This is for the first time in years of practicing this regime I am writing about it. I would not have done it and would have kept it as my closely guarded secret, but then i just figured out that a friend of mine could really benefit from this. More so there might be a number of people who actually need this. So here I am, before i start about how I went about this, I would like to share some information, background and why is it safe to do so.
First and Foremost : It saves you time. This might give you an extra edge over other people to pursue your hobbies, have more fun, have more productivity and have a fuller life than others.
FACTS:
- A lot of you might already know this that we spend 1/3rd of our lives sleeping. That is a person who lives for 75 years spends 25 years sleeping. 25 years O my god ! i would say how about reducing it to 1/6th or may be 1/5th so that i spend 15 years in bed sleeping and get some 10-12 years extra for myself. Wouldn’t that be great.
- People with the longest sleep times (9 or 10 hours) seem to be more introverted, imaginative, or perhaps a bit depressed.People with lesser sleep times are energetic, outgoing and creative (They have to use the extra time). Notice the surprise: People who sleep less are less depressed!
- Something not related to sleep here :: as we all know a male body consists of 60% water and a female body is made up of almost 55% water. One might ask what does this signify ?. Ever heard about theory of evolution ? How we evolved from single cell organisms living in water to the form we are in today. Well another surprise ! Most of our body cells are still in hangover of that habit and live in water/plasma. What’s my point ? . I am just trying to say we are not meant to have those 8-10-12 hours of sleep. Our bodies do not need it and our brains are not designed for it.
- Our bodies require only as much sleep as our brain would allow it. As long as brain is fully functioning there is no need to be sleeping.
Still not convinced !! hmmm well you are a tough nut to crack 
.. so i would like to present some researches..
.. so i would like to present some researches..- In a recent study, researchers at NASA showed that a 30-minute power nap increased cognitive faculties by approximately 40 percent! Tests carried out on one thousand volunteers proved that those who continued working without rest, made lower scores in intelligence tests like the IQ test. More importantly, their capacities to work and memorize decreased in comparison to those who napped after lunch.
In concordance with NASA’s work, biology students at Berkeley determined that the nap must be short in order to produce maximum effectiveness. Over forty five minutes, the beneficial effects of napping disappear and it is therefore suggested to take a fifteen to thirty five minute “power nap”. This is the time necessary for the organism to rest and enables brain neurons to recuperate.
- Most sleep experts also recommend that whatever bedtime you allow yourself, you should not go to bed if you do not feel sleepy. Moreover, if you awaken at night and no longer feel sleepy, get out of bed, and do not go back until you are sleepy again and expect to fall asleep. Even after being up during the night, you should get out of bed by your regular awakening time, because sleeping late tends to make the problem worse. Getting out of bed when you are not sleepy makes you sleepier the next night and helps maintain good sleep habits.
WHY DID I DO IT ?
I have been an Insomniac since I was a kid. But later on in life around 16-17 i started sleeping a lot and this continued till i was 20. Though when i was 16 i did a project on sleep for my Biology class, which went on to become a huge project from just another school project and i realized 85% of the people i carried out my research on, were suffering from sleep related issues. This research involved more than 10,000 Males and Females across all age groups. Then when i was 20 something, one day my mom reminded me of that project and how i used to sleep almost nil at an early age. This renewed my interest in sleep and I thought to myself:
What has changed ? Nothing!! so basically i was just wasting my time in bed without my body needing it. Yes, and as a matter of fact i was even forcing it to fall asleep. This was certainly making me feel that i was not energetic as i used to be earlier. Now that does not mean i was slow, i was doing very well at studies and sports in fact much better than a lot of people, still that level of energy was not satisfactory for me.
HERE IS WHAT I CHANGED.
