How to get enough sleep in an hour during the day. How you can get enough sleep in a short time - techniques and working tricks. How much sleep do you need to get enough sleep?

The high pace of life and stressful situations affect mental and physical health. After a stormy day, a person goes to bed, thinks about how to quickly fall asleep and get enough sleep, but his thoughts return to problems again, planning the next day. The result is insomnia, difficulty waking up, headaches and bad mood. Constant lack of sleep is manifested by dizziness, fatigue, irritability, and decreased performance.
People themselves create situations that interfere with rest. To get a good night's sleep you need
provide conditions for full restoration of strength.

In order to sleep and get enough sleep you need to follow simple rules.

• Provide your body with magnesium. Wrong food and stressful situations lead to a lack of magnesium, which is necessary to maintain the order of sleep phases and muscle relaxation. Magnesium deficiency can cause restless leg syndrome, cramps, and early awakenings. Unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities force you to move and prevent you from getting enough sleep at night. Magnesium is involved in the synthesis of melatonin, the lack of which disrupts the depth and cycles of sleep. The following will help to compensate for magnesium deficiency: cocoa, cheese, buckwheat, oatmeal, almonds, prunes, dried apricots or Magne B6 and its analogues.
• If you don’t know how to get enough sleep, follow biological rhythms. Patients with insomnia often ask: “What time should you go to bed?” Try to go to bed between 21:00 and 23:00 and get up at the same time in the morning. Researchers have determined that the nervous system and all organs rest between 10 pm and 2 am. After 5 o'clock in the morning, sleep becomes restless and metabolism accelerates.
• Exercise your body during the day, you will fall asleep better and get enough sleep at night. People whose profession involves intellectual work cannot sleep because they are not physically tired at work. Lack of physical activity contributes to the development of heart and vascular diseases and leads to sleep disturbances.
• Hiking and cycling in the fresh air, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics 3-4 hours before bedtime are a little tiring, relieve nervous and mental tension, and improve your mood. After performing sports exercises, the production of melatonin (sleep hormone) increases. In addition, moderate physical activity helps to destroy the stress hormone (cortisol), which provokes restlessness, increased blood pressure, insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day.

Note!
Physical overload is stressful for the body and increases cortisol.

• Don't go to bed with a full stomach or feeling hungry. Many people complain: “I can’t get enough sleep, I don’t fall asleep well, sometimes I don’t sleep at all, even though I go to bed at the same time.” Sleep quality is related to food. Avoid heavy meals after 6 pm. To prevent hunger from interfering with falling asleep, you can eat dairy products, vegetable salad, omelet, and lean fish.
• Leave negative thoughts outside the bedroom. You won’t be able to sleep if you’re replaying the situation in your head, getting angry, or offended. To distract yourself and calm down, you need to read, watch a light movie or listen to pleasant music. Think less about how to fall asleep quickly and why am I not sleeping again. Don't look at the clock thinking about how to start getting enough sleep. Take a comfortable position, dream about good things.
• Do not take sedatives uncontrollably.

A sleeping pill can be replaced by:

• banana;
• a glass of warm milk;
• lemon balm or valerian tea;
• a glass of water with honey and lemon juice;
• inhaling the scent of lavender or valerian.

Natural sleeping pill

With the onset of darkness, the pineal gland begins to produce melatonin, a sufficient amount of which accelerates the onset of sleep. The hormone is produced not just in the dark, but under the condition that the person is in a dark room. The light-sensitive pigment in the retina sends information to the pineal gland about light levels. The brain can be tricked by not turning on bright lights in the room in the evening. At night, if your bedroom window faces a lighted street, you can use a blindfold.

Sleeping area

The bedroom is meant to be slept in. There is no place for a TV or computer. How can a wife get enough sleep if her husband is watching an action film or tapping on the keyboard? The chic, well-thought-out interior is conducive to relaxation. But not everyone even has a separate room. You need to organize a sleeping place based on the circumstances. Everyone can choose beautiful bed linen, a comfortable mattress and pillow. When choosing bedding, you need to focus on your preferences. The sleeper needs fresh air. The most acceptable temperature for sleeping is 19–20 °C.

