How to get enough sleep in a short time. How to sleep fast in a short time at night and during the day

The average person needs at least 7-9 sleep for a good rest. However, there are phenomena in history when people could sleep for only 3-4 hours and lead their lives quite productively. Almost everyone can achieve such results, but for this you need to know all the subtleties that will help you gain strength in a short period of time. Consider how to sleep for 3 hours without harm to the body.

Sleep phases

Before practicing short restorative sleep, you need to know its pattern (scenario). When we fall asleep, we immediately fall into the phase of non-REM sleep. At this time, the work of the whole organism slows down, the body temperature drops, consciousness is completely turned off. It is slow sleep that gives us recovery, it lasts approximately 70-90 minutes in the first cycle. This is followed by a phase of REM sleep, in which the activity of vital systems increases, and the brain actively processes the information received throughout the day. Its duration is 15-20 minutes in the first cycle. It is after the end of REM sleep that we wake up best.

In normal mode, a person experiences 4-5 cycles per night. In each subsequent cycle, the slow phase becomes shorter, and the fast phase becomes longer.

Therefore, to sleep for 3 hours, you need to go through 2 complete cycles, each of which lasts 1.5 hours. And now we will find out what needs to be done so that the time allotted for rest is spent as productively as possible.

Preparation

To get enough sleep, you need to properly prepare for the rest. The faster we plunge into the arms of Morpheus, the more strength we will gain for the coming day. In order for the body to recover as much as possible in just 3 hours, we do the following before going to bed:

Sleep time

If you need to sleep in just 3 hours, you should take care of the correct start time for the rest. If you fall asleep before 24.00, then the productivity of one hour of sleep will be equal to the productivity of 2 hours of sleep started after 24.00. This should not be a problem, since all people experience drowsiness between 20.00 and 23.00 hours. The same melatonin is responsible for this process, its most active production falls on this period of time. However, there are several nuances:

Therefore, in order for a three-hour sleep to be as productive as possible, you need to organize it before midnight. As soon as you feel sleepy, immediately go to bed.

After a few days of observation, you will be able to detect at what time your body produces melatonin, and you can be ready to rest.

Interesting fact! Scientists have found that the division of people into "larks" and "owls" does not exist. Everyone produces melatonin at the same time, with the exception of diseases and adolescence, when the sleep hormone is produced at 24.00-01.00. Therefore, "owls" are just people who are very busy or spoiled by civilization.

Wake up time

Three hours is not so much for sleep, so it is important to wake up on time. As we have already found out, awakening should occur at the end of the fast phase. Having settled in bed, mentally set yourself the installation to wake up in 3 hours. Scientists claim that the human biological clock can be programmed for any time, the main thing is to be sure of the result.

Experiment, set your alarm 2-3 minutes later than you planned to wake up, and you will be surprised when you wake up before it goes off.

Another option for organizing the right awakening is to purchase a smart watch. This is a special electronic device made in the form of a wristwatch. It is able to monitor the state of the human body during sleep and identify changes that occur in REM sleep. Such a device wakes up its owner precisely at the end of the fast phase.

In yoga, there is a special set of asanas (exercises) that must be performed before a short sleep. They help to wake up rested, alert and full of desire to work.

If you need to tune in to just such a wave, before a night's rest, we perform the following asanas in turn:

How long will the effect last?

Three hours of sleep should never be the norm. It is practiced only in the most extreme cases, and after that it is returned to normal mode. If you do everything right and wake up full of energy, then do not think that the “charge” is enough for the whole day.

The state of increased working capacity will last no more than 4-5 hours, after which you will begin to overcome drowsiness. Experts do not recommend saving coffee and energy drinks from it, it is best to fully relax.

If you need to sleep for only 3 hours for some period of your life, you should practice short-term “breaks”. The bottom line is to use every convenient moment for sleep for 20 minutes during the day. This will help the body to function for some time without interruption with a short night's rest. However, do not get carried away, it is contraindicated to live in this mode for more than 4-5 days.

