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8. Sleep, stress & recovery

Training load has to fit the recovery capacity that's actually available. A client sleeping five broken hours under high stress cannot absorb the same programme as one sleeping eight — same body, different ceiling.

8.1 Sleep

ID Question Type Options / units Req.
life_sleep_hours How many hours do you sleep on a typical night? Single choice Under 5 / 5–6 / 6–7 / 7–8 / 8–9 / Over 9 Yes
life_bedtime What time do you usually go to bed? Short text Time of day No
life_waketime What time do you usually wake up? Short text Time of day No
life_sleep_quality How would you rate your sleep quality? Scale 1–5 1 = very poor, 5 = excellent Yes
life_screens_bed Do you use screens in the hour before bed? Single choice Always / Usually / Sometimes / Rarely No
life_naps Do you nap during the day? Single choice Daily / A few times a week / Rarely / Never No
life_wake_state How do you usually feel on waking? Single choice Refreshed and energetic / Slow but fine / Tired / Exhausted Yes
life_sleep_continuity Is your sleep usually unbroken? Single choice Straight through / Wake once / Wake two or three times / Wake repeatedly No

Sleep apnoea is a referral

Loud snoring plus daytime sleepiness plus waking unrefreshed is a pattern worth flagging to the client's doctor. It also caps what any training programme can achieve until it's addressed.

8.2 Schedule

ID Question Type Options / units Req.
life_shift_work Do you work shifts, nights or an irregular schedule? Yes/No Yes
life_shift_pattern Describe the pattern. Long text Cond.
life_travel How often do you travel for work or otherwise? Single choice Never / A few times a year / Monthly / Weekly / Constantly Yes
life_caregiving Do you have caring responsibilities — children, parents, others? Long text No

life_shift_pattern → if life_shift_work = Yes

8.3 Stress

ID Question Type Options / units Req.
life_stress_level How stressed do you feel on an average day? Scale 1–10 1 = completely relaxed, 10 = overwhelmed Yes
life_stress_coping What do you currently do to unwind? Long text No

8.4 Energy & recovery

ID Question Type Options / units Req.
life_energy_pattern When is your energy highest? Single choice Early morning / Late morning / Afternoon / Evening / It's low all day / It varies Yes
life_energy_crash Do you get a noticeable energy slump during the day? Single choice Yes, most days / Sometimes / Rarely / No No
life_recovery_habits What do you do regularly to recover? Short text No
life_socialising Do you get out and see people? Single choice Regularly / Occasionally / Rarely / Almost never No
life_holidays Do you take proper holidays or time off? Single choice Regularly / Occasionally / Rarely / Never No

Two questions that look like small talk

נוהגת לבלות? and נוהגת לצאת לחופשות?do you go out?, do you take holidays? — sit on the source sheet among the medical questions, and they belong there. Someone who never socialises and never takes time off has no slack in their week, which caps recovery no matter what the programme says, and rarely presents it as a problem because it has become normal.

Read them with life_stress_level. A client who is highly stressed and never off needs the training volume dialled down at the start, which is the opposite of what they will ask for.

Cross-reference before setting frequency

Read life_energy_pattern against pref_time_of_day in section 10. A client whose energy peaks in the morning but who has only booked evening slots will have harder sessions than the programme assumes — and will report it as the programme being too hard.

8.5 Red flags

Flag Source field Typical modification
Sleep under 5 hours or high stress life_sleep_hours, life_stress_level Reduce volume and intensity; expect slower progression
Waking unrefreshed with snoring and daytime sleepiness life_wake_state, life_sleep_continuity Refer for sleep apnoea assessment; cap intensity until addressed
No socialising, no time off, high stress life_socialising, life_holidays, life_stress_level Start below capacity; build recovery into the plan rather than adding volume

Full outcome definitions: Screening red flags.


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