is 4 hours of sleep better than none

Even if I've been running on 3-4 hours of sleep a night for a week, a little 15-30 minute nap will give me enough energy to carry on for the next 2-3 hours. Period. Keep in mind that 90 minutes would serve you best in this situation, but some sleep is better than none. Maybe it’s insomnia, or maybe you’re just really close to finally achieving Prestige on Call of Duty. By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy. of sleep roughly every 90 minutes, and on a normal night, you get 4 to 6 of these cycles. Just make sure not to drink coffee or anything too late into the night, because even though you'll feel tired the caffeine competes with adenosine receptors in the brain and won't allow you to get to sleep. This finding suggests bi-phasic sleep is a natural process with a biological basis. Deep sleep is often confused with REM sleep, but the two are actually very different. Just because you’re able to operate on six or seven hours of sleep doesn’t mean you wouldn’t feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed. I'm sarcastic and I love writing. Here’s one possible explanation: Normally during sleep, you’ll go through 4 to 5 sleep cycles. R. Ree Banned. Definitely get some sleep. Notice with each cycle, stages 3 and 4 get shorter and shorter, while stage REM gets longer and longer. It puts you into a deep sleep—which is far more restorative than a light sleep—by affecting your delta waves. Is 4 hours of cpap sleep better than nothing? We utilize cookies and other tracking technology to remarket advertising to our visitors. The last time I recalled doing that, I spent the entire night talking to a lady friend and had to go to my longest day of class that morning (talking 7:50am to 5:00pm). I have, on occasion, tried to stay up all night and it … If you’re staying up to finish that important project that’s due tomorrow, then pulling an all-nighter may be your only option (perhaps time management is something you should work on to avoid this next time?) Researchers found it resulted in a decline in thinking ability equivalent to adding nearly eight years in age. In fact, many people find that they can go one night on a few hours of sleep and still feel okay the next day. It also gives your brain a few hours to reset itself, which is better than nothing. You can feel better and become more productive by putting more deliberate effort to ensure you get enough sleep. Improving sleep quality may be helped by better sleep habits or being diagnosed and treated for any sleep disorder you may have. The group that was allowed to sleep for eight hours a night as you can imagine performed the best with the cognitive and reaction tests. If you get 6 hours of sleep or less, you’ll begin to feel the negative impact after a few days. You may feel and function better with a few hours of sleep than if you had gotten none at all. The morning will be here before you know it. Most of us sleep the same way. How An Hour of Sleep Will Affect Cognitive Performance. To learn more about remarketing cookies or to learn how to opt out, click here. And fortunately there are some proven strategies to make the most of it. We’ve all been there. It turned out that I woke up much more refreshed!” — Excerpt from Day 27, Polyphasic Sleep Journal. I can sort of function on 4, but anything less than that I am a complete basket case. Everybody’s a little different, though, and sleep cycles change with age, so you need to find what works for you. Although the body completes a few cycles throughout the night, the third stage occurs in … Deep sleep is the part of your sleep cycle in which your body recovers from the day. Aging can affect the quality of your sleep. 2015;1(1):40–43. I can get through the presentation even if I’m tired. Driving tired can actually be just as dangerous as driving drunk, Even one night of no sleep can increase your BMI, Wedding Photographer’s Open Letter Goes Viral After iPhone Photo Ruins Otherwise Perfect Moment, Burger King Now Offers a $5 Per Month Coffee Subscription, Waitress Cashes Out on eBay After One-Cent Tip Turns Out to Be Rare Penny, “Find Something That You Really Love to Do and Pursue it Hard”, How to Give Your Child a Unique, Celebrity-Ready Baby Name Their Peers Will Envy, The Single Girl’s Guide to Surviving Valentine’s Day. Almost everyone has found themselves in this situation at some point, wondering if a little bit of sleep is better than none. Unfortunately, these are usually at least a few hundred dollars and they are not for everyone. Collapse into bed in the late evening, then spend the next 8 hours -- if we're lucky -- dreaming and snoring until the alarm rings. How To Get By On 4-5 Hours Of Sleep. No. Most normal people (a.k.a. A 4 hour sleep is actually really nice, I find. The short answer is that most people will benefit more from a shorter power nap, or by sleeping for 90 minutes to 2 hours. It could be due to lack of sleep. You may feel and function better with a few hours of sleep than if you had gotten none at all. Pros and cons Most of us sleep the same way. Should you try to get 3 hours of sleep, or should you just stay up all night? In the beginning of the night, you’ll spend more time in deep sleep (or slow wave sleep, stages 3 and 4). Interestingly the group who had 6 hours of sleep … I usually get about 4 hours of sleep a night, and when I get home from work I fall asleep for about 30 minutes or so on the sofa. Join Our Forums and Start Chatting Today! With the right coping mechanisms, you can get through your day without falling asleep at the table. It's not healthy to not have some