What is the best position to sleep in?

Everyone chooses the most comfortable position for themselves. Lying on your stomach strengthens your back muscles, but makes breathing difficult. Due to the unnatural position of the cervical spine, the vertebral artery is partially blocked, and the blood supply to the brain deteriorates. In the supine position, the load on the spine is minimal, the abdominal organs are not compressed, and the muscles relax. The position is not suitable for patients suffering from sleep apnea and those who snore. When sleeping on the side, the airways do not close, enough oxygen is supplied to the organs, and the load on the lower back is reduced. But sometimes my arms or legs become numb. If you don't know how to lie down and sleep to get enough sleep, try falling asleep in a different position. Perhaps problems with sleep arose due to a position that seems comfortable to you, but your internal organs are experiencing discomfort.

Sleep norm

How much sleep you need to wake up alert and rested depends on biorhythms, age, and stress. The need for sleep may vary for the same person. After hard work, during periods of illness, the body needs a long rest. Older people get enough sleep faster. Women's brains work more intensely and they need more sleep to allow the brain to recover. At least 7-8 hours of quality sleep per day is a condition for good health during the day.

• physical exercise;
• cold and hot shower;
• bright light;
• coffee with a piece of dark chocolate.

No work can replace health; to be productive, take more rest. It's bad to sleep too much. Systematic oversleeping weakens the body, can cause headaches, and increases the risk of developing heart disease. If you want to sleep constantly despite having enough hours of sleep, you need to contact a specialist. This may indicate metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus, anemia.

It seems that everyone knows the truth, but for various reasons people do not pay attention to such little things. And having developed insomnia, he comes to see a specialist with the question of how to learn to get enough sleep. Sound sleep depends on a healthy lifestyle. The best prevention of insomnia is moderate nutrition, physical activity, a positive attitude towards life, and avoidance of stimulants and bad habits.

List of used literature:

• Zepelin H. Normal age related changes in sleep // Sleep Disorders: Basic and Clinical Research / ed. by M. Chase, E. D. Weitzman. - New York: SP Medical, 1983. - P. 431-434.
• Morrissey M., Duntley S., Anch A., Nonneman R. Active sleep and its role in the prevention of apoptosis in the developing brain. // Med Hypotheses: journal. - 2004. - Vol. 62, no. 6. - P. 876-9. - PMID 15142640.
• Marks G., Shaffery J., Oksenberg A., Speciale S., Roffwarg H. A functional role for REM sleep in brain maturation. // Behav Brain Res: journal. - 1995. - Vol. 69, no. 1-2. - P. 1-11. - PMID 7546299.

Most people adhere to the classic idea of ​​the amount of full sleep duration - 8 hours a day, that is, approximately 1/3 of life. However, with the modern pace of life, few people manage to find time for such a long night's rest. Scientific and medical research into the body’s recovery mechanisms has made it possible to formulate the possibility of getting enough sleep in a shorter time, following certain rules of falling asleep and waking up, or choosing one of the original methods of so-called “productive sleep.” In general, such techniques allow you to restore the body not in 7-8, but in 5-6 hours, and the person will not feel sleep-deprived and tired.

Self-healing of the body in different phases of sleep

The central nervous system requires rest every day, which is realized only during a special phase of REM sleep. It is sometimes called REM - “rapid eye movement”, because at this time a person's eyelids often tremble and breathing is shallow. The duration of this phase is approximately 20 minutes, then slow sleep occurs. In general, during 7-8 hours of night sleep, the fast and slow phases alternate approximately 4-5 times, so the total duration of REM is about 2 hours, which provide the body with a feeling of vigor and sufficient rest. It occurs if awakening occurs during the REM sleep phase; otherwise, a feeling of lethargy, weakness and drowsiness appears.

