Sleep is magical stuff.  Missing a night of sleep means you’re missing out on your most productive time for Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which is especially handy stuff when it comes to recovering from a big physical effort.  It’s so handy, in fact, that there’s a booming industry based on the results of [...]]]>

Sleep is magical stuff.  Missing a night of sleep means you’re missing out on your most productive time for Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which is especially handy stuff when it comes to recovering from a big physical effort.  It’s so handy, in fact, that there’s a booming industry based on the results of HGH supplementation:

Reported effects include decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density, increased energy levels, improved skin tone and texture, increased sexual function and improved immune system function. (Wikipedia)

Why, that sounds fantastic.  Luckily, it’s available for free, every single night when you conk out.  It’s better for you, too: making HGH in your very own pituitary gland is waaay healthier than buying the bottled stuff; synthetic growth hormone has a bit of a reputation, it would seem.  There’s a correlation between synthetic growth hormone supplementation in athletes and joint swelling and pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and diabetes.  Oh, and it’s a banned substance in competitive sports.  Why risk all that when you can go to bed earlier and reap all the benefits with none of the risk?

Unfortunately, a lot of people are sleep deprived and so find themselves struggling through tasks which should be simple, overreacting to situations which should be manageable, and sore as hell from a workout which should not have felt that difficult.  Don’t be that guy.  Aim for 9 hours a night in a completely dark room… you’ll know you’re doing it right because (to quote Robb Wolf) you’ll look, feel, and perform better.

Workout

Clean 5-5-5 OR 3-3-3 OR 1-1-1 reps