Sleeping patterns for fighters : How much and when ?

[Quixall]

Before i go any further, no this isn't a thread based on porn lol......................

I was looking at an articles about sleeping patterns, how much sleep you need, how many hours and it got me thinking about fighters, whether they are in or out of training. The piece i read said that adults should get between 7.5 and 9 hours sleep, but didn't mention what time was the best to go to sleep or get up in the morning. I was wondering what patterns a fighter may get into, what times he goes to bed and gets up and how much sleep is needed.

It took me back to an article i read about Bernard Hopkins, where he went to see a fight and came across David Haye. They chatted for a while and then Hopkins asked Haye what he was doing after the event and Haye said he was going clubbing and asked Hopkins what he was doing. Hopkins looked at Haye a little curiously and said "I will be going to bed......" which is perhaps one of the reasons that Hopkins is still fighting well at 47 years of age.

Then you get fighters like Floyd Mayweather who seem to train when he wants to and from the videos that i have watched over the years, it's quite possible for him to start a run a 1am in the morning. This would seem totally at odds with what i would have thought any athlete needed to do. I was wondering whether sleep patterns make a difference to performance or is it just the amount of sleep you get or the quality of it ?

Even if your not a fighter, put down how much you sleep you think you need and what times you go to bed and get up. Be honest if you think you need more or less and whether it affects you in any way !!

[matko]

Everyone is different but usually its 8 hours you need and also a power nap or nanny nap during mid day just for 20 mins wont hurt either but like i say everyone is different look at Mayweather he may train at 4am or run just spontaneous he seems to train alot and hard many rounds sparring etc but never seems to overtrain!! he never seems rusty even thou he has long breaks in between fights but like i said we are all different.
They say early nights win fights but when u box u fight maybe 11pm?? So is it not better to stay awake and go bed later so your used to it? Some fighters i know go bed early as its all they have ever known then some go late as they fight late?

[greenyox3]

I know Haye has said before that he sleeps whenever his body tells him to, and wakes up when it is ready (i.e. no 5am alarms). Have often thought you can't really go wrong with that, as your body will develop its natural pattern.

[jessi]

I know Haye has said before that he sleeps whenever his body tells him to, and wakes up when it is ready (i.e. no 5am alarms). Have often thought you can't really go wrong with that, as your body will develop its natural pattern.

It sounds good but just not practical for the average person, I work nights and normally sleep from 6.30am to 1pm and then have a 90 minute nap between 5.30 pm and 7pm, so I get 8 hours in total, I don't know if it's ideal or not but it works for me and I feel pretty good, if I was boxing full time I'd probably sleep from 11pm till 6am go for my daily jog and nap again after my afternoon workout, most fights are from 7pm till 11pm, so I don't see the point going to bed really early and the week of the fight messing around with your body clock. I remember Lewis sleeping in the dressing room hours before a fight and then having a cold shower ! It's what ever works for you, I'm also tired all day if I sleep for more then 8 hours in one stint, everyone's different I suppose.

[Jeff Thomas]

7-9 hours a night.... never, ever get up early unless its fornicating monday in which case I'm here.... at fornicating work.

Don't run or train before i'm fully awake. Whats the point in doing less. The only time its worth training early is when there is weight to be lost IMO.

[mfc_se15]

I know Haye has said before that he sleeps whenever his body tells him to, and wakes up when it is ready (i.e. no 5am alarms). Have often thought you can't really go wrong with that, as your body will develop its natural pattern.

Think thats why he was late a couple of times for appearances on soccer am

He also did all of his training in the night though didn't he, seem to remember the Sky build up programmes showing him starting his sparring etc at 11 at night so that it was the same time he'd actually be in the ring on fight night.

[damianhucker1]

Personally i go to sleep around 2am and wake up around 7:45am , feel knackered every morning but then im fine as the day goes on , wish i could go to sleep earlier to prevent the early morning tiredness but i just can get to sleep early .