Summing up

The human body is fraught with a lot of resources, so getting enough sleep for 3 hours is quite realistic if you correctly approach this task. However, it should be borne in mind that such a short night's rest in any case will negatively affect your well-being on the same day, there will be enough energy for only a few hours of productive activity.

If you need a good rest for 3 hours, try to compensate for the lack of energy the next day after completing important tasks. In no case do not practice a three-hour sleep for a long time, it can harm your health.

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

There are modern techniques that allow you to restore a person's working capacity 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 noises, a tight schedule with late returns home, extreme physical and mental fatigue - all these factors negatively affect an important stage of rest.

Modern conservative medicine does not set rigid time frames 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 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, his heartbeat slows down. Eyeballs move actively under closed eyelids. This stage is a borderline state between wakefulness and sleep, lasts about 15 minutes;
  • 2nd phase. A fast dream that is always forgotten upon waking up. Muscular 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 is increasing. The sleeper sees memorable and clear dreams. After another 15-20 minutes, the cycle enters the 1st phase.

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

On average, the duration of one complete cycle of 4 phases takes about an hour and a half. Accordingly, with a “healthy” full-fledged sleep, a person changes 5-6 such cycles per night - this is 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, clearly 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 is it fraught with?

This article is often read:

Some researchers claim that the effectiveness of methods of using only the phase of REM sleep. Most experts are skeptical about such a scheme, but in a number of extreme cases they are the only possible ones in the current situation.

The development of the basic scheme of ultrashort sleep is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, who, according to legend, slept only 1.5 hours a day and worked effectively at the same time. In the modern era, such methods are used by people with an extremely complex work schedule - security guards serving objects on a rotational basis and being on an overtime plan, soldiers, etc.

Its essence is sleep only in fast phase 1. There are 2 options for how to quickly sleep:

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

It is undesirable to carry out such practices on a regular basis, only in case of an acute one they are needed for a maximum of 2-3 days.

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

good sleep rules

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

  • Food for the night. The statement, as old as the world, that you can’t eat up at night is still relevant today. It's not just about 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 fast and slow phases of dreams. Try not to eat at least 3-4 hours before a night's rest;
  • daytime sleep. 1.5 hours of good daytime sleep compensate for 1-2 full phase cycles of the night. By the end of the day, the person will feel much better. Daytime sleep is not only for children, in Western countries the midday "siesta" is the norm;
  • Fresh air. Before going to bed, it is imperative to ventilate all rooms, and especially the bedroom. At the same time, it is advisable not to take active actions - for example, replacing with a long walk can cheer up a person, and he will fall asleep much more slowly. As an addition, take a warm shower - it will further relax the body;
  • Comfortable bed. The main factor in the effectiveness and usefulness of sleep is the right bed. The bed should be with an orthopedic mattress and appropriate pillows, bed linen should be only natural, fresh and clean. A third of life is spent in bed - give it your maximum 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.

Healthy sleep is the key to good mood and good performance. For normal life, doctors recommend sleeping at least eight hours, but, you see, in the modern rhythm of life, when time is money, sleeping enough time is an unaffordable luxury. Here a quite reasonable question arises: "How to get enough sleep and gain strength in a short time." And it is precisely the answer to this question that we will now try to provide you with.

If you want to sleep little and still get enough sleep, then you need to reconsider your views on life, your daily routine and change your lifestyle, but sometimes this is simply impossible. That is why we decided that it would not be superfluous to give a couple of tips that will make the goal - to get enough sleep in a short time - quite achievable and, most importantly, with minimal losses.

Tip #1: Relax before bed

When preparing for bed, we advise you to relax - take a relaxing bath or a warm shower, turn on pleasant music, and lie down in bed, think about pleasant things, imagine some pleasant events, remember joyful moments. Just when you are tuned in to a positive wave, you can fall asleep. Such a dream will be much more effective, since not only the body will rest, but more importantly, the brain.

