What if we only needed 6 hrs sleep a day?

y0ssar1an22

Thats an extra 8% a day to do stuff.
Would we be 8% closer to nuclear war/world ending event?
or would we be 8% closer to a peaceful world?
would technology be 8% more advanced?

Endless possibilities. What would you do with your 8%? and what state do you think the world would be in?

I could have phrased this as 'what if we needed 0 hrs sleep a day', but thats not realistic...I think 6 hrs sleep a day is realistic.

SEPT 23 1989

6 hours sleep would be a luxury for some of us

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

how about you just set your alarm for six hours sleep and get the **** out of bed when it goes off?

seriously, it's not that hard. you just swing a leg out of the bed, place it on the ground and use the pressure you place on that leg to move the rest of your body into a standing position and walk to the shower.

Local-womanizer

That's how much I sleep a day anyway, as do a lot of people I know. I still get feck all done!

I'm sure most of us would be wasting the extra 8% sitting in an office doing very little while pretending to do a lot.

jester77

I usually only sleep around 6 hours a day, life is short enough as it is.

OU812

Almost never get more than six. Normally five.

"What if..." Pfffffttttt...

Rose35

6 hrs sleep uninterrupted, what a luxury!!! get less and still haven't enough time to get things done............

hansfrei

Gerup auwa dat gard'n

Seachmall

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

I think 6 hrs sleep a day is realistic.

It is and a lot of people do it.

I've done weeks with 5 hours of sleep and up to 100 hours of work.

Productivity can fall as a result though despite working more hours.

y0ssar1an22

You people that already sleep 6 hrs a day...you would be also granted your 8% saving, so you would sleep only 4 hrs a day roughly

kowloon

I'd probably use all the extra time for sleeping.

--Kaiser--

I like around 8 hours sleep everyday, some need a bit more and some need a bit less but 8 is a good figure.

There are many men throughout history who claimed to get by on 4 hours a sleep, e.g. Edison (contemptible man). Except his employees noted that he kept sleeping at work. So in other words he was full of ****. Issac Asimov also slept only 4 hours a day, but constantly complained of a poor memory, a likely by product of inadequate sleep

I am a 5 hour guy. MAybe 6 on the weekend.

seamus

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

how about you just set your alarm for six hours sleep and get the **** out of bed when it goes off?

seriously, it's not that hard. you just swing a leg out of the bed, place it on the ground and use the pressure you place on that leg to move the rest of your body into a standing position and walk to the shower.

"It's not that hard". You clearly haven't a clue.
When you're knackered, getting out of bed when the alarm goes off is literally one of the most difficult things in the world.

6 hours sleep though is doable. You can train yourself to adjust to a certain amount of sleep. Takes two weeks initially to get over the bleary eyes and horrible mornings (tip: don't go out drinking or you're fncked), and about 3 months for it to become "normal". At any stage in those 3 months, it's very easy to accidentally get 10 hours sleeps and start falling back into the old pattern.

anncoates

Parents laugh at your OP.

Cavehill Red

Deleted User wrote: »

I am a 5 hour guy. MAybe 6 on the weekend.

Ditto. My ma was a right Thatcher. By that I mean she only had 4 hours sleep a night, not that she murdered Argentinians, Irish Republicans, coal miners and old age pensioners. My ma wouldn't do that, no matter how sleep deprived.

Lyssa

Supposedly, you can get by on much less sleep, takes some time, and training, but seem to be benefits (although, haven't looked into it too much, so am sure there are risks too)

http://www.wikihow.com/Adopt-a-Polyphasic-Sleep-Schedule

TheBody

Early to bed and early to rise for me. I usually get 8 hours.

5starpool

6-7 hours during the week and 8-10 during the weekend normally, more if drunk/hungover. I'd love to be asleep right now actually.

Cavehill Red

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Ditto. My ma was a right Thatcher. By that I mean she only had 4 hours sleep a night, not that she murdered Argentinians, Irish Republicans, coal miners and old age pensioners. My ma wouldn't do that, no matter how sleep deprived.

I am pretty sure you can train yourself into 4 hours, i think i could do it.

Seachmall

Mylina wrote: »

Supposedly, you can get by on much less sleep, takes some time, and training, but seem to be benefits (although, haven't looked into it too much, so am sure there are risks too)

http://www.wikihow.com/Adopt-a-Polyphasic-Sleep-Schedule

I believe one of the risks is lower cognitive and emotional abilities, something to do with the fact you get fewer REM and non-REM cycles *.

Some people can keep it up for a while but I'd imagine everyone eventually burns out, although I'm not aware of any actual studies (one of my mates introduced it to me a while back, although I've never attempted it myself).


*Upon rereading this is just a fancy way of saying if you sleep less you feel drained, which should self-evident.

Cavehill Red

Deleted User wrote: »

I am pretty sure you can train yourself into 4 hours, i think i could do it.