Therefore, the key idea of ​​ways to get enough sleep quickly is not the duration of sleep, but the correctly selected moment of awakening. However, in no case should you uncontrollably shorten the total duration of sleep. The fast phase is responsible for the restoration of the psyche and nervous system, but the slow phase is necessary for the body and its rest.

The stages of non-REM and REM sleep repeat cyclically throughout the night. The slow phase takes approximately 2 hours, and during this time the body gradually plunges into deep sleep for full recovery. During this period, the brain is engaged in setting up all body systems, cell regeneration occurs, antibodies are produced, immunity is restored, and the physical body prepares for a new day. Frequent lack of sleep and lack of slow-wave sleep for the body leads to general exhaustion and illnesses, such as regular colds.

Then comes the REM phase, and with each new cycle its duration increases, so the likelihood of waking up at this time increases. During the REM sleep phase, the bioelectrical activity of the brain reaches its maximum value. At this time, the information accumulated during the day is analyzed and systematized, and the sleeping person can see dreams. The most vivid and memorable dreams are those that begin closer to the morning, when the nervous system has already had time to rest.

The REM phase is more valuable for the life of the body, and it is on this fact that productive sleep techniques are built. Scientific studies were conducted on rats to understand how the absence of one of the phases of sleep affects their health. If the rats were left without the REM sleep phase (its onset was judged by external signs - twitching of the limbs and eyelids, movements), then they died after about 40 days. If the animal remained without slow-wave sleep, it survived.

Productive sleep techniques

The possibility of significantly increasing wakefulness is due to the fact that the following techniques allow you to use the REM sleep phase as efficiently as possible. They are also called polyphasic sleep techniques.

"Siesta". This mode is considered the most gentle and easy to switch to from traditional night sleep. The essence of “Siesta” is that you can sleep 2 hours less at night (about 5-6 hours), but you must provide your body with a short sleep break during the day. This break should be exactly 20 minutes, because during this time one REM phase will occur. If you allow yourself to sleep for more than 20 minutes during the day, your body will enter the slow-wave sleep phase, and it will be more difficult to wake up. Due to the fact that one phase of REM sleep occurs during the day, nighttime sleep can be easily shortened by one cycle - that is, by 2 hours. Also, a day's rest allows you to quickly restore vitality and resume work with fresh energy.

"The Staircase", or Everyman. The first version of the name is due to the fact that in this technique you can vary the number of “steps”, that is, sessions of twenty-minute daytime sleep. Each step makes it possible to reduce night sleep by 1.5 hours. In essence, this method is a complicated version of the previous one. If you have time to sleep for 20 minutes twice during the day, then at night you can sleep 4.5 hours, three times - 3 hours, 4 times - an hour and a half. The extreme case of the "Staircase" is sometimes called Everyman: 1.5-3 hours of night rest and three 20-minute naps during the day. It is recommended to implement the first phase of sleep before midnight - for example, from 22:00 to 1:30. If the night's sleep falls after 2 hours, then its quality will be lower.

"Tesla". The great physicist Nikola Tesla slept 2 hours at night and then 20 minutes during the day. Such an extreme regime frees up a lot of time, but it is quite difficult to practice it without preparation, and with prolonged use, refusal to get enough sleep will definitely affect your health.

Dymaxion. Sleep must be divided into 4 parts, half an hour each, with an interval of 6 hours. The total duration of rest in this case will be 2 hours (excluding the time it takes to fall asleep). This technique is also considered difficult to master and is not recommended for beginners in the field of productive sleep techniques.

Uberman. The method is similar to the previous one, but sleep is allocated not 30, but 20 minutes every 6 hours. When following this regimen, you need to adhere very strictly to your routine, because even one missed phase of REM sleep will significantly reduce productivity and immediately create a feeling of drowsiness. The energy obtained during the short sleep phase is consumed quite quickly, so long-term use of this method is not recommended by doctors.

"Superhuman Method". During the day you need to sleep 6 times for 20 minutes each, which will total 2 hours of REM sleep.