I straight away took two hours away from my night sleep and reduced it to to 6 hrs with absolutely no ill effects on my body and mind. I did it by not going to bed unless i was drowsy. I also stopped hitting the snooze button also one can try keeping the alarm clock a little away from bed so now when you go to hit the snooze button, do not go back to bed and start your day. This way i was able to straight away save 2 hrs everyday. I made sure to Jog and exercise for some time every morning i woke up, that could have been a factor though i would recommend it, I don’t have any research supporting this except my own experience. WORKED for me.
I gradually reduced it to 3 and a half to 4 hours over next 15 days period. By gradually i mean i divided the rest 2 hours i needed to reduce in 7 equal part i.e.. around 17 minutes. So every 2nd day i would wake up 17 minutes earlier. I got used to this Habit pretty fast.
“Remember that if anything, the short sleepers tend to live longer and be less depressed. If you are willing to stay out of bed and amuse yourself somewhere else when you are not sleepy, soon you will stop worrying about sleep. If you lose a whole night’s sleep or part of a night, so what? It will not be so bad, as long as you do not worry about it. When you do go to bed (because you are finally sleepy), you will have restored your confidence that you are likely to fall asleep, so the long-term problem resolves.”
There may be some tendency for people with the shortest sleep times (5 or 6 hours) to be outgoing and energetic, whereas people with the longest sleep times (9 or 10 hours) seem to be more introverted, imaginative, or perhaps a bit depressed. Notice the surprise! People who sleep less are less depressed!
(The above two Paras are taken from the book BRIGHTEN YOUR LIFE By Daniel F. Kripke, M.D.*)
Well after seeing the considerable improvements in time I was getting each day for stuff i wanted to do. I took it even further. I reduced 1/2 hr from my night sleep and started a day time sleep after lunch for 30 minutes. Do remember day time naps more than 30 minutes wont help the powernap should be of 20-30 minutes. Because more than that will again make your brain and body lazy. As i stated above in the NASA study.
Scientists have even proven that taking a 20-minute nap approximately eight hours after you have awaken will do more for your stamina than sleeping another 20 minutes in the morning. Of course when you first come out of your afternoon nap, you will feel a bit groggy for around ten minutes, but once your decline in motor dexterity dissipates, you will reap the rewards of being well rested and ready to go for the rest of the day.
These short 20-minute power naps for people who are really engrossed in their work, almost always provide a fresh burst of new ideas and energy. They tend to eliminate the need for caffeine boosts during the workday. And, they guarantee a reserve of energy so that the working day isn’t followed by an evening in which he falls asleep on the couch watching TV or at a social event.
Our sleep consists of cycles and breaking the cycle in between can leave you sleepless. A typical healthy human’s sleep cycle consists of 90-120 minutes. So a 2 hour or a 4 hours sleep is a complete sleep. But that needs to be accompanied by 2 Power Naps in the afternoon. Remember we are not trying to deprive body of sleep. We are trying to give it exactly what it needs so that we are energetic and comfortable for the full day so don’t loose out on Power Naps.
Power Naps and Short Naps.. in short sleeping less is good for heart and there are many researches to prove it.
It is like food, Over eating never helps but can cause obesity. Eating what is good and eating it in right amounts helps.
I will give you my Routine if anyone’s interested::
Night time :: 4 hrs sleep / 240 minutes :: I only go to bed when i feel sleepy else i don’t go to bed at all even if i have to start the next day. Remember its only a problem if you keep thinking at work, how can I do it i have not slept the whole night. So get to work.
DAY time :: 2 Power naps 20-30 minutes each ::
- One exactly after Lunch i.e. 6 hours after waking up (6 am i am up).
- Second one exactly half an hour before i go to play squash/football. For example: I play squash at 1930 hrs so sleep at 1900 hrs. In case your office keeps you late there you can take one Power Nap after you are back from office. Have dinner and take a power nap or wake up and have dinner. Now you don’t need to sleep before 3 or 4 am and you are still fresh. So get to whatever you like. :)
- I prefer Listening to soft music on low volume during these Power naps, The likes of “Come Undone” by Duran Duran, you can decide if you too want music.
HAVE FUN
