Run-Down Forums

Shaun Fox · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 7:06 am Post subject:

what would you say is the minimum hours of sleep a runner should have to perform at his/her best?

Dan · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 7:11 am Post subject:

Most people say 8, but I think it depends on the individual. Some get by just fine on 6 or lessm while others need 10-14. I've heard theories that every minute you stay awake past 11pm cuts into your energy the next day, but that doesn't seem to take into account time zones or individual bio rhythms. Hard to take it as anything more than an attempt to sell books and lecture hall seats...

Nice to see you back, by the way. Smile

Dan

Shaun Fox · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 7:17 am Post subject:

i usually sleep about 7hours a night usually from about 12:30 to 7:30 and i find it sometimes effects how i run cus sometimes i feel sluggish. that 11pm theory howd they work that out what if you dont get upto midday.

Dan · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 7:26 am Post subject:

Well, if you feel you aren't getting enough sleep, the best thing to do would be to experiment with getting more. I'm skeptical as to whether there is a perfect amount for any given person. I think it falls into two categories, enough and not enough. It will probably take 2-3 weeks of a new sleep schedule to tell if it works, so give it time.

There are a lot of holes in that 11pm theory, although some people apparently really believe in it. Heh, a lot of people believe in god, too, but I won't go there. Wink

Dan

Shaun Fox · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 8:02 am Post subject:

god hey, god is real but only as a symbol. A symbol of peoples fears and insecurities believing in a god or gods makes people feel secure. you would think at the stage of intelligence humans currently are more people would realise this.

Conway · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 8:28 am Post subject:

Hmmm ... Not gona touch religeon, but will comment on rest .. And that is simply that enough sleep is whatever rests you ... And is an individual thing .. Some people just need more sleep .. Period .. And others don't .. Look at elite athletes that go over seas .. Guys (and gals) have arrived same day as a competition ... Skipped several time zones .. Lost plenty of sleep .. And then gone out and run near PRs .. I think what is most important is your mental preparation ... If you are mentally ready to compete and "feel" ready (whatever that means for you) then you will do well ...

Dan · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 8:50 am Post subject:

Yeah, I shouldn't have touched religion, even as a sarcastic comment in passing...

Dan

Micah Ward · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 9:26 am Post subject:

Two things:

Thing one - Aren't you a teenager Shaun? If so then get as much sleep as you can. Also I have seen a lot of articles that extol the virtues of going to sleep early and rising early as opposed to going to sleep late and then sleeping into the next midday.

Thing two - I believe in God and would welcome anyone contacting me via e-mail if they do want to discuss it.

Last thing - This lunch hour has been long enough and I got to get back to that administrative boss stuff.
Micah

Dan · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 10:09 am Post subject:

I think in general, you're correct that an earlier sleep schedule will result in better performances, but you have to keep in mind we're dealing with statistics, which cannot possibly hold true for everyone.

It takes me several months of going to bed early *every* night in order to get into such a routine comfortably, but it only takes me one or two nights of going to bed late to instantly be back into that routine. Seems pretty straight forward which of the routines my body views as more natural... I can get just as much sleep by going to bed early, but I generally feel less rested.

Dan

Micah Ward · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 6:12 pm Post subject:

Sleep patterns are definetely an area where we are all an "individual experiment". Early to bed and early to rise has always worked for me. Maybe it is a hold over from the military years.

Guest · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2001 11:12 am Post subject:

im a 17 year old male and if i get 14 hours of sleep or if i get 4 hours of sleep i dont notice a difference. I am always dead tired. Sometimes i can sleep 12 hours be woken up and just go right back to sleep or go to bed 2 hours later. A few people that i whined about this to told me its because im growing and i believe this.. i hit puberty at 15 and i was 5'4 then and im 6'1 and growing now. Im still extremely baby faced as well..i weigh 150 pounds yet i still got chub and not much face definition even though i got high cheekbones anyone know how i can speed up this process

Guest · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2001 11:15 am Post subject:

the 11 pm theory has to be based upon the fact of when u wake up because of a humans internal clock settings. Maybe the average wake up time for people is 7 that would be the only basis for them saying 11 because it would apply to the vast majority. If u wake up at 8 it would then be past 12, 9 past 1 , ect..
P.S. I believe they're might be a god but all established religion is bs

Dan · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2001 1:59 pm Post subject:

I doubt you can do much to speed up the growing process, and even if you could, I can't imagine it would be wise...

Guest · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2001 3:07 pm Post subject:

true my internal clock must be pretty bad

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