Tip #2: Sleep in the fresh air

If you want your sleep to be comfortable, waking up in the morning you were in a good mood, cheerful and ready to move mountains, then we advise you to ventilate the room before going to bed. If the season permits, it is better to leave the window open all night. Remember, the most optimal temperature for sleep is 18-20 degrees.

Tip number 3. Bed and pillow should be comfortable

By choosing a comfortable mattress and pillow for sleeping, you can sleep even in a short time. Therefore, here you can be guided by the rule: "The main thing is not quality, but quantity."

Tip #4: Don't Eat Before Bed

A heavy dinner can cause a restless night's sleep. Smoked meats, fatty and spicy foods, tea, coffee, and even more alcohol, are not reflected in a dream in the best way, so try to refuse from the above at least three hours before lights out. If an attack of hunger caught you off guard before going to bed, then drink a glass of warm milk, preferably with honey.

Tip #5: Listen to your biological clock, but don't forget traditional time

It is believed that in order to get enough sleep, it is necessary to be guided by the natural clock. In other words, fall asleep at sunset and wake up at dawn. However, you will agree that hardly anyone can afford such a regime. Therefore, choose for yourself the most optimal hours for sleep based on individual characteristics, so if you are an owl, the hours of sleep at dawn will be the most beneficial for you, but it is still advisable for larks to try to go to bed early.

Tip #6: Make up for sleep hours on weekends

Despite the fact that experts recommend following the chosen sleep pattern even on weekends, we still advise you to sleep a little longer on weekends or organize a quiet hour during the daytime. This way you can stock up on the amount of sleep you need for the coming week.

Agree, most of the suggested tips are quite easy to follow, which means you can recharge your energy and the necessary amount of energy in the shortest possible time. Finally, I want to tell you one more valuable information, knowing which, you can sleep in a short time. It turns out that daytime sleep is much more beneficial than nighttime sleep, and sometimes a couple of hours of sleep during the day can charge with such energy and vigor that night hours of sleep cannot saturate. Now let's remember!

A feature of sound sleep is considered to be an improvement in mood, an increase in immunity, and the normalization of the activity of internal organs. Proper rest contributes to better performance, fights weakness and malaise. With proper sleep, cheerfulness comes after 3-4 hours from the moment you fall asleep, which is not very convenient. Consider alternative ways to improve the quality of rest.

Be in silence

Make sure that 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 the bed in such a way that it is comfortable. Move the TV to the living room, the computer to the office. In no case do not use the bedroom as an office, otherwise thoughts about work will constantly haunt you.

Go to bed every 4 hours

Sleep technology has been successfully practiced for more than half a century, it has found approval among people from all over the world. The technique was called "Da Vinci's Dream", which has come to us since the life of the great artist.

The genius of his business slept no more than 1.5 hours a day, while he felt great throughout the day. He slept better than people resting more than 8 hours.

The secret is that you need to go to bed every 4 hours, while sleep should be about 15-20 minutes, no longer. Of course, not everyone can observe such a rhythm of life, but it is worth taking the technique into service.

Look for time to sleep absolutely anywhere: taxi, subway, lunch break. Eliminate disturbing thoughts from your head throughout the rest.

Postpone things for tomorrow

Most people can't sleep due to unresolved issues. They mentally scroll through the dialogue in their heads over and over again, while clearly understanding that today this issue will remain open.

Disconnect from the past day, put off pressing matters for tomorrow. Late evening and night is not the best time for such manipulations. Think blue seas or towering mountains, turn on nature sounds or a relaxing tune on your smartphone.

Prepare for sleep

Tomorrow you will have a grandiose and exciting event? Do you need to wake up at 6 am and feel sleepy at the same time?

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

Fluff up the bed, turn on the nightlight so that the light is slightly dimmed. Set an alarm in advance, lie down to rest, adhering to the posture, lying on your back, and not on your stomach.

