I hope this is in the right section because I looked and this one seemed the most relevant. I’m a skinny guy, currently bulking and have just started a new job. I do split shifts (early morning until late morning and then late afternoon until night) and I was wondering if my sleeping patterns will affect my gains.
I realize a lot goes on hormonally when we sleep and I also realize that rest is very important, especially to an ectomorph like me. I usually only get around 4-5 hours of sleep per night and then sleep for 1-2 hours in the afternoon between shifts. So my question is, how will this sleeping pattern affect me hormonally? Am I at an advantage or disadvantage being able to nap during the day?
While I would think that a single 7-8 hour stretch is always better, I’ve known a lot of trainers who make excellent gains utilizing naps to balance a shorter duration of uninterrupted (usually ‘night’ sleep). I remember reading how Jay Cutler gets very little sleep each night, Coleman as well. Obviously everyone is different, but I’m sure the nap will make a huge difference, simply in regard to the a GH output.
Coleman barely slept, and Cutler basically naps numerous times. But then, they have some solid ‘supp’ plans I’m sure. Naps will help a lot for you. I’m an insomniac, always have been – and I definitely nap on the weekend to catch up on my sleep debt.