12 hours of sleep

[windex]

Alright lets say (hypothetically) If someone slept 12-14 hours would they be able to add alot more to their training? Like something that would reqularly be overtraining be just fine.

[rock_ten]

if you slept that long without waking then you might assume you "needed" that much, so it would be valid. Sleeping 8 hours then forcing four restless hours after that, probably won't help much.

[Rahf]

8-9 hours or 12 hours, the difference should not be that big in terms of recovery. Personally I just feel tired if I sleep as much as 12 hours. I'd say 10 hours is my personal roof.

[compleks]

If I didn't have to get up 'early' I would regularly sleep 10 hours a night. I used to sleep that much, but now I find it hard to sleep in when I get the chance.

[Karlnold]

Yes, but being without food for 12 hours isn't favorable...

[TKD_Andy]

exactly, the benefits of remaining immobile for so long are outweighed by the cons of what you could be doing in that time.

just stick to a regular dose of 8 hours, then have a lil lay in sometimes.

However, lay-ins are the most evil thing in the world!

[AJCN]

I only stay in bed for 12 hours every sunday coz I'm nackered.

[Lobo]

Sleep for however long your circadian rhythms dictate then take one or two short naps during the day.

[chicanerous]

Combine Lobo and Karnold's advice.

More time sleeping is less time eating. Wake up as natural after at least eight hours. Sleep alone is not enough to allow sufficient recovery. You need nutrients.

[Ashtar]

Wasn't there some study saying you could do 2 4 hour periods or something and it was just as good (especially since that's less time between meals)? I think if you go much longer than 8 hours it probably means you're not getting quality sleep. I know I oversleep when it's crappy interrupted with light and noise.

That, or you're compensating for a sleep debt, in which case you wouldn't be sleeping 12hrs every day.

The thing about that much sleep is you wouldn't have time for much else consider job/schooling.

[NightHunter]

Or you could take like 12 20 minute naps in a day on a fixed schedule!

[DeeJay]

At the moment I'm sleeping about 6-8 hours a day with 2 hour naps.

[AJCN]

just in case your wondering when I sleep 12 hours I'm asleep for 10-11 of them. It's because I start work at 6 am and go to sleep at 10 giving me 7 hours sleep. 7 hours is'nt enough at our age. So on my days off I find I don't wake up.

[chicanerous]

I black out for 9-10 hours usually.

I think if you go much longer than 8 hours it probably means you're not getting quality sleep. I know I oversleep when it's crappy interrupted with light and noise.
That's conjecture. These statements are sourced on Wikipedia:

"The National Sleep Foundation maintains that eight to nine hours of sleep for adult humans is optimal and that sufficient sleep benefits alertness, memory and problem solving, overall health, as well as reducing the risk of accidents.[2] A widely publicized 2003 study[3] performed at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine demonstrated that cognitive performance declines with fewer than eight hours of sleep."

That, or you're compensating for a sleep debt, in which case you wouldn't be sleeping 12hrs every day.
There's no such thing as sleep debt.

The thing about that much sleep is you wouldn't have time for much else consider job/schooling.
That doesn't make any sense to me. You would not? You may not if you're some nutcase that fills up every single hour of his day with activities.

[DarthMora]

I agree that 8-9 hours is optimal because any longer without water and food is no good.

[Rahf]

I agree that 8-9 hours is optimal because any longer without water and food is no good.

The body's metabolism is at its lowest during the night so it's not the catabolical catastrophe that people seem to think it is. What I personally don't like is when I've overslept to maybe 11-12am, because it seriously messes with eating habits and sleeping patterns overall.

[free2moo]

When I sleep more that 9 or 10 hours I feel sleepy and tired for the rest of that day. Does that happen to anybody else?

[mr popular]

I don't sleep very much at all (8 hours a night is actually high for me) and I still make progress, don't feel worn out during the day, and weightlift 6 days a week. I attribute this to eating enough food to sustain me.

People ask too many fucking questions and don't lift enough weights.

[NightHunter]

People ask too many fucking questions and don't lift enough weights.

I concur.

[chicanerous]

I don't sleep very much at all (8 hours a night is actually high for me) and I still make progress, don't feel worn out during the day, and weightlift 6 days a week. I attribute this to eating enough food to sustain me.

People ask too many fucking questions and don't lift enough weights.
You're missing the point of his question. He reads that sleep is important for growth. So, he says to himself "Can I make my gains even better by sleeping longer?" It's a good question, but the answer is that, as long as he is getting enough sleep, it's more important that his nutrition be better. Merely adding hours does not work miracles.

If he was asking something common and inane like "How do I get abs?" then, yes, flame on.

While it's idiotic to overanalyze everything to the point where one's actual training suffers, it's also important to ask intuitive questions about topics that will help oneself. So, "shut up and train," while unfortunately applicable in many situations (e.g. almost every post by tyciol and most n00bs), is not the advice you need to dispense in every single thread. :dead:

[windex]

Yeah I am trying figure out a way to get over my over training without actually rebuilding my routine. Since someone told me 6 hours isnt enough sleep for proper recovery I figured that 12 hours would be like ultra recovery. Thanks though you guys saved me from many days of expiramenting with sleep patterns. Now off to constrcut a new routine.

[AJCN]

When I sleep more that 9 or 10 hours I feel sleepy and tired for the rest of that day. Does that happen to anybody else?

Not recently but when I used to alot sleep loads of the time, I did. Strange how it happens though.

[mr popular]

chicanerous: actually, considering what the OP just stated, I think my post is pretty goddamn prophetic.

windex: you are "over trained" right now? How many calories are you consuming? How often during the week do you train?

[Gazapo]

Yes, but being without food for 12 hours isn't favorable...

Yup, exactly what I was thinking.

You could wake up and get a small meal then go back to bed tho, I do that sometimes.

[rock_ten]

[going without food overnight is] not the catabolical catastrophe that people seem to think it is.

I agree, its grossly exagerated. Especially for anyone in this thread, with no unusual amount of muscle.

Also - let your digestive system rest for a while.


Even during the day, people shit themselves if they can't eat every 3 hours. Its ridiculous, give your body some credit - you're not going to waste away if you don't eat for a while. I'd have no fear going 24 hours without food, none at all.

[windex]

chicanerous: actually, considering what the OP just stated, I think my post is pretty goddamn prophetic.

windex: you are "over trained" right now? How many calories are you consuming? How often during the week do you train?

Naw Im taking a week or two off. Like 2500. 5 Days resistance and 6 days cycling.

But I changed it up and I think it will be fine now.

[AJCN]

I'd have no fear going 24 hours without food, none at all.

I would. :agony:

[mr popular]

windex: unless you are like, 5'6 ... that is not nearly enough calories.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS!?

If you are actually doing that much activity, you are going to need a lot of fuel to keep your body recovering. You aren't "overtrained", you are simply underfed. Taking a week or two off won't help unless you devote the time to learning how to eat more and fulfill your body's requirements for nourishment.

[xidious]

I used to wake up at 7 AM regardless of when I went to bed, so I could eat so I could stay on top of the calories I needed.

[Lobo]

There's no such thing as sleep debt.
Yeah there is.

[iEatRAW]

If there is no sleep debt, can't I just stop sleeping ?

[compleks]

Give it a shot.

[chicanerous]

Yeah there is.
It depends on the timeframe you're talking about.

[skywalker]

My sleep cycles last 3 hours each. I figure 9 hours is perfect. 3 deep sleeps, I won't be able to sleep for 12, why not get up when I should? :good: