Is it possible to sleep for 4 hours? Reducing sleep, how to sleep four hours a day

Contents of the article

Philosophers say that time is a malleable substance; it can be stretched or compressed, stopped or accelerated. Given the nature of time, you can easily find a moment for family, work, study, favorite hobbies and sports. Important matters can be solved by reducing the amount of sleep at night. How to sleep little and get enough sleep without harming your health, you will learn from this article. And stories will help with this famous people who knew exactly how to learn to sleep less.

Do talented people sleep less?

The sleep of many prominent personalities was less than the standard 7-9 hours, along with this they lived full life and made major discoveries.

I could tell you how to sleep less " The Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher. The woman got 4-5 hours of sleep a day, and then learned to sleep for 1.5-2 hours. She said: “I never sleep more than 5 hours a day, I prefer to work.” Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, politician Winston Churchill and light bulb inventor Thomas Edison slept 5 hours at night and took a short nap in the afternoon. The commander and politician Guy Julius Caesar, the diplomat and politician Benjamin Franklin, the commander Napoleon Bonaparte, the third US President - Thomas Jefferson, the amazing inventor Nikola Tesla, spent even less on sleep - from 2 to 4 hours and woke up energetic and active.

You don't have to be a genius to get enough sleep in a short amount of time. Talented celebrities spent 2-3 times less on a night out ordinary people and lived a full life. Why not learn from their experience?

Nikola Tesla also slept little

What's so complicated about that, you say? Sleep 2-4 hours a day and you will free up a lot of free time for necessary things. However, what happens if you sleep uncontrollably 3-4 hours a day? After a week of such lack of sleep the man will fall dead asleep with nervous system disorders, headaches and angina pectoris.

To reveal the secret short nap, let's get acquainted with its stages and features. Somnologists—specialists who study human sleep—define sleep as a state of lowest level consciousness and low reaction to environment. Staying in a dream has a wave-like character, from drowsiness to deep paralysis. The wave of one phase of night oblivion lasts from 80 to 100 minutes, that is, approximately an hour and a half.

Scientists have identified 5 stages of sleep

Falling asleep - drowsiness, half-asleep dreams, confusion of consciousness, the emergence of confused thoughts and images. It takes no more than 10 minutes from the entire cycle.
Superficial sleep - a decrease in the reaction and activity of the body, a decrease in temperature, but at this time a person is easy to wake up. The duration of the phase is 10-20 minutes.
NREM sleep - the eyeballs do not move, the person sleeps soundly and is difficult to wake up. Lasts 15-25 minutes.
The deepest slow-wave sleep - blackout, memory loss, paralysis of the body, slow rhythmic breathing, rare occurrence of fuzzy dreams, sometimes sleepwalking and nightmares, which a person often does not remember. Waking up is difficult, if not impossible. Deep sleep takes 20-30 minutes.

The third and fourth stages are called delta sleep.

REM sleep - the eyeballs move, dreams become vividly colored, the body prepares for an early awakening, the heartbeat and breathing increase, and getting up after sleep is much easier. The stage lasts 10-20 minutes.

Features of night rest

In the first and second cycle REM sleep rarely comes with emotional dreams. Usually, after the fourth, the first stage immediately resumes and everything starts all over again. The phases go one after another until the person gets out of bed.

In the first, second and end of the fifth stages, a person can be easily woken up without harm to health. But in the third slow and fourth deep phases Under no circumstances should a sleeping person be awakened, since his brain is in a state of severe paralysis. He must come out of the trance on his own. naturally, having gone through the prescribed stages of sleep. After a sharp awakening during moments of slow sleep, for example, when an alarm clock rings, you will be haunted by a feeling of fatigue all day. The person’s well-being will become depressed, his mood will be bad, nervous system inhibited or overly excited, which will be dangerous for brain function.

Some people are born with a special gene called hDEC2, which allows them to remain awake after just 6 hours and 25 minutes of sleep. Happy owners of this gene need much less sleep than others, but they feel great, without yawning or falling asleep on the go all day. But for most of us, four hours of sleep is... real challenge. When a common person does not get enough sleep at night, and a full day of work or study awaits him, due to fatigue and lack of sleep, the upcoming hours are difficult for him. Good news- you can cope with lack of sleep! Learn the specific techniques below to help you stay awake at your desk.