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

The alarm clock is set when sunlight enters the closed eyes, which breaks through the eyelids. From that moment on, the body prepares to wake up, no matter how late the person went to bed.

To increase the time of rest, curtain the windows with thick curtains that will not allow bright rays to enter. The advice is especially relevant for people with a nocturnal lifestyle or those who want to sleep well on the weekends.

Follow the biological rhythm

The biological law of nature does not at all imply sleep before dinner or wakefulness at night. Rest will be correct in the period of 22.00-06.00 hours. It is at this time that a person is able to sleep to the maximum, and it is important to observe the regimen constantly, regardless of whether it is weekends or weekdays. After a certain period of time, you will begin to restore strength not in 8 hours, but in 6-7.

Have 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 fall asleep. For this reason, it is recommended to drink 250-300 ml. warm milk with a teaspoon of honey just before bed. You can make a drink and take it to bed with you, or sit under a blanket while reading your favorite book.

The action begins after 20-30 minutes after consumption. 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, go to bed immediately.

Don't eat heavy food

Refrain from eating fatty, fried, spicy, salty and highly sweet foods before bed. Firstly, it contributes to the swelling of the limbs and the body as a whole, and secondly, you will not be able to sleep well.

If after a hard day you want to have a snack, prepare a vegetable or fruit salad, drink kefir or eat cottage cheese. At the same time, always observe nutritional 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.

Such a move will “ventilate” the brains and make up for the lack of oxygen, in the morning you will feel like a rested person. The main thing is not to freeze: in summer, sleep under a sheet or duvet cover, in winter - under a warm blanket. Do not abuse the air conditioner and heating appliances.

Give up alcohol

Many believe that alcohol is the best antidepressant, sleeping pill and sedative, but this misconception is extremely erroneous. Perhaps immediately after a noisy party you will “pass out”, but after 3-4 hours the alcohol will make itself felt.

The ethanol escaping will begin to act as a catalyst, causing dehydration. You will start tossing and turning, 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 at all sleepy, headache, fatigue and irritability will set the tone for the whole day.

Don't drink caffeine

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

In cases where it is not possible to refuse coffee, drink one cup a day only in the morning. When doing this, be sure to add cane sugar or its equivalent, as well as cream / milk. It is worth remembering forever that caffeine is excreted 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 the quality of sleep without spending a lot of time. Be in silence, do not eat heavy food, observe the biological rhythm.

Video: how to get enough sleep in 2 hours

We do not always manage to get enough sleep, and there are times when there is very little time left for sleep. But when we sleep, our body completely relaxes, rests and restores the spent forces. Therefore, healthy sleep is very important for strong immunity and resistance to all diseases and viruses.

In the modern rhythm of life, there is very often not enough time for a good sleep, and you have to sleep in the literal "meaning on the go." After all, when you get up every morning at 6-7 in the morning, and in the evening you redo some things until late, then during the night's sleep it is not always, it turns out, good enough sleep. Especially if a person suffers from insomnia or he is constantly disturbed by some extraneous thoughts in his head. It is very important to learn how to relax and make the most of your spare hours for sleep.

Main phases of sleep


Sleep is divided into two phases: slow and fast. During REM sleep, our central nervous system just gets the rest it needs and it lasts only 20 minutes. And the rest of sleep is all a slow phase, which is also very important for our body. At this time, first of all, the whole body physically rests. And our brain is looking for "internal problems" of various organs and tissues, and during sleep, regeneration and restoration of cells of the whole organism is carried out. Antibodies are also produced during sleep, which are very important for maintaining human immunity. Therefore, those people who do not get enough sleep on a regular basis become ill with the flu and various viral diseases faster than others.

During REM sleep, our brain activity is at its peak. There is an analysis and re-sorting of information received over the last day, its systematization. It is during this period that we dream. And if the past day was filled with impressions and emotions, then we will have vivid and memorable dreams. As a rule, this happens in the morning, when the brain has already rested.

