How to Reduce Sleep Time

If you have a busy schedule, you may want to spend less time sleeping. While prolonged sleep deprivation is unhealthy, there are ways to reduce sleep for a short period. Take time to prepare both mentally and physically, gradually reduce sleep duration, and return to your normal schedule if you notice any effects on your health or well-being.

Exercise. If you want to sleep less but still maintain enough energy for daily activities, you’ll need to work out to keep your body healthy. Exercising three to four times a week improves strength and endurance, reducing the need for sleep.

• You can try aerobic exercises like running or walking or lighter weight training exercises like lifting, push-ups, sit-ups, or Pilates.
• Exercising in the afternoon is ideal as it helps improve sleep quality at night. Better sleep quality means you will need less sleep.

Avoid certain substances. Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine can disrupt your sleep. If you want to sleep less while maintaining your health, it's important to take steps to ensure good sleep quality.

• Alcohol can make you fall asleep faster, but it doesn't result in restful sleep. Even if you manage to sleep, you'll still feel tired. Avoid drinking alcohol, and only indulge on special occasions in moderation.
• Caffeine can stay in your system for up to six hours after consumption. Drinking coffee in the evening can prevent sleep. It's best to drink coffee in the morning and not exceed 1-2 cups (240 ml) per day.
• Nicotine is a stimulant and causes various health issues. Smoking during the day can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Besides weakening your body and immune system, smoking can make you need more sleep to recover from fatigue. If you want to sleep less while staying healthy, quit smoking.

Create a bedtime routine. Improve your bedtime habits before trying to sleep less. Track your progress to see how quickly you fall asleep and how refreshed you feel when you wake up.

• Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Your body has a natural circadian rhythm that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. If you consistently follow a set schedule, falling asleep and waking up will become easier and more refreshing.
• Avoid looking at electronic screens a few hours before bed. The blue light from smartphones and laptops has a stimulating effect on your body, making it harder to sleep.
• Establish a pre-sleep ritual. If your body associates a specific activity with sleep, you'll find it easier to drift off when you do it. Opt for relaxing activities like reading a book or solving a crossword puzzle.

Prepare your bedroom for optimal sleep. Remember that if you want to sleep less, you need to ensure the quality of your sleep is as high as possible. To achieve this, your bedroom should be designed to support restful sleep.

• Choose the right mattress and pillows. They should provide adequate support and comfort, without causing pain. Ensure your bedding is free from allergens that could irritate your skin and disrupt sleep.
• Keep your bedroom cool. The ideal temperature for sleep is between 16°C and 19°C.
• If you live in a noisy area or building, consider investing in a white noise machine to block out external sounds.

Reduce your sleep time gradually. If you try to cut your sleep time drastically, from 9 hours to 6 hours, the results may not be as expected. Gradually reduce your sleep by going to bed later or waking up earlier.

• In the first week, go to bed 20 minutes later or wake up 20 minutes earlier than usual. In the second week, adjust by another 20 minutes. In the third week, shift your schedule by an hour.
• Continue to reduce your sleep time by 20 minutes each week.

Be patient. You might feel tired during the first few weeks. This is the adjustment period for your body to adapt to sleeping less. If you feel exhausted, try adjusting your diet by consuming more nutritious foods that provide more energy and increasing your exercise to improve your sleep quality.

Set a goal of 6 hours of sleep every night. It's important to aim for 6 hours of sleep each night. With this amount of sleep, you should have enough energy for your daily activities, provided the sleep quality is maintained. Sleeping less than 6 hours may pose serious health risks.

Avoid sleeping less than 5.5 hours per night. Aim for at least 5.5 hours of sleep each night. Studies on sleep have shown that people who sleep less than 5.5 hours each day experience significant fatigue and lack the necessary energy for daily tasks.

Monitor negative health impacts. Sleep deprivation can be dangerous. If you encounter any of the following issues, you should return to your normal sleep schedule:

• Frequent hunger
• Weight changes
• Short-term memory loss
• Impulsive behavior
• Reduced motor skills
• Skin changes
• Poor vision

You should understand that it's difficult to maintain a habit of sleeping less over an extended period of time. You may reduce your sleep time for a short period, but consistently getting less than 8 hours of sleep each night isn't advisable for the long term. If you sleep less for a prolonged period, it will negatively impact your health, and eventually, you'll need more sleep to recover.

• The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person depending on their lifestyle. However, most people require at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Frequently getting less than 8 hours can affect your concentration.
• If you're consistently getting only 6 hours of sleep each night, you will accumulate a 'sleep debt.' Your body will require more rest than you're actually getting. Eventually, your desire to sleep less will fail. If you're attempting to cut back on sleep, remember that it's something you should only do for a few weeks before returning to a regular 8-hour sleep schedule.

• Don't attempt to drive if you're getting insufficient sleep. Falling asleep at the wheel can result in fatal accidents, which have been foreseen as a potential danger.