Next level
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I get approx 6h30 a night and I wake up a lot. Been like that since I was a kid. I accept that it probably isn’t great for athletic performance but I can get a whole lot more done with the extra time … so it isn’t all bad.
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As long as you feel ok, not overly tired, then I’d say roll with it.
I have sleep issues on and off, but try not to worry about it - your body will take care things if you maintain half decent sleep hygiene. If you really need more sleep, you’ll be falling asleep on the sofa in the evening.
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I would second this. I am in the camp between 7-8 hours. I read those books mentioned and though scary it really focuses your thoughts on it but if not careful makes you sleep worse for a while.
I found that your body goes into routine mode. As Chad said, just lie in bed for a while longer - you are still resting to some extent and likely over the coming weeks you will extend some sleep in some form. Takes time though.
FYI I am a light sleeper - use a mask and plugs always. If only I could have a fully dark room I would be well away!
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Looking at my stats, I average between 8.5 and 9hrs per night sleep (in my 50s).
I get up early to train (train am & pm) but I look to get to bed early too
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7hrs 30 every night here.
I go to bed at 9:30 - 10:00 every night, and wake up before 6am. My wife takes the piss out of me that i have a toddler’s sleep schedule. But why stay up late? to watch TV? f**k that!
An hour’s nap in the afternoon is my favourite thing, but i rarely manage that.
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I am the same re sleep schedule… wake up at 6am usually, then try to get an extra half hour or so if time…! Glad I am not alone!
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Back in the “old days” when i’d have to go to work in an actual office I would grab a nap in my car at lunchtimes. That was my guilty pleasure.
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I am generally a 7 hour person. I’ve just accept that, but still try to give myself the chance of 8 or longer by being in bed, if not asleep. Then the days I do need longer I’m giving myself a chance.
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Definitely in the 6-7 camp. To bed between 2100-2200 and up at 0400. But I don’t feel like it’s a significant limiter. Who knows maybe I’d be over 5w/kg and running sub 1:15 13.1’s. But for a amateur triathlete with a family I don’t think I can complain. It lets me fit in both family time and exercise, and I still feel competitive.
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These succesful athletes have been cherry picked. If you train well, eat reasonably and get enough sleep you should improve. Maybe not massive gains but you will see gains.
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I almost never sleep over 7 hours and I don’t set an alarm clock. When I wake up after 6 or 7 hours asleep I feel refreshed and ready to get out of bed. My wife hates me for being such a “morning” person. I have to wake her up so she’s ready for work and she is grumpy morning person. Everyone is built differently…that’s why some have an FTP of 350 watts and others struggle to maintain an FTP of 250 watts. Don’t listen to anyone who prescribes a “one size fits all strategy” for training, sleeping or life because they are full of …
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Exactly. Most of us, unfortunately, are in the average part of the bell curve. Genetically special people can do everything wrong, sleep 5 hours a night, drink beer every night, and still crush us average guys on the Saturday group ride. 
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oh yes, sleep. The new wonder weapon, discovered by all social media experts. The next best thing to Keto.
I “only” get ~7hours myself. Once a week less. I don’t have much trouble falling asleep. I almost always wake up after a couple of hours. Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep again.
This bothered me a lot. Because we HAVE to sleep a certain amount. Which stressed me out even more. At some point I learned that for recovery from exercise and adaption the first 2-3 hours are really critical. This is where the body gets flushed with all the good enzymes and so. The second half of the night is more used for mental recovery and learning and so.
This really calmed me. At least my body adapts to exercise, not so concerned about my “mental health”.
Since then I sleep much better. If I wake up I simply accept it. If I don’t fall asleep again, well. I only get nervous when I have an important workout scheduled for the next day. But these days without racing you can always shift workouts. Not a problem.
Simply accept the way you sleep.
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As above, I’m in the 6-7h camp and after years of fretting about not getting enough, I’ve accepted it. I never use an alarm clock and naturally wake up after 6-7h feeling refreshed.
