The bodybuilder’s guide to perfect sleep (Part 2)
In part 1 of this series, we went over the different causes of bad sleep in bodybuilders and the main ways to deal with them in order to improve recovery and quality of life.
Unfortunately, not everybody will respond well to the solutions covered in part 1. Some people require a more aggressive approach, especially if they are dealing with conditions like sleep apnea. Let’s dive right into it.
The “aggressive” solution: DSIP
If fixing your diet, improving your sleep hygiene, taking sleep-supporting supplements and cutting out stimulants is not fixing your sleep, you may want to look into something like DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide).
Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide (DSIP) is a neuropeptide that plays a significant role in the regulation of sleep, particularly in promoting delta wave sleep, which is the deep sleep phase.
It was first isolated from rabbit brains and has since been studied for its various physiological effects. Beyond sleep regulation, DSIP is involved in modulating pain perception, stress response, and endocrine functions. It has potential therapeutic applications in treating insomnia, stress-related disorders, and chronic pain.
Even though we are calling it an “aggressive” solution, DSIP is incredibly safe and offers a myriad of health benefits.
Pinning 100mcg subcutaneously before bed can do absolute wonders, but it is possible to go up to 200mcg if 100mcg does not provide the effects we are looking for.
Dealing with sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is temporarily halted throughout the night. There are different types of sleep apnea, but the one that affects lifters the most is Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
OSA generally occurs when the upper airways are constricted by the neck muscles, resulting in decreased breathing ability. The two leading causes of OSA in bodybuilders are being too heavy and/or having an excessively thick neck.
The symptoms of OSA are many, but the most prevalent ones are loud snoring, gasping for air, waking up with a dry mouth and feeling tired during the day. Besides never feeling well-rested, one of the worst consequences of OSA is an increase in blood pressure, which is a recipe for disaster when combined with certain enhancements.
The best way to figure out if you have OSA is getting a sleep exam done, but recording your sleep or asking your partner to detect loud snoring and other OSA symptoms is the first thing you should do if you suspect that you may suffer from this condition.
OSA can be treated with a CPAP machine, but that may be an unnecessarily aggressive solution for mild cases. If you have mild OSA, consider taping your mouth before bed to force yourself to breather through the nose. This practice has been shown to have a ton of health benefits, including a reduction in snoring and mild OSA.
In conclusion, sleep disorders are an extremely prevalent issue among bodybuilders that is almost always relatively easy to fix. Some cases may require more attention, but follow the advice in this article to a T and you are guaranteed to experience sleep gains, which will inevitably lead to muscle gains!
