Sleep is one of the most important aspects of bodybuilding (or, for that matter, life) that people sometimes ignore. One of the last things you want to do is wake up feeling like death on the day you have to squat. I won't bore you with the details on exactly how much sleep you need, because this is going to vary so much from person to person--however, what won't vary is the fact that you need it at all.
Sleep allows your body to do all of the necessary things you need it to: repairing muscle, regenerating your nervous system, and keeping your brain in good function.
I'm not going to get too much into the nitty gritty about how all of this stuff works--what I will do is help you to figure out how to get the most out of your sleep.
Habits
1. Sleep at a regular time.
One of the most important steps to sleeping well is sleeping well often--specifically, as often as possible. When you're used to sleeping at a certain time, you're body naturally is just inclined to sleep then. It will become all the more easy to fall asleep that way.
2. Reserve the bed for it's purpose.
Your bed should be ideally meant for sleep alone...as well, of course, as other "bedroom" activities. While this is not the same for everyone (I can comfortably read or study in bed at any point), for many people this is the case. When the bed is strong associated with waking activity, your brain is naturally going to make that association--this is problematic for falling asleep easily.
3. Minimize light and stimulation.
Bright lights like computer screens can keep you up--you know that feeling where the eyes just stay wide open, and just won't shut? Counteract that by avoiding this sort of stimulation around 20 minutes to 1 hour before bed--you'll naturally start to fall asleep quicker. Try reading a book instead--not something too interesting either. The last thing you want is to get too hyped up about that book you've been dying to read and staying up all night.
Nutrition/Supplementation
1. Eating before bed.
This is one area where I won't give any kind of prescription because, well, it's different for everyone. For me, I have a lot of difficulty sleeping on a super full stomach, so unless I have to, I'll try to eat more during the day. Other people might not like going to bed hungry. I leave this up to preference--anything about the need for protein before bed, or no carbs after a specific time, is largely unproven. Daily nutrition is far more important.
2. ZMA
This is a particular supplement I have always been fond of, whenever I can afford it. It is a mixture of Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6 which can greatly deepen your sleep. I have found it much easier to only sleep, for example, for six hours, and feel like I slept eight (though sleeping the normal amount--whatever that is for you--is still ideal). Generally, the recommendation is two to three tablets 30 minutes before bed. You will note, however, that you're dreams are often very vivid and strange when taking ZMA. This has to do with the longer sleep cycles your body (and brain) are going through.
These are, of course, only some of the things you could do to maximize the effectiveness of your rest. As long as you keep stress in your life to a minimum (and only the good kind of stress, ideally!), you shouldn't have any problem resting, recovering, and ravaging the weights every week.
Stay safe!
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