Reps in Reserve (RIR) is a training concept where you stop your exercise sets before reaching complete muscle failure, leaving a few repetitions “in reserve.” This approach can improve sleep quality by reducing excessive physical and nervous system stress that often comes from pushing to failure in workouts.
When you train with RIR, you avoid overtraining and the high levels of fatigue that can disrupt your body’s recovery processes. Overtraining can elevate stress hormones like cortisol, which interfere with the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. By stopping short of failure, your nervous system experiences less strain, allowing it to shift more easily into a restful state at night.
Additionally, training with RIR helps maintain a better balance between the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the fight-or-flight response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (which promotes rest and digestion). Intense training to failure can keep the sympathetic system activated longer, making it harder to relax and fall asleep. Using RIR supports quicker recovery of the parasympathetic system, facilitating deeper and more restorative sleep.
Better sleep quality from RIR training also enhances muscle repair and growth, as sleep is when the body releases growth hormone and performs tissue recovery. This creates a positive cycle where improved sleep leads to better training performance and vice versa.
In summary, reps in reserve training reduces physical and nervous system stress, helping the body relax and recover more effectively during sleep. This method supports a healthier balance of stress hormones and nervous system activity, which are key factors in achieving high-quality sleep.
Sources
https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/falling-asleep-in-two-minutes-decoding-the-myth-and-reality-of-the-military-sleep-method-shil-ws-l-9651059.html
https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/sleep/cognitive-shuffling-vs-military-sleep-method
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MTw8rFJ4cM
https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/health-and-families/military-sleep-method-how-to-b2856622.html
https://smart.dhgate.com/master-the-military-sleep-technique-a-step-by-step-guide-to-falling-asleep-fast/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1676193/full
