How do some people get by on 3 - 4 hours sleep a night ??

pocketdooz

Pretty much what the title asks - how do some people get by on only 3/4/5 hours per night. My boss only sleeps about 4 hours per night (He's in his 30's)

The famous investor Michael Milken used to get by on 3-4 hours max. per night and function perfectly. This is also true of many people I have heard about over the past while whom, I can't remember off-hand.

Is this a natural thing - that some people need less sleep than others. Sometimes when I sleep for 6 hours I feel better and more rested the next day than when I sleep for 8 hours the night before. Why is this ?

A guy I know has recently bought that watch that measures what cycle of sleep you are in and wakes you when you are in a light sleep as opposed to in a heavy sleep. Does anyone know anything about this ?

Thanks for all the help !






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darling.x

Hi pocketdooz. I found out about that alarm watch over in the after hours forum.

They are available and theres more info about them on sleeptracker.com

You wear the watch on your wrist going to bed. It monitors your body when you're sleeping and it wakes you up when you're at the end of your sleep cycle.

I beg of you op, would you find out from that guy you know if it works and whether or not he finds it useful. I'm considering on getting one. I have major difficulty getting up in the mornings.

nyarlothothep

I envy those people so much! I wish I didn't have to eat. drink or sleep and still function perfectly.

Puddleduck

I have no idea how people do this. The other half can live on round 6 hours sleep a night. I need a solid 8 or Im just out of it. Ive been going to bed quite late recently and Im absolutely shattered.

mental07

I don't know how they do it. I had a late night on Thursday and another one last night, and I slept until 2pm today as a result!

Local Goddess

I don't know how people can get by on only 3 or 4 hours a night, I'd be wrecked! But my ma doesn't go to bed until about 4 in the morning and gets up quite early and she is grand. Its just so hard to concentrate when you don't get enough sleep. I do believe that different amounts of sleep suit different people, the more the better for me:)

Diarmey

I get three hours sleep three nights a week(work in pubs) been doing that for 4 months now my body is so use to it I don't even think about sleeping..on a friday I work 18 hours my body has adjusted to it so much that when I finally got a day off I couldnt sleep till near 6 that night.:pac:

Vero

hmmm, need my 10h sleep or I'm wrecked :eek:

JordanDC

Anyone can sleep for a few hours a night if they are willing to eat raw food. Because of reduced digestion times etc. apparently you just sleep for a few hours and thats all you will need (naturally)

If your in Dublin there is a company in markets selling raw food. Details here

Mc Love

I hardly got any last night, and i seem fine so far! Also i sleep only about 5-6 hours.

sc9736

I need at least 7 hours, tend to go to bed about 9 and read till about 10, then zzzzz, am up about 545 if working that day or 7am if not (I have a hyper 2 year old!!)

blinding

One of the most infamous characters that we are told only slept for 4/5 hours is Margaet Thatcher.She did go a bit mental at the end of her period of office thats if she was not always crazy.
I believe that she has alzeimers now.
It would be interesting to know if there is(is not) any connection with dementia/alzeimers and sleeping less than the average.I do not want to worry anyone but Thatcher is one example of where there was less than normal amounts of sleep and we all know how she has ended up.

gazzer

For as long as I can remember my mother has gotten by on 4 hours sleep a night (goes to bed at 3 and gets up at 7). I dont know how she does it as I need at least 8 hours sleep or I am wrecked the next day.

AnnieB82

I used to think that I needed at least 8-10 hrs sleep ( 12 hrs on weekends!) - then I had a baby. 6 months on, I'm now lucky to get 4 consecutive hours a night, and as much as it pains me, it is possible to survive on it, if you have it. What I wouldn't give for a lie in though!

Messy Missy

There's no way I could function properly without at least 7 or 8 hours sleep. I'd rather go without food rather than without sleep.

Fallen Buckshot

JordanDC wrote: »

Anyone can sleep for a few hours a night if they are willing to eat raw food. Because of reduced digestion times etc. apparently you just sleep for a few hours and thats all you will need (naturally)

If your in Dublin there is a company in markets selling raw food. Details here

Why would Raw food take less time to digest than cooked food ?
raw pancakes are not as yummy methinks

evercloserunion

JordanDC wrote: »

Anyone can sleep for a few hours a night if they are willing to eat raw food. Because of reduced digestion times etc. apparently you just sleep for a few hours and thats all you will need (naturally)

If your in Dublin there is a company in markets selling raw food. Details here

Hi Jordan, just a couple of questions:

- Does the reduced sleeping time affect your concentration levels during the day if you're eating raw food?

and

- Does it work on a sliding scale, ie if I replace part of my diet with raw food, would I still need less sleep?

JordanDC

The reduced sleeping time actually increases your awareness, when I eat raw food when im on holiday (I dont like eating it in the cold climate) I am bursting with energy, and when I come home and eat normal food, I actually tend to feel sluggish through out the day.

Im not so sure about having part raw and part cooked, although some diets recommend 1 third raw to 2 thirds cooked if you mix the two.

If you can talk to Natasha, from Natasha's Living Foods, she will explain it very well to you!