Steps

How to deal with lack of sleep

When you wake up, do some exercise. Get your body moving by doing a couple of morning exercises. You can go for a run, walk, jog, or stretch. Exercise raises your body temperature and releases hormones and endorphins in your body, giving you more energy.

Do stretching exercises for your upper body. To do this, lie on your back with your arms extended at your sides, palms up. Then lift your knees towards your chest and turn them to the right. Hips and knees should touch each other - do not spread them apart.
Turn your head to the left. Try to make sure that both shoulders touch the floor. With your left palm above chest level, at an angle of 180°, describe an arc towards right palm and touch it. Turn your head to follow your hand. Then slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat this exercise 10 times, then switch sides and repeat the same exercise on the other side.
Pump up your abs. Lie on your back, face up, and bend your knees. Feet should be on the floor. Press your hands to the floor, next to your hips. Tighten up abdominal muscles and lift both shoulder blades off the floor.
Maintain this position by doing deep breath, and then return to the starting position and exhale. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times. Remember to breathe correctly each time you repeat the exercise.
Do basic squats. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, thumbs legs point straight forward. Extend your arms in front of you, palms facing each other. Then transfer your weight to your heels and squat down, directing your body slightly back and down (as if sitting on a chair).
The knees should not extend beyond the toes. Hold this position by taking a deep breath, then return to the starting position and exhale. Perform the exercise 5-10 times.

After waking up, take a shower. At the end of your shower, turn on first for 30 seconds cold water, then hot for 30 seconds, and then cold - again for 30 seconds. Such cold and hot shower for 90 seconds will help you quickly wake up, refresh and feel energized for the whole day.

Eat foods that will give you maximum energy. Stay away from heavy carbohydrates (such as bread or pasta) because they take a long time to digest and can make you drowsy. In addition, you should avoid products with high content sweeteners, such as candy, cakes and sugary sodas, because they cause your body's sugar levels to spike and cause you to lose energy. Instead, it's better to choose foods that help raise your blood sugar levels, providing you with energy throughout the day.
- A handful of almonds are a great snack and are high in vitamin E and magnesium. Almonds are also rich in proteins, which will provide you with energy throughout the day.
- A jar of Greek yogurt is high in protein, but contains less lactose and carbohydrates than regular yogurt. Such a snack will saturate your body, but will not take away your energy and will not make you even more tired.
- Popcorn is a great snack for office work, and it's also... good source carbohydrates, especially if it is not fried in oil.
- Eat a salad with greens, such as spinach or kale, to boost your iron levels. This will improve your concentration and attention.
Drink more coffee throughout the day. A cup of coffee will invigorate and relieve the feeling of fatigue. To feel even more energetic, try to drink a cup of coffee every 4 hours.

Take a 10-30 minute nap. Find a quiet place and take a short nap, but no longer than 30 minutes! This way you will get rid of the irresistible desire to sleep more, which occurs when a person sleeps for more than 30 minutes and then feels weak and unfocused. Plus, taking a 30-minute nap won't disrupt your sleep patterns, allowing you to get a restful night's sleep.
- Set a timer or alarm for 30 minutes so that half an hour doesn't turn into an hour.
Bring a protein-rich snack with you. Proteins stimulate the production of orexins (neurotransmitters) in the brain. Orexin regulates arousal, affects insomnia and appetite. Therefore, snacking on protein-rich foods will stimulate your brain throughout the day and help you stay energized.
- Eat healthy snacks, such as a handful of almonds, peanuts or cashews. Rice crackers, cheese and turkey and ham are also great and filling snack options.
- Fruits rich in fiber (such as apples) and natural sugars(for example, oranges) - great options snacks that will help you feel energized.
Turn on the light. The light will reduce the level of melatonin, which causes sleepiness, and you will be able to calmly stay awake despite lack of sleep. Try to balance the bright lighting in the room with the dim light above your desk.

Stretch or go for a walk every 30 minutes. Lungs physical exercise every 30 minutes will keep your brain and body in good shape, especially if you sit at your desk at the computer all the time. Take a walk in a nearby park or take a few laps around your neighborhood. More active exercise (running or sprinting) will help maintain hormonal background, and you definitely won't fall asleep during the day.