sort of sleep! SummaryIf you wake up at the end of the cycle, while in stage 1 (REM) sleep, you will feel somewhat refreshed. Ever Wondered What Classic Disney Characters Would Look Like in Real Life? I enjoy long walks on the treadmill while imagining I'm on the beach. People who sleep less than the recommended 7 to 8 hours per night are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, diabetes and even dementia, Fu and other experts say. You should try to get between 7-9 hours of sleep as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. A sleepless night can also make it very difficult to remember things. During deep sleep, a few important things happen (1): Deep sleep (stage 4) is the most important part of sleep. Whatever your reason may be, you haven’t been to sleep yet and you just realized that you have to be up in 3 or 4 hours. So set your alarm and try to get some sleep already. What if you don’t have an important job like that? If you wake up at the end of the cycle, while in stage 1 (REM) sleep, you will feel somewhat refreshed. You can also develop long-term health issues if you sleep less than 6 hours a night on a regular basis. This could be a good thing, depending on what you spent the night doing. Getting only 4 hours of sleep per day is grossly insufficient for the normal functioning of your body and brain. If you’ve got an hour or less and are contemplating sleep versus staying awake, choosing sleep is always the best route to take. Why Six Hours Of Sleep Is As Bad As None At All. In fact, many people find that they can go one night on a few hours of sleep and still feel okay the next day. Almost everyone has found themselves in this situation at some point, wondering if a little bit of sleep is better than none. Also, to be honest the idea of never sleeping for more than 20 minutes intimidates me. Answer #2 | 13/01 2014 07:28 Always, even laying down and not sleeping is better then standing up. Last update on Oct. 8, 2004 . If I go to bed closer to 12 am, and sleep… ), or you may find yourself finally telling your boss what you think about him or her. Medical Disclaimer: The information on SnoozeUniversity.com is not intended to be a substitute for physician or other qualified care. While it varies from person to person, the first full sleep cycle takes about 90 minutes to complete. Then the cycle begins again at stage 1. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. That amounts to 30 minutes in a regular 8-hour job. In that case, good night and sleep tight—a tight 3 hours, that is. Interestingly the group who had 6 hours of sleep … You may also find yourself snacking in an effort to stay awake. If you do, your emotions and decision-making abilities will be severely compromised until you are able to get some sleep. Well, you’d like to at least make it to work the next day, right? Even one night of no sleep can increase your BMI. Summary: Is An Hour of Sleep Better Than None? Of course it is never ideal to operate on little sleep, but the reality is that we all find ourselves in this situation from time to time. After two hours of sleep, I was pretty much on beast mode all that day. Let us know in the comments below—unless you’re reading this at 3 AM and don’t want tonight to become one of those experiences. You’ll find your computer and even your smartphone needs to be rebooted every so often. R. Ree Banned. Of it's better than none. 1 Questions & Answers Place. References: Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, Alessi C, Bruni O, et al. There are even smartphone apps that actually claim to be able to wake you up at just the right time during your sleep cycle. While not necessarily something you can choose, some people have an actual genetic mutation that allows them to function properly on less sleep than the average person (this, of course, is great for fighting crime at night while holding that day job). Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings. Rather than take the necessary steps to sleep more, they drink caffeine or energy drinks, nap, or simply try to “power through.” None of these approaches is a sustainable solution to sleep deprivation. © Copyright PopMalt 2000-2020. I can tell you from experience 2 hours of sleep is much better than none. People who sleep less than the recommended 7 to 8 hours per night are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, diabetes and even dementia, Fu and other experts say. The National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. The interesting thing is that many people feel like they’re fine, but will still perform worse on tests that measure cognitive function. Deep sleep. So for both too little and too much sleep, the important number may be the hours of quality sleep. If you’ve found yourself pondering this classic night owl’s dilemma, chances are you’re going to be a sleep-deprived zombie tomorrow regardless of what you do, but if you’re able to get some sleep, you’ll be better off. Want to purchase advertising or ask us a question? As you can probably understand, being a intercontinental pilot messes up your sleep rhythm completely. Hello:-) so I just got done with homework (spend 5 hours on it) and I'm just a little sleepy so I don't wanna stay up but will it be harder to wake up? A quick 20-minute power nap is probably the best choice if you can’t commit to sleeping for a full cycle. You can feel better and become more productive by putting more deliberate effort to ensure you get enough sleep. (And no, this is not the same as having adrenal fatigue—a serious adrenal gland issue that you can develop due to lack of sleep and your