Increasing the hours in a day

[Krz]

I'm not big on sleep, and Ive heard that you can sleep a couple times a day, slowly training your body to sleep less and less. Anyone know if sleeping multiple times a day rather than 6-8hours at once is better/worse for your body?

[swansont]

There's a lot of conflicting information out there. I've read that breaking up your sleep into two sessions is good, or that naps are good. Others say naps are a sign of a problem, but I think a lot of that is based on the assumption that you are sleeping 8 hours at night in the first place.

[psynapse]

I remeber hearing that a nap should be less than an hour long. If you exceed an hour you fall into a deep sleep and you wake up groggy. I think it's called "power napping" I am not sure. Why fight the natural course of sleep? It would be cool to discover some ground breaking way to sleep less though, think of how much more man kind could do with using a full day and night. twice as much productivity.

[swansont]

It would be cool to discover some ground breaking way to sleep less though, think of how much more man kind could do with using a full day and night. twice as much productivity.

 

I'm almost certain the military has been researching this for some time.

[woelen]

I have understood that less sleeping does not really give you more time to do things. Your body is aging more quickly.

 

Having a regular sleep in the night apparently is something we really need, and having a short nap of half an hour or so around 13:00 or 14:00 in addition can make you more alert in the afternoon and evening. But we simply need a certain amount of sleep per day. Some people get away with 6 hours per day, other may need as much as 9 hours per day, but we do need it. Training your body so that you will need less sleep will not be really succesful. You may be able to win a little, but you will feel more tired all over the remaining hours. So, the gain is questionable.

 

It feels really good if you have slept for many hours more than your usual amount of sleep .

[Glider]

There is some evidence that 'power-napping' (< an hour) is quite good for you, not least because it simply allows you to 're-set'. I.e. relax, forget about daily hassles, reduce heart-rate, blood pressure etc. and start again.

 

However, I've seen nothing to suggest it would compensate for sleep deprivation, so I think it assumes you are getting proper sleep at night.

[swansont]

It feels really good if you have slept for many hours more than your usual amount of sleep .

 

I've found that not to be the case for me. IIRC REM sleep lasts longer with each cycle, and sort of tires you out when it gets too long, so there's a point where sleeping longer makes you more tired.

[Ndi]

There are all kinds of sites each with different opinions on cycles. Some claim 90 minutes, other claim 110 and increasing each cycle. There is definitely personal preference involved.

 

As for me, I learned that, regardless, I need a minimum 5 hours sleep. Anything less and I'm hit by a large train for the rest of the day and will not become better until I either make up for the lost hours *or* I complete a 24-hour cycle.

 

There is such a thing as sleep debt. Naps can be useful if you don't have your needed hours. Some people need 6-8 hours, other need 9. If your schedule calls for an exact 8 hours and you need 9 a one-hour-nap will bring you back on track and revitalize the rest of your day.

 

I tried to determine my needs by (don't envy me) sleeping as much as i liked for a 10 days period. Hours of sleep went along these lines:

 

20, 15, 10, 8, 9, 8, 8, 8, etc etc.

 

Even with nothing better to do than sleep, even with all the alarms off I simply jumped out of bed 8 hours after going to sleep regardless. And well rested (uncharacteristic of me. I'm a pain to wake up. I hooked my PC to a 2x80W RMS amp). Once I got back to work the schedule changed but I now know what I need and if I can't make it I try to make up within the week or so.

 

Since there is no definitive book on sleep, best way is to test it out.

[craigs mum]

I have a friend (honest it's not me) who sleeps from 1am through to 9am has some breakfast then goes back to sleep til 2pm- sad but true. Is she better for it...hell no. My point being too much sleep is as bad as too little.

[zego]

I read somewhere about a "sleep-diet", its something like you only take 20 minute naps every like hour for 1 week and eventually you'll be able to function with just doing those naps once every few hours. I ALSO heard that some people who tried it went insane lol. If your going to try it, I advise you do it with a friend so you won't fall asleep and ruin the program.

 

You were warned

[Sisyphus]

Just never sleep ever. Not only will you get more hours in the day, but pretty soon you will start hallucinating, and so those hours will be more interesting.

[Bluenoise]

Blasphemy!!!! All of you!!!

 

How can you possibly want to sleep less. It's like the most amazing thing there is. If i could I'd sleep 14 hours everyday!!

 

Sleep rocks!!!

[ecoli]

Blasphemy!!!! All of you!!!

 

How can you possibly want to sleep less. It's like the most amazing thing there is. If i could I'd sleep 14 hours everyday!!

 

Sleep rocks!!!

I agree, though I've had to train myself to sleep less in order to keep up with my girlfriend, who only sleeps like 2 hours a night. (I managed to get down to 7 hrs) The result is that I feel tired during lectures, though that may be due more to boring professors.

[Sisyphus]

I think we should start an official tally of the number of times ecoli mentions his girlfriend.

[Bluenoise]

I agree, though I've had to train myself to sleep less in order to keep up with my girlfriend, who only sleeps like 2 hours a night. (I managed to get down to 7 hrs) The result is that I feel tired during lectures, though that may be due more to boring professors.

 

I say just sleep in and let her wait.