When cycling - How much sleep?

[riverrock]

Hello All,

Hope to go back on anabolic steroids again later this year. Wow, will have been off twelve months by the time I go back on. Can't wait really and really pleased with the natty progress I made these past few months. Anyhow, I have a question...

When I cycle I get sleeping irritability. I can't nod off (usual problem) and then I can't wake up in time for work as a result. I literally have to drag myslef up and into the shower. What is the minimum amount of sleep an athlete should have each night? I'm talking about pure sleep time, not just the time you go to bed.

[Makavelli]

Quote posted by riverrock Hello All, Hope to go back on anabolic steroids again later this year. Wow, will have been off twelve months by the time I go back on. Can't wait really and really pleased with the natty progress I made these past few months. Anyhow, I have a question... When I cycle I get sleeping irritability. I can't nod off (usual problem) and then I can't wake up in time for work as a result. I literally have to drag myslef up and into the shower. What is the minimum amount of sleep an athlete should have each night? I'm talking about pure sleep time, not just the time you go to bed.

Depends of the person. Ronnie Coleman sleep 6 hours a night. Jay Cutler sleeps 10-12.

[riverrock]

Quote posted by Makavelli Depends of the person. Ronnie Coleman sleep 6 hours a night. Jay Cutler sleeps 10-12.

I also read that Jay deliberately interupts his sleep so that he wakes up in the middle of the night a couple of times and has a quick snack which he has on the locker beside his bed and nods off again. Jay can stay in bed as long as he likes, but I have to get up at 6:30am latest.

[Makavelli]

Quote posted by riverrock I also read that Jay deliberately interupts his sleep so that he wakes up in the middle of the night a couple of times and has a quick snack which he has on the locker beside his bed and nods off again. Jay can stay in bed as long as he likes, but I have to get up at 6:30am latest.

I understand, my point being that required sleep is genetically dependent just like everything else. While some get by on very little, others need more.

[pudding]

I don't know how you feel about it or quite sure how it will react with your cycle, but 1 ambian + 1 Xanex = awsome sleep

[RuckstaR]

The average falls between 7.5 and 8, however I would be looking for 9 while on. However if you feel great after 6 or 7, perhaps thats all you need; listen to yer bod. Melatonin might be somthing to consider as well if you wanna knock out immediately upon hittin the hay.

[riverrock]

Quote posted by RuckstaR The average falls between 7.5 and 8, however I would be looking for 9 while on. However if you feel great after 6 or 7, perhaps thats all you need; listen to yer bod. Melatonin might be somthing to consider as well if you wanna knock out immediately upon hittin the hay.

Does it allow you to wake up easy as well?

[pudding]

Quote posted by riverrock Does it allow you to wake up easy as well?

If you don't want to take the melatonin pills you could eat a turkey every night

[RuckstaR]

Exogenous melatonin is really only in the body for about 6 hours. It is not so much a sleeping pill in that it will not increase the length of your sleep by delaying waking, but it will incrase length fo sleep by helping you fall asleep FASTER. From your post it sounds like this is your problem. You go to bed but then cannot fall asleep for 30-60 min, or worse correct?

Melatnonin can be thought to "reset" your biological clock and prepare you for sleep, and in this way can help elminate the delay between when you go to bed and when you actually go to sleep, therebye increasing rest. This being said, you can see how melatonin will not make waking difficult, as it should have cleared your system, and may infact leave you waking earlier as you have gone to sleep earlier as well.

[riverrock]

Quote posted by RuckstaR Exogenous melatonin is really only in the body for about 6 hours. It is not so much a sleeping pill in that it will not increase the length of your sleep by delaying waking, but it will incrase length fo sleep by helping you fall asleep FASTER. From your post it sounds like this is your problem. You go to bed but then cannot fall asleep for 30-60 min, or worse correct? Melatnonin can be thought to "reset" your biological clock and prepare you for sleep, and in this way can help elminate the delay between when you go to bed and when you actually go to sleep, therebye increasing rest. This being said, you can see how melatonin will not make waking difficult, as it should have cleared your system, and may infact leave you waking earlier as you have gone to sleep earlier as well.

That is an outstanding post. Yes, my problem is that I cannot nod off, so even though I might have gone to bed at, say, 10pm, I didn't fall asleep until maybe 12:30am. As a result, I might only have had 6 hours or less proper sleep. Glad to hear that melatonin leaves after a few hours. Would hate to sleep in because I'm in a deep sleep, but obviously a good medicine for me as it doesn't cause this.