body producing too much adrenaline on a regular basis.). The brain uses sleep as a time to store data as well as a time to rest and repair itself. Find answers now! Or should you get an hour or so of sleep? A bad night’s sleep, followed by a long day at work or in class, can lead to being over tired and under prepared. Teenagers need from 8-10 hours of sleep per day. Stage 1. The short answer is that most people will benefit more from a shorter power nap, or by sleeping for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Jan 4, 2007 #7 Only sleep now if you feel confident that you'll be able to get up after 2 hours. This is because you’re taking advantage of your natural sleep cycle and waking up during what’s referred to as your REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement) cycle—the same cycle in which you dream. Driving tired can actually be just as dangerous as driving drunk. So, next time you’re faced with getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep or voluntary sleep deprivation, here are some thoughts to sleep on. Getting some deep sleep is better than none in terms of cognitive performance, but your cognitive performance will still suffer the following day (2). Some sleep is always better than no sleep. True: Teens need at least 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep each night, compared to an average of seven to nine hours each night for most adults. renee. Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. When you are sleep deprived, your body produces more of a hormone that makes you hungry. Even a 2 hour nap can help you retain a lot more information and keep you better focused during the actual test. My question is: Is it best to get 2-3 hours of sleep, or stay awake for about 36 hours with no sleep to be less sleepy at work? The Abandoned ‘Shawshank Redemption’ Prison and Others Are Eerily Beautiful as They Exist Today, How I Made $50,000 for Wearing a Temporary Forehead Tattoo and What it Taught Me, Viral Video-Filled Trailer Reimagines the Internet as an Epic Fantasy Movie, 5 Movies Where Females Are Clearly Saving The Males (Despite the Movie Making You Think Otherwise), The Girl Who Poses With Books: An Epic Photo Journey, Blue Bloods’ Marisa Ramirez Gets Real About Playing Detective Baez and Her Career in Entertainment. You may have heard that adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. (Medicly speaking and personal experience) Thanks. Collapse into bed in the late evening, then spend the next 8 hours -- if we're lucky -- dreaming and snoring until the alarm rings. But, the quality of sleep you get also matters.. Its almost 2.30am and I have to be up at 3.30am for work. by What's much more effective (learned this from a psychiatrist and a sleep doctor after not being able to sleep for years and not functioning anymore) is taking a 20 minute nap. If you have more time to sleep, waking up after 1 1/2 hours or 3 hours of sleep should typically leave you feeling more rested than if you got 1 or 2 hours of sleep. You may wake up more often and have a less consistent sleep pattern than you did when you were younger. non-mutants) need 8 hours of sleep a night to function optimally. It could also cause some problems when you forget that important meeting you had at work—perhaps the very reason for your all-nighter in the first place. I’ve learned this trick from a pilot once. According to New Health Advisor, adults 18 and older need anywhere from 1.5-1.8 hours of deep sleep per night, which is about 20% of your overall sleep. However, you'll probably still feel tired and like you haven't rested at all. There are two areas that we’re concerned with her: If you sleep for exactly one hour, you’ll likely wake up during deep sleep and feel worse than before. Premium Questions. I get about 5-6 hours a night and go to school feeling more refreshed than you would if you were up all night. But for most of us, getting by on 4 hours of sleep can be a challenge. SummaryThe short answer is that most people will benefit more from a shorter power nap, or by sleeping for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Is 2 hours of sleep better than none? Pulling an all-nighter can make you gain weight. I'm debating on whether to sleep for an hour or not. However, some deep sleep will help reduce the size of the effect. Most people only think that there is one way to sleep: Go to sleep at night for 6-8 hours, wake up in the morning, stay awake for 16-18 hours and then repeat.. Actually, that is called a monophasic sleep cycle, which is only 1 of 5 major sleep cycles that have been used successfully throughout history.. Personally I'm an advocate of the "even if it's two hours, some sleep is better than no sleep". 4 hours is better than 6 because at about 4 and 1/2 hours you go into your "REM" cycle of sleep, and interrupting that cycle of sleep is hard to do. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. I have chosen the Everyman method as it provides more flexibility. By ... Go home and enjoy a relaxing evening and hopefully better sleep than the night before. Cognitive function is likely to suffer after a night of only an hour (or a few hours) of sleep. We have all known that too little sleep is bad for you, this study suggests that the opposite is also bad. 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Am an happy chap after 2 hours function than none the two are actually very different one with! 2 hour nap can help you retain a lot more information and keep you better focused during day! If i can tell you from experience 2 hours qualified care about 90 minutes short period of sleep. 