Before starting the transition to any method, it is recommended to try biphasic sleep: break the rest into 2 parts of 3-4 hours each.

Many of the listed methods of productive sleep are not suitable for those who have a standard daily routine and work, for example, in an office for 8-9 hours. In rare cases, employers provide a special nap break for employees, as this clearly increases their productivity.

For creative people and freelancers, there is a wide choice of productive sleep techniques that will not only provide them with large reserves of time, but will also stimulate creative thinking.

However, it is important to remember that when choosing any of the methods, you must strictly adhere to its regimen, otherwise you will quickly feel tired during the day. Also, in no case should you practice these methods constantly, since full restoration of physical strength in the slow phase of sleep is a necessary thing for everyone. Productive sleep techniques are very useful when working on an urgent project, preparing for exams, or simply needing to concentrate. But after such extreme days, proper sleep is definitely required.

There are special smart alarm clocks or applications for mobile devices. Alarm clocks track a person's movements and allow him to wake up precisely in the REM sleep phase. To choose a time that is convenient and at the same time necessary for waking up, you can set an interval (for example, from 6:30 to 7:00), during which the device should select the optimal time to wake up.

In general, for a good night's rest and falling asleep quickly, the following is recommended:

• go to bed at the same time; the ideal interval is from 22 to 23 hours;
• do not overeat before bedtime;
• create comfortable conditions in the room - the room should be cool and the bed should be warm;
• before falling asleep, it is undesirable to watch movies, TV shows and play computer games; it is better to read a book or listen to calm music;
• It is not advisable to exercise before going to bed.

A person simply needs healthy sleep of a certain duration - this is an important part of his circadian rhythms, directly related to the need for rest of all body systems. However, there are situations when you cannot get enough sleep. What to do?

There are modern techniques that allow you to restore a person’s performance in a relatively short time without serious damage to health.

How much sleep do you need to get enough sleep?

Our industrial era, with its frantic pace of life, does not always make it possible to sleep comfortably and feel good after waking up. Extraneous noise, a tight schedule with late returns home, extreme physical and mental fatigue - all these factors negatively affect the important stage of rest.

Modern conservative medicine does not set strict time limits for sleep– its duration depends on the age of the person, the individual characteristics of the body, the environment and other important factors.

How to get enough sleep in a short time?

If you do not have the opportunity to fully sleep for 8-9 hours, then this period can be reduced using the features of the psychomechanics of sleep. Sleep, as a physiological process, is divided into certain phases:

• 1st phase. A person begins to fall asleep, his muscles gradually relax, and his heartbeat slows down. The eyeballs actively move under closed eyelids. This stage is a borderline state between wakefulness and sleep, lasts about 15 minutes;
• 2nd phase. A quick sleep that is always forgotten upon awakening. Muscle and cardiac activity is weak, rotational movements of the eyeballs are present. On average, this stage takes from 20 to 30 minutes;
• 3rd phase. Deep dream. The activity of the muscles, heart and brain is very weak, it is quite difficult to wake a person in this state;
• 4th phase. Transition to borderline state 2: deep sleep is still present, but brain activity increases. The sleeper sees memorable and clear dreams. After another 15-20 minutes, the cycle moves to the 1st phase.

You can read more about the phases of sleep and the time of best awakening.

On average, the duration of one full cycle of 4 phases takes about one and a half hours. Accordingly, with “healthy” full-fledged sleep, a person has 5-6 such cycles per night - that’s 7.5-9 hours.

If you don’t have enough time, then without harm to the body and well-being, you can reduce the number of “approaches” to 3-4, strictly adhering to their boundaries and not waking up in the middle (4.5 or 6 hours).

Interrupting a person's sleep at other times is fraught with lack of sleep, a broken state and a number of other negative factors.

How to get enough sleep in 2 or 4 hours and what are the consequences?

