Can You Build Muscle on 5 Hours of Sleep a Night?

A healthy lifestyle should include a healthy amount of sleep, which will be somewhere between seven and nine hours, depending on the person. If you exercise a lot, that may add to your sleep need; it’s not unusual for athletes to sleep nine hours or more.

When it comes to muscle growth specifically, there’s no definitive number of hours needed. Exercise science researcher Brad Schoenfeld, who posted about the study of five-hour sleepers on Instagram in 2024, mentioned in the caption that there probably is a minimum amount of sleep we need for gains, but ‘exactly how much isn’t clear and likely would be specific to the individual.’

In other words, science can’t answer this for you quite yet, but you probably can’t get by on way too little sleep. Seven hours is probably fine. What about five? That’s what the study looked at.

Can you still build muscle on five hours of sleep a night? Yes, most likely! The study is, of course, not the be-all-end-all answer to the question (no study ever is), but it gives strong evidence pointing toward five hours a night being probably fine.

What the Study Found

The study is based on 36 men who did not usually do any strength training, and they were excluded from the study if they had any diagnosed sleep disorders. The 36 men were divided into three groups: a group that averaged seven hours of sleep per night, a group that averaged five-ish hours a night, and a control group that averaged more than seven hours a night.

The control group did not exercise in the study. The seven-hour and five-hour groups did. (Perhaps we can think of the control group as the ‘what if I slept in instead of hitting the gym?’ group.)

The results? For some muscle groups, the seven-hour group got slightly better gains than the five-hour group, but for others, they were roughly even. Both groups gained more muscle than the non-exercising control group.

The authors write: ‘The results of the present study suggest that the value of 7 hours as a minimum night sleeping time can be relaxed when it comes to a recuperative state related to muscle strength performance.’

Consistency Matters More Than Getting the Details Right

How can this be, if rest is important to muscle growth? Well, for one thing, rest isn’t a magical spell that needs to do its work uninterrupted. If you work out an hour a day, you’re still ‘resting’ the other 23 hours.

You don’t need any particular product or gadget to achieve that, but wearables like smart rings and watches can help you keep tabs on how much sleep you’re actually getting and whether you’ve been consistent about exercise.

On the pricier end, there’s the Oura ring, which is comfortable to wear to bed and will let you know how well you’ve been sleeping. If you’re on a budget, something like the $99 Fitbit Air can do the job as well.

Just remember that if a device gives you a poor score for your sleep or recovery, it doesn’t mean you should automatically skip the gym. Prioritize consistency—including making it to the gym whenever you can—and you’re in a much better place to realize those gains.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while a good night’s sleep is certainly beneficial for muscle growth and recovery, it’s not the only factor at play. Consistency and a well-planned training regimen can go a long way in helping you achieve your fitness goals, even if you don’t get the recommended amount of sleep.

So, don’t let a lack of sleep hold you back from hitting the gym. Get out there and crush your workout, and remember: consistency is key.