Sleeping when you're a teen, early 20's.

[NickD]

Ok so I'm 33 and I can't do the sleep 3-4 hours per night and go to work like I did back when I was 20. A friend of mine told me "well you're not that young anymore" so that got me thinking, what's the hormone that can be responsible for this? And is there a reason why I could only sleep 3-4 hours per night and yet be able to perform a full day of class followed by 1h30 of training? And now, I'm struggling to do that?

I know I must rest to gain muscle and not to overtrain but I'm just curious about the phenomenon and what's physically involved in it.

[GirlyMuscle]

I think it happens to everyone. Not sure it's a hormone thing really. As a teen and early 20s I used to be able to sleep until 2pm. In my 20s I could stay out all night partying, take a shower and go to work at 6am (still drunk) with no sleep. In my 30s I started to need more sleep. Now in my 40s I HAVE to have my sleep...at least 8 hours to feel good, get by on no less than 6-7. I hear that when you hit 60+ the sleep need lessens again.

[Big_P]

I think Im fucked, im 21 and NEED at least 7 hours or else I will be very clumsy/slow thinking, extremely tired body etc.

[GENESIS]

I'll have plenty of time to sleep when im dead.

[ManimalPatB]

I'll have plenty of time to sleep when im dead.


BOOM......spot on!!!!!!!!!!!! :yep:

[Ibarramedia]

Ok so I'm 33 and I can't do the sleep 3-4 hours per night and go to work like I did back when I was 20. A friend of mine told me "well you're not that young anymore" so that got me thinking, what's the hormone that can be responsible for this? And is there a reason why I could only sleep 3-4 hours per night and yet be able to perform a full day of class followed by 1h30 of training? And now, I'm struggling to do that?

I know I must rest to gain muscle and not to overtrain but I'm just curious about the phenomenon and what's physically involved in it.


I think it happens to everyone. Not sure it's a hormone thing really. As a teen and early 20s I used to be able to sleep until 2pm. In my 20s I could stay out all night partying, take a shower and go to work at 6am (still drunk) with no sleep. In my 30s I started to need more sleep. Now in my 40s I HAVE to have my sleep...at least 8 hours to feel good, get by on no less than 6-7. I hear that when you hit 60+ the sleep need lessens again.


I'm the reverse of you guys. When I was in my teens and early 20's, I really, really needed to have my sleep otherwise I can't function, very cranky and could not concentrate or focus at all because I would end up dozing off. I once totalled my car because I fell asleep at the wheel while on my way to work. I did not sleep the night before because I had moved all night. When I got to my 30's is when I was able to go with 2-4 hours of sleep and be somewhat productive compared to when I was younger. I still need my sleep but I guess my body became conditioned to periods of sleep deprivation and with the aid of too much caffeine like Starbucks Doubleshot and Frapuccino, mountain dew and soda. I don't miss the long hours I used to put in at work. Things are somewhat normal now.

[Young Gotti]

i'm in my mid 20's and i was never able to stay out all night drinking and be productive the next day, i've done it but i was suffering the whole time....i need my 8 hours of sleep or atleast 6

[kawikaratekid]

It's funny that I'm reading this three after the week I had. Each day I was working with about four hours of sleep and working sixteen or seventeen hour days. Thank god for my loving wife!

[I Eat Therefore I Am]

NickD, We all change and our lives change. If you eat the same, have the same job, same workout regimen, have the same mind set (pretty much impossible), etc then it would be weird that you require more sleep. You're probably right in thinking that it's hormone related but our hormonal levels are governed by so much more than the calendar. While you may not be able to get back to where you were, in your early 20's, I am quite certain that you could make some changes to help get better sleep and feel more rested.

[Sara Khan]

Keep eight hours of sleeping is necessary for the healthy mind in the whole day.

[Big Baldwin]

I think Im fucked, im 21 and NEED at least 7 hours or else I will be very clumsy/slow thinking, extremely tired body etc.
Same here. I have to go to bed at 8-9 or I won't be able to get up for my AM workout. My body shuts down for 8 hours and nothing gets me up, and let me just say its not for lack of hormones

[juiceinator3000]

Bottom line here.. The reason you sleep for 3-4 hours a night when you're young is for one of two reasons:
You were partying
You were hooking up with someone new.
If that were the case now, I'd bet none of you would be saying the same thing anymore. And btw, once someone's not new anymore, you go back to needing that 7-8 hours of sleep again.