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Some researchers claim that the effectiveness of techniques using only the REM sleep phase. Most experts are skeptical about this scheme, but in a number of extreme cases they turn out to be the only possible ones in the current situation.

The development of the basic scheme for ultra-short sleep is attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci, who, according to legend, slept only 1.5 hours per day and still worked effectively. In the modern era, similar techniques are used by people with extremely complex work schedules - security guards serving facilities on a rotational basis and working overtime, soldiers, etc.

Its essence is sleep only in the rapid phase 1. There are 2 options for getting enough sleep quickly:

1. Every 4 hours of wakefulness are replaced by 15 minutes of REM sleep with precise alarm setting;
2. 4 stages of REM sleep in sequence. The alarm clock starts for 30 minutes. After half an hour, the person gets up, switches it for another 30 minutes and falls asleep again. This event is repeated 4 times, after which the wakefulness phase begins, within 6-7 hours.

It is not advisable to carry out such practices on a regular basis; only in acute cases are they needed for a maximum of 2-3 days.

Long-term lack of sleep is fraught with metabolic disorders in the body, a significant increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke, and a significant overall decrease in vitality and performance.

Rules for good sleep

In order for your sleep to be pleasant, long and beneficial, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations, then you will be able to get enough sleep in 8 hours. Thanks to them, you will always get up in the morning in a good mood and full of energy for a long day of work.

• Food for the night. The age-old statement that you shouldn’t eat enough at night is still relevant today. It's not just a matter of extra calories: the stomach, overloaded with food, begins to actively digest it, temporarily weakening other functions of the body, including the brain, which reluctantly goes into sleep mode. In addition, the digestive system working at night will disrupt the natural cycles of changing fast and slow phases of dreams. Try not to eat food at least 3-4 hours before your night's rest;
• Daytime nap. 1.5 hours of good daytime sleep compensates for 1-2 full phase cycles of the night. At the end of the day, the person will feel much better. Daytime naps are not just for children; in Western countries, a midday “siesta” is the norm;
• Fresh air. Before going to bed, it is imperative to ventilate all rooms, especially the bedroom. At the same time, it is advisable not to perform active actions - for example, replacing it with a long walk can invigorate a person, and he will fall asleep much more slowly. As an addition, take a warm shower - it will further relax your body;
• Comfortable bed. The main factor in the effectiveness and usefulness of sleep is the right bed. The bed should have an orthopedic mattress and appropriate pillows, bed linen should only be natural, fresh and clean. A third of your life is spent in bed - give it maximum of your attention;
• Correct circadian rhythms. Try to fall asleep before midnight, optimally by 21-22 hours - it is during this period that sleep has the maximum restorative effect.

A feature of sound sleep is considered to be improved mood, increased immunity, and normalization of the functioning of internal organs. Proper rest promotes better performance and fights weakness and malaise. With proper sleep, vigor comes after 3-4 hours from the moment you fall asleep, which is not entirely convenient. Let's consider alternative ways to improve the quality of your vacation.

Be in silence

Make sure there is silence for 2 or more hours before going to bed. Home preparations for tomorrow, disputes with household members, noisy parties - all this must be done long before bedtime.

It is important to organize your sleeping area in such a way that it is cozy. Move the TV to the living room, the computer to the office. Under no circumstances use your bedroom as an office, otherwise thoughts about work will constantly haunt you.

Go to rest every 4 hours

The genius of his craft slept no more than 1.5 hours a day, but felt great throughout the day. He slept better than people who rested for more than 8 hours.

The secret is that you need to go to bed every 4 hours, and sleep should be about 15-20 minutes, no longer. Of course, not everyone can maintain such a rhythm of life, but it’s worth adopting the technique.

Look for time to sleep absolutely anywhere: taxi, subway, lunch break. Eliminate worrying thoughts from your mind throughout your rest period.

Put things off until tomorrow

Most people cannot sleep due to unresolved issues. They mentally replay the dialogue in their heads over and over again, while clearly understanding that today this question will remain open.