Tom Trojan

Sleep soundly

congo_90

gazzer wrote: »

For as long as I can remember my mother has gotten by on 4 hours sleep a night (goes to bed at 3 and gets up at 7). I dont know how she does it as I need at least 8 hours sleep or I am wrecked the next day.

I'm like your mother there. I drift off around 3/4 and then up for 7 (sometimes a struggle) but most mornings i'll wake up and get going ready for the day.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Dunne.Drift

i take vitimens and they seem to keep the life in me

Laphroaig52

blinding wrote: »

One of the most infamous characters that we are told only slept for 4/5 hours is Margaet Thatcher.

I believe that she used to 'cheat' however, by taking brief naps during the day. I think that might be the secret for some who claim to get by on 3- 4 hours a night...

I agree,though - some people do seem to need less sleep. It could be down to diet, lifestyle, differences in metabolism, general health and many other factors.

monellia

JordanDC wrote: »

Anyone can sleep for a few hours a night if they are willing to eat raw food. Because of reduced digestion times etc. apparently you just sleep for a few hours and thats all you will need (naturally)

If your in Dublin there is a company in markets selling raw food. Details here

I usually sleep terribly due to having an overactive mind, but I have noticed that it doesn't take as much toll on me when my diet is raw (depending on my circumstances I'm either a conventional vegan or a raw vegan).

Natasha rules. I discovered her range in Nurture recently and all I'll say is it just goes to show how creative you can be with raw foods. And she's very quick to reply to e-mails! Seriously, Natasha FTW.

JordanDC

Yes, I love the chocolate truffles I learnt how to make the cheese cake, its actually quite easy.

monellia

JordanDC wrote: »

Yes, I love the chocolate truffles I learnt how to make the cheese cake, its actually quite easy.

Cool Care to post the recipe?

I made raw brownies over the weekend. It's so easy! Blend some dates, add almond butter, pure honey and carob powder, mix well, put it in a baking tray and refrigerate for at least two hours. My dad wasn't too keen on them but I think they're yummy!

Sorry for hijacking the thead btw!

Poutbutton

I get by on about 5 hours most of the time, sometimes 6/7 at weekends I do sleep in sometimes but find it very hard to do! I dont do caffeine past my one cup in the morning & I dont regularly nap during the day although I would if I could. I tend sleep "better" if I nod off half sitting half lying down on a couch. People close to me always ask why dont I lie in and I have to say I just cant, once I wake that's it I've gotta be up and at it. Although I know we all need it for optimum health I see sleep or rather too much sleep as a huge waste of time I'd rather be doing something than wasting the day in bed! Even as a teenager I could'nt lie in & teens need the extra sleep due to the growth period.

Tar.Aldarion

Dunno, I just do. It catches up with you sometimes if you take it too far though.

odinreln

Hi all.

there are some interesting articles on sleep at pavlinas site.

he basically says that its the quality of sleep that gives you the recharge needed. so if your like me and need 8 hours, only 4 of them are really deep recharging sleep. there are many factors for this, maybe my diet, my caffeen intake, all influence how fast i can get into the deep phase of sleep. sometimes people only ever have a light sleep, and its not really recharging them.

some people, like the manager mentioned, can probably just go straight into deep sleep every night and so gets all the good juice from the universe.

i myself bought the second edition of the sleep tracker watch, and i have it here beside me.

the first edition basically didnt have vibrate on it, and only had the alarm, which, if your lying on your arm under the cover, you might not hear it.

the sleep watch itself works. it took me about 2 weeks to get used to it. its a really weird sensation, you actually feel like you waking up before the watch alarm goes off, but your not, its just that your in that light phase of sleep.

my problem with the watch is not that it doesn't work, its that its a large watch. i never wear watches, and it feels odd on my wrist and sometimes i wake up and take it off without knowing, coz i just dont like watches.

i dont use it every night, i use it when i really need to be up for something and i want to be up early and fresh.
but at the same time, you have to be diciplined the night before, you still have to avoid caffeen at night if your sensitive like me, you still have to go to bed and asleep at a reasonable time. if you can get all that working, ie you dont have trouble getting to sleep, the watch works great.

its expensive though, i think i paid 150 dollars or something like that, and then when it arrived at the door, the irish government decided they wanted in on the action, and customs robbed me of 50euro. so be careful when you order it if you do, check all prices of importing it. all prices might be different now, i got it over a year ago.

Odin

ok i've never heard of this watch so a question.. if i have to wake up at 8, is it better that this watch might wake you at half 7 during this "light" sleep or is it better to get the extra half hour sleep?

odinreln

the idea is that when you wake up in the light sleep, maybe half hour before your alarm will usually go off, your not groggy, you feel awake. like those times when you just 'wake up' and you can just get out of bed no trouble.

but like i said, if you havent got proper sleep, the watch cant give you that, it can only wake you at the best moment.

if you sleep the extra half hour, youll probably wake up in the 'URGH' mode, of oh i want more sleep, im tired, i need an extra five minutes.

so if you have had a decent amount of hours sleep, what ever you need, youll know yourself, then its better with the watch, and half hour earlier. but if you didnt get a good sleep, or you dont sleep very well usually, the watch is practically useless, apart from a vibrating alarm on your wrist.