Is it possible to only need 4 hours sleep?

NI24

I was wondering if anyone here can get by on four to six hours of sleep. Personally I cannot get by on anything less than 8, but I know people who get way less and they seem to be the most energetic!

MarkR

Quite often, due to a child who could be up for several hours a night, we get only a few hours. I wouldn't recommend it!

NI24

MarkR wrote: »

Quite often, due to a child who could be up for several hours a night, we get only a few hours. I wouldn't recommend it!

Being up all night with kids never really occurred to me actually. But I thought I remembered reading somewhere that too little sleep can actually cause brain damage or something. It seems the most hard working, successful people I know get the least amount of sleep and I think, How could they be doing that?!

MarkR

NI24 wrote: »

Being up all night with kids never really occurred to me actually. But I thought I remembered reading somewhere that too little sleep can actually cause brain damage or something. It seems the most hard working, successful people I know get the least amount of sleep and I think, How could they be doing that?!

I don't know to be honest. Quick google returns this.

Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

• Heart disease.
• Heart attack.
• Heart failure.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• High blood pressure.
• Stroke
• Diabetes.

Mars Bar

My dad regularly functions on 6 hours sleep. He'll go to bed around midnight and he's up again for work at 6.10 a.m. Although he'll snooze on the chair (much to our annoyance) or he'll catch up when he has a day off.

One of my former bosses was a complete insomniac. He is a smoker and gets three to four hours sleep a night. He is not a young man either! He lives on his own with his cat and has his business which seems to keep him ticking along fairly nicely.

harney

I have a bad tendency to average between 4-6 hours sleep per night. I've done it for years, almost decades at this stage. I tend to regret the 4 hour nights for the first hour or so in the morning, and anything above 6 and I am almost hyper . It I get too many nights at the 7 -8 hour mark I'll end up not sleeping over a 24 hour period. It is what it is at this stage for me.

artanevilla

Everyone is different. I know a guy that sleeps 4 hours a night not a bother, wouldn't want to sleep any more.

I myself need at least 10 hours, even the "recommended" 8 isn't enough for me.

Captain Chaos

During the week I only have time to get 4-5 hours per night due to work but I make up for it at the weekends with maybe a 10-12hr sleep on Friday and Saturday.

kerry4sam

NI24 wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone here can get by on four to six hours of sleep. Personally I cannot get by on anything less than 8, but I know people who get way less and they seem to be the most energetic!

I can yes and I don't/can't have a power-nap either. It all depends though on what each person will be doing etc also.

Me now for example I can only enjoy my days if I get 4-6hr sleep MAX. If I sleep more than that I actually wake up groggy and even tired. If I lie-in over 6+hrs sleep, I wake up feeling like I need more sleep and not ready to tackle my day ahead.
I do wake up naturally now after 4-6hrs sleep Thankfully, but some days over the Christmas period I set no alarm, slept in and the day was wasted as I couldn't find the energy to do more than what I did do.

Yes I believe it is possible, but in context, and everyone would be different in their needs and abilities after sleep,
kerry4sam

Synchronic

Dunno about only "needing" that amount because it can't be healthy in the long term. I'd imagine it's a case of people who suffer from insomnia or have trained themselves to get by on that amount.I know from personal experience that it's definitely do-able,you just have to look at a mother and ask her about the amount of sleepless nights she probably had through extended periods of time like her childrens infancy or watch how teenagers get by on feck all sleep.

NI24

kerry4sam wrote: »

I can yes and I don't/can't have a power-nap either. It all depends though on what each person will be doing etc also.

Me now for example I can only enjoy my days if I get 4-6hr sleep MAX. If I sleep more than that I actually wake up groggy and even tired. If I lie-in over 6+hrs sleep, I wake up feeling like I need more sleep and not ready to tackle my day ahead.
I do wake up naturally now after 4-6hrs sleep Thankfully, but some days over the Christmas period I set no alarm, slept in and the day was wasted as I couldn't find the energy to do more than what I did do.

Yes I believe it is possible, but in context, and everyone would be different in their needs and abilities after sleep,
kerry4sam

Yes I know how you feel. Too much sleep and I'm groggy, but too little and I'm cranky. Suppose I'm just jealous of those who don't need much; I could accomplish so much more with a few more hours in the day!

vonievega

It's funny how when you have children and sleepless nights you manage but complain of broken nights, wishing for sleep then when you are older and have all the hours of the night you want to enjoy sleep you can't be bothered with it.
Personally thank G for newstalks all night daytime repeats, especially Montcrief
I don't believe sleep and the lack off has any affect on health ( not relating to stress or other life events keeping you awake) just go with what your body wants. Of course if your life suffers from lack of sleep a couple of panadol night for couple of nights will get you back into a sleep pattern.

joejobrien

it very much depends on what work one does. Work has is not too phyisical verus a very phyical daily grind is another factor. Also having weekends off, usually builds up your system.
I generaly survive on 6/7 hrs/night working 13/15hrs daily for 6 days and another 6 hrs on Sunday. All early starts 5 am . 7 days a week . excludes night worK!!! This is not for faint hearted and not recommended. Can become exhauted and not family friendly, also night out are zero for at 6 months of the year
My point is,work long hrs and you could very well want 10hr/night but it doesnt make you less of a person, lighter work and maybe requires less................stay up late.haha.
Therefore lack off sleep has an effect on ones health. Tablets are not the solution neither

SepTomBer

Before I sleep for eight hours and it lessen for 7 and now I consume 6 hours of sleep

Vernonymous

My head aches whenever I sleep for less than five hours.

NI24

Vernonymous wrote: »

My head aches whenever I sleep for less than five hours.

Hey me too! For me, too little sleep is a one way ticket to Migraine City.

dori_dormer

I used to need 8 hours min a night, could also nap in the afternoon for an hour or so ona non work day.

Now with a 1 yea old who wakes 4+ times a night, I wake up refreshed in the middle of the night if he sleeps more than 4 hours straight.

So basically I've trained my body to survive on 4 hrs. But my mind is mush and I feel slow and stupid all the time. Wish I could get more!

DarkoT

In my case I must sleap 10h at least or I'm useless

semionova

I am finding it's possible to survive on only four hrs but for me I need more.

bolopapa

Have heard of people pulling this 4hours sleep thing. If i don't get atleast 7 hours my day is usually sh1tee faced. Tiredness and soreness.

Aceandstuff

I just can't sleep for more than 4 hours. Since I'm off from college for the summer, and only doing freelance work, I have no fixed "schedule" anymore, so I can let things happen naturally, ie, I have reverted to my body's own sleep pattern/circadian rhythm/what have you.

I have accidentally been in this situation before, when I ended up in hospital a few times, and the result is always the same. Three to four hours or sleep in the middle of the day, (starting at any time between 10AM and 1PM) and then I'm completely wired until the next siesta.

It isn't caffeine related, because I haven't used or needed much since finishing the semester, this is just how I've always been. I always had trouble sleeping as a child, and I eventually trained myself to fall asleep. I would still wake up about four hours later though. I have problems concentrating if I sleep for more than six hours, and no energy whatsoever, so this particular lifestyle suits me just fine.

Now if only they'd start all day breakfasts in McDonalds over here....

FISMA.

NI24 wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone here can get by on four to six hours of sleep.

It is possible to live on 4-6 hours, but not healthily.

When you sleep your body repairs itself. If you do not sleep, the body does not repair itself.

"Catching-up" on sleep at the weekend may make you less tire, but the damage has been done.

Get sleep, eat oranges and apples!