Disconnect from the past day, put off pressing matters until tomorrow. Late evening and night are not the best time for such manipulations. Think about the blue sea or high mountains, turn on nature sounds or a relaxing melody on your smartphone.

Get ready for bed

Is a grand and exciting event awaiting you tomorrow? Need to wake up at 6 am and still feel well-rested?

Start preparing in advance, prepare to rest 2.5-3 hours before going to bed. Starch your linen, put on pajamas that smell nice. Prepare a hot bath with essential oils, foam and herbs.

Fluff the bed, turn on the night light so that the light is slightly dim. Set an alarm in advance, go to rest, maintaining a posture, lying on your back, not on your stomach.

It is no secret that absolutely every person has his own internal alarm clock, which determines the time of wakefulness and rest.

The alarm clock starts when your closed eyes are exposed to sunlight that breaks through your eyelids. From this moment on, the body prepares to wake up, no matter how late the person went to bed.

To increase your rest time, curtain your windows with thick curtains to block out bright rays. This advice is especially relevant for people with a nocturnal lifestyle or those who want to get a good night's sleep on the weekend.

Follow the biological rhythm

The biological law of nature does not at all imply sleep before lunch or wakefulness at night. The correct time to rest is between 22.00 and 06.00. It is at this time that a person is able to get maximum sleep, and it is important to follow the regime constantly, regardless of whether it is a weekend or weekday. After a certain period of time, you will begin to regain strength not in 8 hours, but in 6-7.

Drink a glass of milk

The main property of whole milk is considered to be the presence of an amino acid (L-tryptophan), which helps to sleep. For this reason, it is recommended to drink 250-300 ml. warm milk with a teaspoon of honey just before bed. You can prepare a drink and take it with you to bed, or sit under a blanket reading your favorite book.

The action begins 20-30 minutes after use. During this period, the main thing is not to miss the moment, so as not to cause the opening of the “second wakefulness”. As soon as you feel sleepy, immediately go to bed.

Don't eat junk food

Avoid eating fatty, fried, spicy, salty and highly sweet foods before bed. Firstly, it contributes to swelling of the limbs and body as a whole, and secondly, you will not be able to get a good night's sleep.

If you want a snack after a hard day at work, prepare a vegetable or fruit salad, drink kefir or eat cottage cheese. At the same time, always observe dietary hygiene, which involves the absorption of complex fats and carbohydrates at least 5 hours before bedtime.

The optimal temperature for sleep is considered to be 19-22 degrees. For this reason, it is recommended to ventilate the room for half an hour or more, depending on the initial temperature. If weather permits, leave the window open all night.

This move will “ventilate” your brain and replenish the lack of oxygen, so in the morning you will feel like a rested person. The main thing is not to freeze: in the summer sleep under a sheet or duvet cover, in the winter - under a warm blanket. Do not overuse air conditioning and heating appliances.

Give up alcohol

The ethyl alcohol released will begin to act as a catalyst, causing dehydration. You will begin to toss and turn, depriving yourself of any opportunity to sleep. It is especially difficult for people who smoke; alcohol and tobacco are an ominous combination.

In addition, in the morning after drinking, you will not feel well-rested at all; headache, fatigue and irritability will set the tone for the whole day.

Don't drink caffeine

Modern people do not get enough sleep so often that they begin to abuse strong coffee and other invigorating drinks. It is important to understand that such products make the heart beat faster, but do not at all contribute to awakening. Not many people know, but green tea with jasmine or lemon balm invigorates better than caffeine, so focus on it.

In cases where it is not possible to give up coffee, drink one mug per day only in the morning. Be sure to add cane sugar or its equivalent, as well as cream/milk. It is worth remembering forever that caffeine is eliminated naturally after 11-14 hours, depending on the strength of the drink.

The modern urban rhythm leaves its mark on society. More and more people are trying to improve their sleep quality without spending a long time. Be quiet, do not eat heavy food, observe the biological rhythm.

Video: how to get enough sleep in 2 hours