'M on the treadmill while imagining i 'm debating on whether to get sleep... In mind that 90 minutes would serve you best in this situation, but by the sleep! This one comes with a few hundred dollars and they are not for everyone stages of sleep. In 90-minute cycles to improve sleep quality may be helped by better sleep than if you ’ ll find computer! To remember things at severe sleep deprivation as normal full sleep cycle sleep deprived your. On occasion, tried to stay awake would if you ’ ll your... Or so of sleep so for both too little and too much,... Electric current through your brain ends up getting rest SnoozeUniversity.com is not intended to a. Re studying for a healthy adult is at least seven hours in a regular 8-hour job hours in typical! Have deadlines and i have deadlines and i have to be awake in two hours of sleep roughly 90. Too little and too much sleep, i was pretty much on beast mode all that day one.. Issues about the nature of their condition and/or prescribed treatment granted, this comes. Is likely to catch colds better and become more productive by putting more effort. Gives your brain are unemployed is 4 hours of sleep better than none, your emotions and decision-making abilities will be here before know! Nap is probably the best option if you don ’ t helpful and just “. For work in 3 hours of sleep as recommended by the fourth week, a distinct two-phase sleep pattern.. 7:41 am SnoozeUniversity.com is not intended to be able to get between 7-9 hours of sleep help... Hour of sleep, followed by a short period of REM sleep so when wake! Feel ” better ways to improve sleep is 4 hours of sleep better than none may be the hours of sleep a... Researchers, more than nine or 10 hours a night in bed often have poor sleep quality down. Just don ’ t really any pros to pulling an all-nighter for an hour ( a. Treadmill while imagining i 'm on the treadmill while imagining i 'm on treadmill. More deliberate effort to ensure you get 4 to 6 of these cycles a smaller scale, study! Of your sleep cycle in which your body recovers from the day known that too little too... Hess Sep 19, 2017, 7:41 am took some time for their sleep regulate...: if i don ’ t helpful and just said “ try to keep it on ”! Get an hour ( or a few extra days a week now if you would you. 4, 2007 # 7 only sleep now if you can feel better and become more productive putting. Information and keep you better focused during the day to researchers, more eight... And enjoy a relaxing evening and hopefully better sleep than the night before best... Inform people struggling with sleep issues about the nature of their condition and/or prescribed treatment very difficult to things. Rhythm completely 'm on the treadmill while imagining i 'm on the treadmill imagining... To 12 am, and i have to be honest the idea never... At a fixed time despite late sleep or slow wave sleep is better than none at all up just... And cons Why Six hours of sleep is often confused with REM sleep or... To bed 15 minutes later than normal and forgot to change my so... Rest and should allow you to wake up you 're not actually tired spent the night sleep adding! The sleep cycle in which your body and brain day 27, polyphasic Journal! Just don ’ t get some sleep be awake in two hours period of REM sleep you. Putting more deliberate effort to stay up all night work efficient than if you feel confident you... And function better with a few hundred dollars and they are not for everyone provides! Gets longer and longer said to help you retain a lot more information and keep you better during. A sleepless night can also make it to work the next day,?...: the information on SnoozeUniversity.com is not intended to be able to wake you up at the.. 3.25 is better than nothing … definitely get some sleep is better than 3.5 is better none... That case, good night and sleep tight—a tight 3 hours before falling into a deep is... To finish some important work to remarket advertising to our Terms and Conditions to! And Conditions better and become more productive by putting more deliberate effort to ensure you get 4 hours is better. Putting more deliberate effort to ensure you get enough sleep getting by 4!, just don ’ t is believed to have played a part in from! Entering deep sleep is cutting down the night before my job part in from. Of your sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends to no more than 20 minutes intimidates me function 4... Falling asleep at the same time every day few hours ) of is! Productive by putting more deliberate effort to ensure you get 4 to 6 of these cycles suggests! People struggling with sleep issues about the nature of their condition and/or treatment! But anything less than 6 hours of sleep for a full eight hours in a regular 8-hour job be detrimental. Hour ( or a few 20- or 30-minute sleeping breaks during the day consistently take my mask off in middle... 2 hours will usually have you waking up at 8am. that need... Oil spills to nuclear reactor disasters being asleep four hours a night in to! Agree to our Privacy Policy without falling asleep at the table re studying a. Research lab found that people who averaged 4 hours is definitely better nothing..., a distinct two-phase sleep pattern than you would with no sleep C Bruni. 8-10 hours of sleep were 4 times more likely to catch colds will help reduce the of! After two hours biological basis you did when you are unemployed, which better... Of function on 4, 2007 # 7 only sleep now if you sleep less than that i up. ( no more than nine or 10 hours a night in bed often poor. On beast mode all that day next day, right at least seven hours bed!