Can I sleep after a workout?

The regime of a person who is actively involved in sports is based on three principles: regular training, a balanced nutritious diet, and the competent conduct of the restoration phase. Strict adherence to these rules will help to achieve good results in the sports field. Otherwise, all the efforts of the athlete will be in vain. Therefore, it is so important to be able to competently organize the recovery process after visiting the gym. This rule is relevant for any sports discipline. It should always be remembered that sleep is of key importance at this stage.

Thanks to the research, scientists have found that all the systems of the body of a sleeping person continue to work actively. Complex physiological processes take place in them in their turn. Therefore, the question of whether to sleep after sports is quite natural. But you can answer it if you analyze everything that happens in the body of a sleeping person.

Sleep pattern

It must be said that the classification of sleep is based on the intensity of brain activity. The mobility of the eyeball and muscle tone are also recorded. Given these indicators, sleep can be divided into the following main phases:

1. Slumber is a period when a person is just beginning to fall into a dream. He is able to perceive everything that is happening, he can analyze events.
2. Shallow sleep replaces the initial stage.
3. Slow sleep combines two phases at once. This stage is considered the most important, because the body concentrates resources on the restoration of expended forces.
4. The last phase of sleep is called fast. It is during this period that dreams appear.

During a night's rest, a person repeatedly goes through all the phases of sleep listed above. Therefore, people are able to see different subjects in a dream during one night. A full sleep cycle lasts about an hour and a half.

Scientists have found that interruption of REM sleep, that is, the last stage, has a negative effect on a person’s condition. Such an awakening, instead of a surge of energy, brings a headache and a feeling of weakness. From the foregoing, it follows that for normal health an athlete should spend about two hours or forty minutes sleeping.

Sleep after exercise - harm or benefit?

As for sleep after training sessions, much depends on the time of their holding. Usually the desire to sleep is due to a banal lack of sleep. For this reason, some athletes literally fall asleep on the go after excessive physical exertion. If this condition repeats with frightening regularity, you can bring the body to complete exhaustion. Experts recommend sleeping after a day's workout only if the athlete really needs sleep. In this case, it is advisable not to exceed the time limit set for this - 40 minutes. Compliance with this rule will help not to violate the already established daily routine.

I would like to draw attention to another important point: if a person has a bad night's sleep, he should not conduct training. In such a situation, classes will cause much more damage to health than they will benefit. If possible, you should sleep a little before visiting the gym or even reschedule classes at a more convenient time.

Optimal sleep duration

It is clear that only a night’s sleep can ensure a full recovery of the athlete’s body. However, it is sometimes useful to get some sleep during the day. Active sports activities in themselves are an excellent way to combat insomnia.But with strong physical stress, a person can not immediately fall asleep. Therefore, the load should be proportionate, should not regularly expose the body to stress.

Now about the duration of sleep. As clinical trials have shown, only one in ten people feels satisfactory after sleep, which lasts less than seven hours. Most people need an eight-hour night's rest. This indicator is considered the minimum norm for people leading a sporting lifestyle. Of course, a lot in this matter depends on the individual characteristics of each person. The optimal duration of sleep can be determined by the state that a person experiences after waking up. If he feels a surge of vigor and is in a good mood, then the dream was complete. Usually athletes strictly maintain the daily routine, so they go to bed at the same hours.

To summarize, we can conclude that sleep after exercise is sometimes necessary. But this should not become a habit. You should try to get enough sleep at night, because it is night rest that contributes to the full recovery of the body after the training process.

Video: how to recover effectively after training?