Given the massive variances in other parts of our physiological/psychological profiles, I’m entirely unsurprised others need 9h, whereas some appear to cope well on 5h.
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So while it seems like the 6-7 hours per night might not be such a bad thing, no one is saying that you shouldn’t get 9 hours if you can.
So try for 9, but if you just can’t and can only get 6, well, there you are.
Gotta play the hand you are dealt
If you are getting 6 hours and doing everything right then you are probably just a 6 hour person.
BUT, if you are staying up late watching tv, getting stimulated by video games before bed, drinking alcohol every night then you’ve got some things to work on. If you are tired all the time you may have undiagnosed sleep apnea. You also don’t have to leap out of bed as soon as you open your eyes though your brain may be wired for that. One can try some headphones and a meditation in the morning. You may fall back asleep and get another hour.
If all that is ruled out then you could try something like meltonin, CBD, eating carbs before bed or any of the other sleep hacks you can find.
I used to have a chart next to my desk that showed many of the great intellectual giants of history along with their typical life/sleep routines. They were atypical at best, but somehow it helped me cope with decades of sleep deprivation due to my own personal/work/health reasons. My body has simply never liked to sleep a “normal” amount of time. That said, most of these intellectual giants suffered from early deaths and severe health and psychological disorders later in life.
These days, I’m lucky to get a sustained 5 hours. My grandmother was the same way, and sadly she suffered from serious and terrifying dementia for many of her final years. Maybe there’s no connection, but I can feel the toll my lack of sleep has taken on me years after “rectifying” the worst of it.
Instead, I’ve accepted that I’m just not monophasic. If I want to get 7-8 hours of sleep, I have to sleep 2-3 times per day. Usually that means waking up early, feeding the cats, drinking some water, and forcing myself back to sleep before the family gets up for another 1-2 hours.
I’m new to TrainerRoad and structured training in general, but I’ve been riding pretty hard for a while. I can’t speak to how anybody else responds to fatigue, but I consistently find that I recover faster and I’m ready for more if I sleep and eat a lot.
There are a lot of reasons one might “naturally” wake up after 5-6 hours, but the I don’t think that necessarily means it’s all the body needs. Stress, conditioning/habits, disruptions, diet, etc. could all have “tricked” your body into a sleep cycle that isn’t necessarily the most beneficial from a health/performance standpoint.
In other words, I’m naturally a 5 hr/night sleeper, but when I force myself to be a 7-8 hr/night sleeper, it’s game-changing.
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I am on the other side of the spectrum… I would like to sleep less but I can’t handle life if I sleep less than 7 hours…
I go to bed at 21:30 (sleep by 22:30), and can wake up at 08:30 in the morning. With that schedule I can workout hard, never be tired at work etc.
When I fall asleep 23:00, and wake up at 06:30, I am a fucking zombie…
Almost feel hostage to sleep…
Great question. I’ve been wondering this myself for a while. As a father of 3 young kids (2, 5, 7) I too have resided myself to 6-7 hrs of sleep. I believe my body has adjusted to this, due to kids, and being able to sleep longer is really difficult, even if I take the alarm off.
I also train in the mornings before work. I’ve accepted the fact that this is my routing and I cannot let training interfere with family life. Therefore, it’s not possible to shift to an evening routine with regards to when I train. Morning’s it is.
Why not just go to bed earlier then?
10:15-10:30 is usually the bed time. The only way I’m getting 8hrs is if I go to bed an hour earlier each night, which would by around 9 pm. That ain’t happening. It’s the only time of day I have alone with my wife to unwind, and I’m unwilling to sacrifice that for more sleep or better recovery so my burgeoning amateur cycling career which I started at the ripe age of 30 can flourish.
The coached-guy down the street with a wife and one kid who somehow manages to train 12-15 hours per week is going to destroy me, every race, every group ride. Such is life.
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