Getting a sufficient amount of sleep every night is a very important part of the muscle-building equation that most people don't pay enough attention to. If you want to maximize your muscle gains, improve your performance in the gym and increase your mental focus, then you should be getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep every night. That's right, quality sleep.

If you find yourself waking up every hour or tossing and turning throughout the night then you probably aren't getting the type of rest you should be. A lot of people brag about how little sleep they get and how they're able to get by with just the minimum (this usually means about 5 or 6 hours a night). This is really no different than someone bragging about how little they train or how little they eat.

Sleep is a critical piece of the puzzle and its importance should not be underestimated. Some of us lead very busy lives with activities such as going to school, working and making time for friends and loved ones. This can sometimes make getting a full night's rest difficult, but you must do your best to fit it into your schedule. As long as you can get 8 hours a night then you should be fine. If you can get more then that's even better.

One of the biggest problems with sleep deprivation is the effect it will have on your mental state. Studies have shown that just a single night with insufficient rest will have a significant negative impact on your mental focus and willingness to perform difficult tasks. Last time I checked, an all-out set of squats to failure was more than just a difficult task, so you can see where sleep would be important in this situation.

It is crucial that your mental focus and intensity are peaked at all times in the gym, and getting 8 hours of sleep every night is a good way to make sure of this. Not only will sleep deprivation have a negative impact on your mental state of mind, but it will also have physical consequences as well because if you don't get enough sleep, your strength levels will decrease. This means you'll end up using less weight and/or performing fewer reps than you would normally be capable of.

Every time you set foot in the gym your goal is to move more weight or to perform 1 or 2 more reps. this is why keeping your strength levels peaked is so absolutely critical, and this is where sufficient sleep will benefit you.

Cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone and insulin; these are all powerful hormones which play a key role in the muscle-building process. Simply put, sleep deprivation has a negative effect on every single one of them. How's that as an incentive to get your rest?

1. Cortisol

Cortisol is a catabolic stress hormone that increases abdominal fat storage and stimulates the break -down of muscle tissue. Studies have shown that insufficient sleep will cause the body to release higher amounts of this hormone.

2. Testosterone

The most important hormone when it comes to building muscle. The higher your levels of testosterone, the more muscle you can build. When people take anabolic steroids to increase their muscle mass, they are simply taking synthetic variants of this hormone. Sleep deprivation lowers testosterone levels.

3. Growth hormone

Regenerates the body and plays a large role in building and maintaining muscle. The time that you sleep is also the time when your body experiences a natural surge in growth hormone levels. If you fail to get a proper rest at night, this hormonal surge will be compromised.

4. Insulin

Insulin is responsible for the uptake of important nutrients into your body cells. Sleep deprivation can result in an increase in your body's insulin resistance levels, and this means that your body will have to release higher-than-normal amounts of this hormone to compensate. This can lead to fat storage, diabetes or heart disease.

Sleep is also a very important time for your body to recover and rebuild damaged muscle tissue. You already know about the high importance recovery plays in gaining muscle, and sleep is one of the most important times for this recovery to take place. High intensity workouts give your muscles and immune system a huge hit, and it is vital that you are fully recovered between workouts. This is yet another reason to ensure that you get the recommended 8 hours of sleep every single night.

There are many other negative effects that sleep deprivation will have on your body but I couldn't possibly cover all of them. These negative effects will not only compromise the amount of muscle you can build, but it will also deliver a significant hit to your overall health and well being.

As far as building muscle is concerned, proper amounts of sleep will increase your strength, up your energy, heighten your mental focus, lower cortisol levels, increase testosterone, raise growth hormone levels and decrease insulin resistance. That should definitely be reason enough for you to get 8 hours of restful sleep every single night.

Here are some tips to help you get a deep and restful sleep:

1. Don't consume any caffeine for at least 6 hours before sleep.

2. Turn off all of the lights.

3. Sleep in a slightly cool, dry room.

4. Try to keep your sleeping schedule as consistent as possible.

5. Don't eat a huge meal immediately before bed.

6. Avoid nicotine.

7. Sleep in a quiet area free from distractions.