Sleep according to Leonardo da Vinci's schedule

Leonardo da Vinci's sleep schedule is a system also known as the “sleep of a genius” or polyphasic sleep, is a type of sleep pattern in which a person sleeps no more than 5 hours a day. Some experts are more strict, arguing that in order to follow Da Vinci's sleep schedule, a person must get into the habit of sleeping an average of two hours a day, as Leonardo slept. Others interpret the term even more loosely, allowing practitioners to sleep an extra few hours at night.

The da Vinci sleep schedule is suitable for people who have control over their daily schedule. Basically, the system requires followers to take multiple 10-minute naps for a total of two hours of sleep per day. Another option is to nap for 20 minutes every four hours. This technique, known as the “power of naps” or the “Uberman sleep schedule,” is used by some corporations as a way to increase employee creative productivity.

People who try to sleep on a da Vinci schedule are putting their bodies through a very difficult adjustment process. Experts agree that the first two weeks of adaptation can be very difficult: coordination is impaired, energy levels drop, and the level of general combat readiness decreases. Some followers of the system feel nauseous, headache or lose their appetite. All symptoms disappear on their own after 10-14 days and the body returns to responding normally.

The main advantage of sleeping according to the da Vinci schedule is considered to be the emergence of free time, which steals from us traditional dream 7-10 hours a day. In addition, the person sleeping according to the da Vinci system sees more vivid dreams. The benefits of the method are so obvious that many people - the poet Lord Byron, Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon - for centuries after Leonardo used the da Vinci sleep schedule during periods of intense work and critical situations.

The main disadvantage of the da Vinci sleep schedule is the complexity of the system. It is unlikely that the possibility of periodic sleep during the day could be used by people working in normal work hours. It is also not suitable for people with reduced level blood sugar or have other health problems: additional stress may worsen their condition.

It should be added that trying to follow Leonardo works better for those for whom creativity is an integral part of existence. For those who do not have time to implement many creative ideas or lack original ideas. The genius's dream can solve these problems better than many other remedies.

ps: Stalin seemed to still be sleeping like that, according to Leo...

The alarm clock shows three o'clock in the morning, in a few hours it's time to get up for work or school, but the dream still didn't please you with new twists of the subconscious? Not even a glass helps you fall asleep warm milk, nor a cold pillow?

Sleep problems plague more than half of the world's population, and there is still no single effective method, which would help cope with insomnia. Of course, you can resort to drug intervention, but the effect of pills on the body can have catastrophic consequences.

Many people wonder about 4 hours and not walking around depressed and tired all day, while not tossing and turning in bed half the night. You can find answers to it only by finding out how you can influence it.

Sleep as a science

To understand how to get enough sleep in 4 hours and get tired less often, you need to understand that sleep is a process through which the human brain assimilates all the information received during the day. At this time, the organs of the body rest, and biochemical processes help to awaken.

Experts recommend setting aside time for sleep from 22.00 to 3.00. If it is later than 3 o’clock in the morning, the human body will begin to age faster: the nervous system will deteriorate, irritability and nervousness will increase. Biorhythms will help you understand why this particular period of time is ideal for sleep.

Biorhythms

The human body performs certain functions at strictly defined times:

From 3.30 to 4 a.m. the breathing center is activated.
At 5 am the colon begins to become excited.
From 6 am, hormones are released in the body, the metabolism is the fastest.
From 7 to 9 o'clock in the morning - best time for a light breakfast.
9 am is time for mental activity.
10 o'clock - at this time blood circulation is fastest, new information is best remembered.
12.00 is the best time to study.
From 12.00 to 13.00 the acidity level in the stomach increases. This period is favorable for eating and unfavorable for learning.
At 14.00 the processes are restored.
From 15.00 to 20.00 is the ideal time for work.
Starting from 20.00 it decreases arterial pressure and metabolism.
From 21.00 the brain begins to prepare for sleep. Body temperature decreases, secretion of organs and skin calms down.
From 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., cells in the body are actively renewed, and the nervous system is being restored.

