Getting less hours sleep

[hayze99]

Over the past couple years it has been dawning on me further and further the stifling amount of things that can be done with one's time, and the different pathways that can be taken. I squint at the frequency with which I would whinge how I bored I was as a child, and what a regular thing it is for people - even my age - to mention. Almost every day, I wish there was more time in a day.

So I've been trying to sleep less.

I've been trying to wean myself onto 6 hours for a little while now. And sometimes, when I'm up for it - 4 or 5 hours.

So far it's been going well. While I used to be content sleeping for 10-12 hours a day, it just seems like a disgraceful waste of time. Sleeping 6 hours instead of 8 every night gives you at least 60 extra hours of every month - just over two days. If you manage to bring it down to 4 hours, that gives you a 35 day month.

I do fucking love my sleep, but it has recently just become ingrained into me now how precious time is, and how little of it should be wasted whilst on this beautiful planet.

Since I've been doing this experiment - for the most part - I've been happier, had more energy, and best of all, had the most incredibly vivid dreams (all of which I've been writing down). However, I've always had a sneaking suspicion that I've needed much less sleep and have always done fine on tiny amounts. It's taken a while to get used to, but I'm getting there.

It feels awesome to go to sleep at 4am, and then wake up at 10am feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

[alphacat]

I think this is where it's at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmented_sleep

[JBoy]

I thought human beings needed only six hours per night depending on how much physical activity they are doing.

[frank grimes jr.]

Does it cause you to eat more, or more often?

[fassyman]

i get what your saying but sleep is just to satisfying for me. need a good kip or im fucked the next day.

[magma]

I thought human beings needed only six hours per night depending on how much physical activity they are doing.

Not really, no... sleep requirement changes massively person to person. The 8 hour thing is probably a bit of a myth, but plenty of people (me included) demonstrably need more than 6 to not flake out by the end of the day.

Beeb had a good Magazine piece last week which suggested we might more naturally sleep in 4-ish hour blocs - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

[hayze99]

Does it cause you to eat more, or more often?

More, I find. And not just because I'm awake for longer. It just seems to stimulate my appetite.

I somehow think that a small part of it is the exercising of the brain, and the forced discipline of waking up each morning that helps make you chirpier - like exercise does with your muscles. I've always found that when I force myself to stay up all night, I'm hyper-excited, happy and just completely bursting with energy the next day, like my brain is bouncing back from an extremely stressful situation.

If anyone hasn't tried staying up all night, for no reason other than to see what it will do to you, I highly suggest it. No crashing, no staying up all night stressed to hand in an essay. Just staying up all night, acting like it's a normal thing, fighting the fatigue, then getting through the day, and falling asleep at a decent hour. Feels rejuvenating.

[particle-jim]

Does it cause you to eat more, or more often?

More, I find. And not just because I'm awake for longer. It just seems to stimulate my appetite.

I somehow think that a small part of it is the exercising of the brain, and the forced discipline of waking up each morning that helps make you chirpier - like exercise does with your muscles. I've always found that when I force myself to stay up all night, I'm hyper-excited, happy and just completely bursting with energy the next day, like my brain is bouncing back from an extremely stressful situation.

If anyone hasn't tried staying up all night, for no reason other than to see what it will do to you, I highly suggest it. No crashing, no staying up all night stressed to hand in an essay. Just staying up all night, acting like it's a normal thing, fighting the fatigue, then getting through the day, and falling asleep at a decent hour. Feels rejuvenating.

i find if i stay up all night then i feel like shite the next day and usually fall asleep in the early afternoon thus fucking up my body clock for the next few days

[Mr Hyde]

I get you have more time to do things, but there aren't many things (anything?) more relaxing in life than having a good sleep....so I guess it all depends on your definition of wasting time.....I don't think many would say a relaxing day on the beach is wasted time, but people tend to think that sleeping a lot is a waste and then go and spend waking hours trying to relax by doing things like going to Spas or Yoga- seems a bit pointless to me, just stay in bed longer.

[Immerse]

as ive gotten more serious with producing, i find myself staying up until 1 am almost every single not, if not as late as 2:30 or 3. Having to wake up every morning at 7, i know what you mean by the day after being more energetic.. however the day after that is almost always a tired day. Especially when I do this consecutively, it really takes it's toll on me. needless to say, i cant wait until school is out.. only about 45 or so more days and im done with highschool forever!

[dubfordessert]

why the fuck were you, a healthy person, sleeping 10-12 hours a night anyway? how did you even find the time?

[JBoy]

When i was unemployed i slept massively long hours like from 2am until 11am sometimes, i think your body gets used to sleep patterns after a while. Ive done weeks on end with 4 hours or so a night and i was ok (ish).

[Duffman]

I get 4 hours sleep a lot of nights because I'm a diff and I can't get into a proper routine. Absolutely kills me the next day, not worth it. Although no matter how much sleep I get I always find it near impossible getting out of bed in time in the morning haha

[Immerse]

Although no matter how much sleep I get I always find it near impossible getting out of bed in time in the morning haha

[Liam92]

My sleep is fucked, go to bed at completely different times, just whenever I feel tired can range from anything between 10pm-5am that I go to sleep; also can never remember the last time I slept straight through, always wake up 2-3 times a night

[dubfordessert]

im basically an insomniac plus i love my caffeine. depressed i can sleep 2 hours a night if at all and still not sleep the night after, manic i sleep more than that oddly, i can't even remember the last time i got 6-8 hours on the regular.

[danny_scrilla]

I think this is where it's at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmented_sleep

[pkay]

I thought human beings needed only six hours per night depending on how much physical activity they are doing.

[Neptune]

I get 5 hours sleep a night. I used to nap more when I slept longer hours. Now I'm so wiped out at the end of the day I'll sleep for 5 hours straight, whereas before I'd wake up during the night loads.

[kay]

Could it have more to do with waking up at 10am than cutting down to 6 hours sleep? That would be more like a natural body clock thing, like how teenagers naturally have their waking/sleep pattern shifted out by a couple hours compared to when they were children.