Product.aspx?id=2&productid=496&categoryid=75

And on a side note, I was looking at a lecture on youtube given by a neuroscientist, and the lecture was about improving brain function, and he said the best supplement that induced deep sleep and improved brain function was a herb that use to be legal to buy back in the 90s’ but now you need a prescription for it. He went on to say that the deeper you sleep the more you will be able to interact with life in a more profound way.

I need to spend a day tracking down the lecture as I lost the link (and the name of the supplement), but when I do I will post it here.

what herb was that?

[lr1400]

@nycjay01

what herb was that?

The HERB. Always made me sleep good.

[Stefanie]

@tb2010

maybe you have a sleeping disorder, narcolepsy runs in my family, so if i dont get 8.5+ hours a night im a wreck the next day

Narcolepsy is pretty heavy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcolepsy.
Plus, up to 10 hours sleep is considered ‘normal’.

[100m001]

@nycjay01

what herb was that?

I got to track down the video to find the name of the herb(if I can). I lost link.

[sady]

@100m001

I got to track down the video to find the name of the herb(if I can). I lost link.

Is it the one that you inhale using a bubble machine

[100m001]

@sady

Is it the one that you inhale using a bubble machine

lol… no (had to think about that)

[100m001]

@chewbacca1991

Hey. I am a beginner olympic lifter. I train 5 olympic lifting sessions now(really intense) a week and might run sprints(low volume) once a week. Right now I get plenty of sleep but things are going to change. I now plan to get only 6 hours of consistent sleep a day. Aiming to sleep 12am-6am and try not to let it vary on weekends. It unfortunate but it would be difficult to get more sleep than this being a college student and aiming for medical school(while being an athlete, having a social life, volunteering, etc…). I don’t drink alcohol, dont smoke, no caffeine and diet is good though. But everything can’t be ideal.

Ive order some ZMA and a sleep aid recommended by joe defranco called power to sleep pm by irwin naturals. I am still considering taking this or not though and if I do I definitely will limit its use.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/in/power.html

Do you guys think getting only 6 hours a night would have any effect on gains? Anybody recommend anything else I can do? The power to sleep supplement contains melatonin anything I should be wary about? I think that covers it thanks!

Arrrh! I went to go buy power to sleep pm by irwin naturals but the store around me did not have it so I got Night Rest with 500mg of GABA as an alternative today. Will post how it works.

http://www.sourcenaturals.com/products/GP1231/

[adonail]

seriously L-Theanine is good stuff…250mg before sleep

GABA i don’t like the short breath feeling

[100m001]

http://www.sourcenaturals.com/products/GP1231/

Well it’s day 2 of using Night Rest and I’m taking it back. It gives me a headache to the point where it wakes me up a night and my sleep was not restful at all.

[QUIKAZHELL]

Z-12 by Biotest seems to be the best sleep supplement I have found. Much better than ZMA which keeps me awake. Z-12 contains GABA, 5-HTP, and Theanine (as lyle mentioned). I would love to try each of those ingredients on their own to figure out if it is one of them having the effect on my sleep or if you need all of them to work synergistically to have an effect. Perhaps I will order a small amount of each of them in powder form from purebulk.com and report back.

[100m001]

@QUIKAZHELL

Z-12 by Biotest seems to be the best sleep supplement I have found. Much better than ZMA which keeps me awake. Z-12 contains GABA, 5-HTP, and Theanine (as lyle mentioned). I would love to try each of those ingredients on their own to figure out if it is one of them having the effect on my sleep or if you need all of them to work synergistically to have an effect. Perhaps I will order a small amount of each of them in powder form from purebulk.com and report back.

Yea, I saw z12, but I got an exchange for basic zma and now I sleep like a baby.