Types of sleep

Scientists have long divided sleep into two radically different types, and in order to quickly get enough sleep in 4 hours, it is important to know their characteristics.

There are:

Slow sleep.
Quick sleep.

NREM sleep, in turn, consists of four phases.

First phase. At this stage, the person falls asleep, the brain continues active work: looks for answers to questions that arise during the day, creates images, etc.
Second phase. At this time, the human body calms down. Muscle activity decreases, pulse and breathing slow down. Brain function is noticeably reduced. The body enters a phase when it is easy to wake up.
Third phase. Transitional stage of slow-wave sleep.
Fourth phase. During this period comes the most deep dream. This phase is considered the most significant, as the brain rests and restores its ability to work. During the fourth phase, it is very difficult to wake up a sleeping person.

Scientists also classified the stages of slow-wave sleep. The first two are related to shallow sleep, and the last two are related to deep sleep.

During fast sleep, or REM sleep, the brain does not rest, but, on the contrary, begins to work more actively. It is characterized by fast movements eyeballs under the eyelids.

Interestingly, during REM sleep a person sleeps more soundly than during slow sleep. And waking him up is much more difficult. REM sleep is designed for:

Assimilate the information received during the day.
Adaptation to environmental conditions.

Experts note that in this phase people see the most vivid dreams.

Best time to relax

Many treatises have been written on how to get enough sleep in 4 hours. And in almost every one of them it is noted that for quality sleep it is important to follow biochronology. Night rest must be at midnight. According to biorhythms, a person should go to bed at approximately 20.00-21.00 and wake up around 4-5 am. Yogis also advise sticking to a routine and getting up at 3 am, when the breathing center is stimulated.

It is better to start preparing for bed at 8 pm. During this period, a person feels the most sleepy. This condition installs for only 10-15 minutes. Doctors also advise putting children to bed at 8-9 pm, since their period of drowsiness is much more pronounced.

Lifestyle

A person who is even remotely familiar with the biorhythm schedule will be able to go to bed at 21-22 hours without making any effort. Getting up early will also not be an impossible task for him. In the morning he will wake up easily and, importantly, feel rested.

However, those who are used to performing daytime activities at night: working, cleaning, or just having fun, will eventually deplete the body's energy reserves and cause damage. irreparable harm nervous system. It is not surprising that those who lead a midnight lifestyle are characterized by depression, despondency and a feeling of weakness.

Such people should remember that sleep after midnight is less effective than before the onset of a new day. It will be more beneficial for the body to sleep three hours before midnight and get enough sleep than to go to bed at three in the morning, sleep for half a day and still wake up tired.

Proper nutrition

It depends on what a person eats whether he can get enough sleep in 4-5 hours. The REM sleep technique will not help if you eat dead and heavy food. The body spends on digesting such food a large number of energy, thereby requiring significantly more hours of sleep for rest. Those who consume healthy and raw food, do not spend a lot of energy for digestion, therefore, they get enough sleep much faster.

New information

How to get enough sleep in 4 hours? Many people ask this question. But only small part The population knows that the quality of sleep is influenced by information received during the day and immediately before bedtime.

If, before going to bed, you watch a horror movie that is full of murders or creepy scenes, then the problem of how to get enough sleep in 4-5 hours will become insoluble. Nightmares generated by the subconscious after watching scary scenes will not force the body to gain strength, but, on the contrary, will force the brain to be active. Experts advise watching relaxing films and TV series before bed that will bring peace and tranquility.

Relaxation

Scientists are solving the problem of how to sleep for 4 hours and get enough sleep using complete relaxation body. Before falling asleep, you need to discard all the problems that have accumulated during the day and achieve a state of complete peace. Yoga and meditation come to the rescue. Scented candles and simple asanas will relax the body and calm the mind.

But in 4 hours? The REM sleep technique involves a pose called savasana. In this position, the person lies on his back, his arms and legs are spread out in different sides. It is necessary to alternately tense and relax all the muscles of the body. This simple exercise will help you fall into deep sleep faster.

Water procedures

What is the connection between water procedures and how to get enough sleep in 4 hours? The REM sleep technique states that warm water relaxes the body and brings it into sleepy state. During water procedures the body throws off all the dirt that has accumulated throughout the day. The pores begin to breathe.

