You're trying to pack on some muscle and want to do everything you possibly can to put it on quick. You're training hard, you’re eating well but how’s your sleep. I’m sure you will have heard people in the gym talk about how sleep can help you build lean muscle quicker, but why?

Sleep is one of the most important aspects when you are trying to build muscle therefore this should be addressed. When we rest our muscles repair themselves and grow. Sleep is the most beneficial kind of rest, far more effective than rest while you are awake.

If you’re not sleeping enough then your muscles probably regularly ache, you will feel tired during the day, you will have a weakened immune system and seem to get every illness going, you will be impatient and get irritated easily as well as having a slow reaction time to name a few.

The reasons why sleep is so important for building muscle is that,

1. Your growth hormone levels reach their optimum level during deep sleep

• Increases muscle mass through sarcomere hyperplasia

• Increases protein uptake to feed muscles

2. Sleeping Causes your metabolic rate to slow down which creates an environment of recovery which is perfect for muscle building.

3. Sleep causes an increase in flowing blood to the muscles.

The amount of sleep that the average person needs is around about the 7 – 8 hour mark. However some people need more and some less. Listen to your body and get the amount you need. More is better than less.

If you struggle to sleep at night and when you do seem to wake up during the night then here are some tips to allow you to sleep more and get better quality sleep.

1) Stop Drinking Caffeinated drinks all together or at least after lunch time so that they are not keeping you awake when it comes time to go to sleep.

2) Get into a regular sleeping pattern.

3) Don’t sleep during the day; this will disturb your sleeping cycle.

4) Don’t drink fluids in the 2-3 hours prior to bedtime otherwise you will wake up needing the toilet.

5) Don’t eat too much just before bed

6) Get into a relaxed state the last few hours before bed and forget about all your worries.

Follow all of the tips above and get better sleep. Better sleep will increase your growth hormone levels and allow your muscles more time to grow back bigger and stronger after your hard work in the gym.