I used to sleep a lot more, but I'm down around 5 to 6 hours per night now. Sometimes I get one long sleep in at the weekend, but usually not. If there was need to, I could probably function ok on less again, but the bottom line is that it's pretty boring being awake when the rest of the world is asleep. There's only so much net surfing and book reading one can do.

Hoop66

I reckon I could manage on about 3 or 4 hours sleep a day.

As long as I still got 8 hours every night.


* tap dances over cliff into the open beak of a Kraken *

Gongoozler

I'd like to understand why it is almost a competition to say how little sleep you get.
I need between 8 and 9 hours. Can't do very well on less. Suppose I'd be interested in trying this 6 hour idea, its a curse needing so much

Zen65

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

What if we only needed 6 hrs sleep a day?

I try not to sleep during the day at all. I sleep at night, about 6 hrs if lucky, but usually more like 4 hrs sleep and 2 hours lying awake in the bed.

Sleeping in the afternoon would be great . . even if only for 30 minutes.

Z

Bog Standard User

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

Thats an extra 8% a day to do stuff.
Would we be 8% closer to nuclear war/world ending event?
or would we be 8% closer to a peaceful world?
would technology be 8% more advanced?

Endless possibilities. What would you do with your 8%? and what state do you think the world would be in?

I could have phrased this as 'what if we needed 0 hrs sleep a day', but thats not realistic...I think 6 hrs sleep a day is realistic.

i normally only sleep for 6 hours.... its very rare that i sleep more than 6 hours...(usually only sleep longer if im sick or after been out drinking the night before)

Maximus Alexander

I generally get about 7 hours, sometimes less. I have gone for weeks on 6 hours previously, but it does gradually wear you out.

I'm pretty sure most of the people claiming they operate on 6 hours over long periods are underestimating how much they actually sleep, or are not factoring the odd day off where they oversleep to make up some ground, because that is a thing.

I think 7 is realistic, maybe even healthy, but for the majority of people 6 hours over long periods is not sustainable. If it were, I would spend the extra time doing **** all and reading boards, probably.

Zen65

anncoates wrote: »

Parents laugh at your OP.

Indeed, as do we older folk.

rannerap

I usually only get about that a night anyway cause of work mostly less thanks to my cats waking me up

heretochat

Sarannewrap wrote: »

I usually only get about that a night anyway cause of work mostly less thanks to my cats waking me up

God I despise cats :mad: Anyway I usually get about that as well by the time I get myself sorted.. I need more badly (sleep)

Ray Palmer

As you get older you need less sleep but need it more often. So napping during the day is common in older people but they then still try to sleep as much as if they were younger. It is one of the reasons they have so much sleeping pills as some doctors don't bother explaining it or don't even know.

There are tons of studies on it but it is not common knowledge with most people thinking you need more sleep as you get older.

I used to sleep 4 hours a night and was functioning pretty well. When I finally sorted out my sleep and the underlying cause it was like I was a new person. However oversleeping also has a massive effect and can be as bad as lack of sleep.

Routine is the secret to good sleep. Catching up over the weekend is generally a bad idea. Do the same pattern every day for 2 weeks and you bill amazed how well you feel.

Davei141

"I get by on 4 hours of sleep" These people neglect to mention they are insufferable moany ***** because they are so tired. You are just a shell of yourself unless you get adequate sleep.

Ray Palmer

Davei141 wrote: »

"I get by on 4 hours of sleep" These people neglect to mention they are insufferable moany ***** because they are so tired. You are just a shell of yourself unless you get adequate sleep.

I never complained about being tired when I was doing it. I agree you aren't yourself but you may not notice or it may not even be noticeable compared to others.

MurdyWurdy

6 hours uninterrupted sleep would be heaven!

whatdoicare

Jaysus, I'd love 6 hours of sleep, even once a week! Flipping baby keeps demanding food and nappy changes! I get maybe three hours in one go and maybe another two if I'm lucky.:(

Rhys Essien

And now we finally know why we sleep.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24567412

ringadingding

Work late nights arriving home around midnight, usually 12 hour shifts a day, newborn wakes us up 5-6 times a night, up for the school run at 6.30.

Once in a while I pretend I've been on the piss all night, when I've actually booked into a hotel and just slept in silence for 10 hours.

Pumpkinseeds

Jeez I'd be greatful if I got a decent 6 hours sleep. I can't remember the last time I had a good nights sleep:(

ringadingding

* thinks back longingly at the good old days of rising at midday *

A single tear slowly sliding down a weathered cheek

MurdyWurdy

ringadingding wrote: »

Work late nights arriving home around midnight, usually 12 hour shifts a day, newborn wakes us up 5-6 times a night, up for the school run at 6.30.

Once in a while I pretend I've been on the piss all night, when I've actually booked into a hotel and just slept in silence for 10 hours.

I'm really tempted to do this - book into a hotel and leave the husband in charge of the baby for a night. Just for a break, just one night. I would sleep my brains out and watch a filmvand have a bath in peace! Heaven