To give your body additional relaxation, experts recommend taking warm foot baths several times a week. Aromatic and medicinal herbs should be added to the water.

Fresh air in the room

An important aspect for quality sleep and getting enough sleep in 4-5 hours is Fresh air in the room. Before going to bed, it is necessary to ventilate the room.

Scientists have proven that a person falls asleep much worse in a cold room than in a warm room. However, even with the stuffiness, it is difficult to get a good night's sleep. And all because in both cases the body spends a lot of energy regulating body temperature.

The way out of the situation is simple. When it’s cold, sleep under a warm blanket, and in the summer heat, buy bedding that breathes. Doctors also advise choosing pajamas made from natural materials that will not irritate the skin and will help achieve maximum relaxation.

Sleep is an important part of every person's life. Healthy sleep will help keep the body in good shape, delay aging and protect the nervous system. Getting enough sleep is important, but for those who do not have time to rest for eight hours and only have to sleep 4 hours a day, it is worth falling asleep before midnight, when sleep is most beneficial.

In order to know how to get enough sleep in 4 hours, you need to understand that sleep is an amazing process through which our brain processes all the information received in 1 day.

Many specialists It is recommended to go to bed at 22:00-24:00 and wake up after 4-6 hours. During this time, our nervous system will not be destroyed, nervousness and irritability will disappear, the body man will go on the mend. In addition, biorhythms will help you understand what periods of time will be ideal for sleep.

Biorhythms

At strictly defined times, our body performs some important features:

From 3.30 to 4 a.m., a person’s breathing center is activated.
At 5 o'clock in the morning the colon begins to become excited.
From 6 to 7 am, hormones are released.
From 7 to 9 am - time to have breakfast.
From 9 to 10 am is the period of mental activity.
From 10 o'clock - new information is better remembered, blood circulation occurs quickly.
At 12.00 - you need to study.
From 12.00 to 13.00 is the period for eating.
At 14.00 hours - all processes are restored.
From 15.00 to 20.00 is time for work.
At 20.00 metabolism and blood pressure decrease.
21.00 - getting ready for bed.
From 22.00 to 4.00 - the nervous system is restored, cells in the body are renewed.

Types of sleep

Total distinguish these types of sleep:

Slow sleep.
Quick sleep.

NREM sleep consists of the following phases:

1st phase. At this stage, the human brain continues to be active and falls asleep. He processes all the information received, creates images, and looks for answers to questions.

Phase 2. Muscle activity decreases, breathing and pulse normalize, the body calms down, and brain function decreases.

Phase 3. Transitional stage of slow-wave sleep.

Phase 4. In this phase, the brain rests and fully restores all its ability to work. It is considered the deepest sleep.

During REM sleep, a person sleeps much more soundly than during slow sleep. That's why REM sleep is needed for:

Assimilate all the information received in 1 day.
Adaptation to environmental conditions.

REM sleep technique

How to sleep 4 hours and get enough sleep? This question interests many people. To master this technique, you need to familiarize yourself with the main rules of “quick rest”:

— Before going to bed, you need to relax and not think about problems. You can listen to relaxing music or meditate for 10 minutes. Also, making love with your loved one helps you quickly get distracted and relax.

— Don't eat at night. Use only light food, which is quickly absorbed by the body.

— Cover yourself with a warm blanket in cold weather. In warmth, our body rests more productively than in cold.

— If in your room a lot of extra light then a regular blindfold will help you improve your sleep.

— Earplugs will help you get rid of any noise. Such a useful and simple thing will protect your nervous system and sleep.

— For sleep problems (insomnia or parasomnia) best advice There will be the use of special phytotherapeutic pillows.

— Go to bed at a certain time to develop a personal sleep routine for yourself. Usually this will take you more than a month.

— Give yourself one day of the week so you can sleep at least 9 hours. Thanks to this method, you can quickly and smoothly adapt to your individual regime.

— And the last thing is probably the most important rule — go to bed before midnight. Perfect time For sleep it is considered from 22.00 to 4.00-6.00.

These rules will help you change your sleep pattern, and you will be able to get enough sleep in the most short time. Your nervous system will be fine, you will not be irritable and sleepy.