Is it dangerous to go to the gym without sleeping?

When we talk about doing sports, diet is always given importance to achieve the physical goals that we have set ourselves, whether it is to gain muscle or lose a belly, for example. But in a healthy life there are many more factors besides working out in the gym and eating a healthy diet.

Before going to the gym, it does not matter if we go daily or 3 times a week, some routines always coincide such as eating, hygiene, preparing clothes, the water bottle and others. When we have everything ready, the last thing we think about is whether we are ready to face a training session.

There are those who are forced to the gym and others because they really like it, both in one case and in another, resting well is essential for our health. If we decide to go to the gym without sleeping, that has a series of not very positive consequences for our body and our mind.

Getting a good night’s rest is just as important as eating properly . It is also true that rest is something personal, since there are those who sleep 5 hours and perform perfectly and there are those who need 8 or 9. According to the WHO, an average adult should sleep between 6 and 8 hours a day , although the most important thing is make it a deep and restful sleep.

After a sleepless night, do I go to the gym?

We must clarify that each situation is strictly personal. If we have a marked routine and we do not want to lose adjustments or lose a day, we can go without problems. Of course, we do not recommend training hard, no matter how much protein we eat.

We also do not recommend taking a short nap (15-30 minutes) before going because that will worsen our state or drinking energy drinks (not several coffees in a row), since they will alter our state in a negative way.

Un hombre entrenando en el gimasio después de una noche sin dormir

In case of not being very active, staying at home without doing anything will worsen our mood and we will feel more irritated. We recommend doing a light routine, such as a short run, doing elliptical, Pilates, doing the table that corresponds to us, but with half the weight, not trying new exercises, etc.

Something very counterproductive is to train half today and tomorrow to do twice as much . As bad is today with the body tired as the overexertion of tomorrow. Both situations lead to unnecessary pain and injury.

Sleep well to train better

A good rest is essential in our day to day, and not only the general rest, but also to reach the REM phase and feel rested the next day, full of energy and vitality.

Behind a bad rest there can be all kinds of problems, from environmental noise, a bad mattress, muscle aches, stress, tinnitus, fears, anxiety, a bad pillow, too hot or too cold, unresolved personal problems, a bad diet or not leaving 2 hours between when we finish eating and go to bed, go to sleep hungry, etc.

If we see that the sleepless nights lengthen over the weeks, it is best to go to a specialist. A sleep interruption can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, etc.