Sleep is VERY important fellas, and there's one big issue that seems to effect a lot of bodybuilders and bigger guys: Sleep Apnea. Earlier this year I began having a really difficult time getting rest. I would sleep for 12 hours and feel like I didn't get an hours worth of sleep. My girlfriend at the time was telling me that my breathing would stop frequently, like I would stop breathing completely, then choke for a bit gasping for air then return to normal breathing, rinse repeat.
I saw a pulmonary specialist and was diagnosed with moderate/severe sleep apnea. I had several sleep studies done and found out I stopped breathing every 2 minutes which kicked me out of REM sleep causing me to not get any rest through the night. I got a CPAP machine and wear a breathing mask to bed every night now and my life has changed dramatically for the better. I was having terrible problems concentrating throughout the day, my short term memory was severely effected, I couldn't do simple tasks, I was falling asleep in traffic while driving, my blood pressure was up, my gains and workouts in the gym were suffering horribly, it was probably the worst time I've had, physically, in my life.
I'm getting back to normal now though and the CPAP machine has helped tremendously. If you have sleep problems, like snoring heavily or your girlfriend notices that something is wrong in your breathing, I HIGHLY recommend you get checked out, it will make a tremendous difference in your life.