An interesting fact is that the feeling of complete rest and vivacity in a person occurs only if you wake him up precisely during the phase of REM sleep. And if you do it earlier, when a person is still in the phase of slow sleep, then he will feel overwhelmed, tired and not getting enough sleep.

How to deceive nature?

So how can you still determine the optimal moment to start waking up and what to do if there is sorely not enough time for sleep?

There are several methods designed specifically for people with irregular work schedules.

  1. Siesta. As you know, this concept is widely used among Italians and Spaniards. It means a traditional afternoon nap, during a particularly hot time. Thus, the essence of the method also lies in the fact that a person sleeps once during the day, while reducing night sleep by 2 hours. It is important to observe the time period during this sleep, allowing the brain to completely rest and relax. And all it takes is just 20 minutes. Therefore, you need to set an alarm clock and wake up at the appointed time. In this case, the body has time to rest during the REM phase of sleep.
  2. ladder method. Its essence lies in the number of "steps". Each of which is a short daytime sleep of 20 minutes. At the same time, the stage, that is, a short sleep session, reduces night sleep by 1.5 hours. For example, if you sleep during the day 2 times for 20 minutes, then at night you will sleep less by three hours.
  3. Superhuman method. It is especially suitable for people with non-standard daily routines. It lies in the fact that a person sleeps 6 times a day for 20 minutes. Such a dream temporarily replenishes strength and allows you to maintain brain function at the proper level. But you cannot always use this method. It is intended for emergency situations only.

Some secrets for effective sleep

Nature is arranged in such a way that we have a biological clock. They follow day and night rhythms. With the onset of darkness, our body itself feels tired and ready to rest. But with the advent of the Industrial Age and the advent of electricity in our homes, these clocks are gradually slipping. Added to this are irregular work schedules and stress. All this interferes with proper sleep.

In order to quickly get enough sleep in a short time and not disturb the sleep phases, scientists have developed a “smart” wristwatch model. They read the pulse and determine the best moment for a person to fall asleep easily and wake up comfortably. Thanks to them, a person always feels cheerful and well-rested in the morning. But, unfortunately, these models are quite expensive and not available to everyone.

But there are some simple ways for sound, healthy sleep that will allow you to quickly and easily wake up in the morning. To effectively use the precious hours intended for sleep, and do not suffer from insomnia, it is enough to follow a few rules:

  • Take a relaxing and soothing bath before bed with a decoction of motherwort or lavender.
  • Drink tea with mint or lemon balm. It has a sedative effect and can lower blood pressure. It also removes unwanted manifestations of the nervous system, normalizes sleep, tones and eliminates headaches.
  • During daytime sleep, be sure to wear a special blackout eye mask for better melatonin production. This hormone is produced only in the dark, and it is he who is responsible for a healthy full sleep. If it is not enough in the body, then insomnia, rapid aging of the body and impaired immunity begin.
  • Don't overeat at night. Try to have dinner 1.5-2 hours before bedtime. Otherwise, your body will be busy digesting food, not sleeping.
  • Before going to bed, stay in a calm environment: dim the lights, turn off the TV. If you do not want to sit in silence, then it is better to listen to calm, melodic music. In a word, prepare your body for rest. Do not overload it with unnecessary emotions and irritating factors, otherwise it will take more time to fall asleep.
  • Ventilate the room well before going to bed. The influx of oxygen and sleep in a cool room allows you to sleep much better and saturate the body with oxygen. After all, when you sleep in a stuffy room, there is a feeling of headache and fatigue, even if you have slept enough hours.
  • The best time to fall asleep is from 22.00 to 23.00. Because an hour of sleep before midnight is equal to two hours of sleep after midnight. Therefore, even if you get up earlier than the scheduled time, your body will have time to have a good rest.

For more secrets on how to get enough sleep in a short time, see the video

Thus, in order for sleep to always be pleasant, long and beneficial to health, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations, then you will be able to sleep well even in a short time. Thanks to them, you will always get up in the morning with a great mood and new strength for a long day at work.