Fu's research lab found that people who averaged 4 hours of sleep were 4 times more likely to catch colds. "Sleep is very important," Fu explains. "You need a minimum of 7 hours, and likely you need more. Some people may need up to 12 hours."
Unfortunately, most people cannot have a healthy lifestyle with only four hours of sleep, research suggests. However, personal and anecdotal evidence supporting shorter sleep by using polyphasic sleep suggests otherwise. This means that we cannot say for sure if you can thrive on four hours of sleep.
How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.
Only getting five hours of sleep affects a person's daytime functioning, sense of well-being, and both their mental and physical health. Though one night of insufficient sleep has consequences, the effects of sleep deprivation are cumulative.
The answer is that you cannot achieve 8 hours of sleep in 4 hours. For complete rest, our body needs a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep. This is because our body goes through different stages of sleep involving different cycles and this is essential to ensure you feel refreshed and rejuvenated the next day.
A shocker for most, a study suggested that what may suit our bodies better than sleeping once a day is sleeping twice a day. Two shorter slumbers may suit our body clocks better than one long eight-hour sleep.
Elon Musk says he's upped his sleep to 6 hours per night—and that his old routine hurt his brain. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, speaks with CNBC on May 16th, 2023.
The bare minimum of sleep needed to live, not just thrive, is 4 hours per 24-hour period. Seven to 9 hours of sleep are needed for health, renewal, learning, and memory. Disruption of the sleep cycle from shift work creates problems for the quality and quantity of sleep.
The good news? You can function on 5 hours of sleep, but that shouldn't be your norm. Some people, appropriately called short sleepers, just don't need a lot of sleep. In fact, they're at their max with less than 6 hours a night.
This is because our brain is constantly forming new connections while we are awake. The longer we are awake, the more active our minds become. Scientists believe that this is partly why sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression.
The Dangers of Sleeping Only 3 Hours
One major side effect may be a decrease in cognitive function and proper decision-making. This could lead to accidents, irritability, depression, or memory loss. There could be multiple physical ramifications caused by sleep deprivation as well.
Go for a quick walk or stretch every 30 minutes.
Doing light exercise every 30 minutes will keep your body and mind active, especially if you have been sitting at a desk in front of a computer. Walk to a park nearby or do a few laps around the block.
Modern research suggests that sleeping twice in a 24-hour period (a sleep pattern that is alternately referred to as biphasic sleep, segmented sleep, or siesta sleep) may facilitate greater energy levels, alertness, cognitive function, and productivity.
Reasons this might happen include drinking caffeine or alcohol late in the day, a poor sleep environment, a sleep disorder, or another health condition. When you can't get back to sleep quickly, you won't get enough quality sleep to keep you refreshed and healthy.
We do not recommend sleeping for only one hour at night. Some research suggests that lost sleep can take years off your life and that you may not be able to catch up on the lost hours of rest. This is because consistent sleep deprivation can cause a myriad of chronic health issues in people over time.
You may experience a reduced reaction time, poor memory, poor concentration, and irritability. However, there are claims that two hours could be too much sleep when deciding whether to have two hours or nothing at all.
The thing the job is not known for, however, is a good night's sleep. With various board meetings and no shortage of pressure, rest can be hard to find. CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk get under six hours of sleep each night.
Albert Einstein, a household name that has inspired many a crazy hair day and who is most famous for his theory of General Relativity, was a huge fan of catching some Z's. He would sleep an average of 10 hours a night as well as taking daytime naps.
But the majority manage to get at least 6 hours, as you can see in the list below detailing the sleep habits of 10 highly successful people: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX: 6 hours (1am — 7am) Tim Cook, CEO of Apple: 7 hours (9:30pm — 4:30am) Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft: 7 hours (12am — 7am)
Typically, they went to sleep three hours and 20 minutes after sunset and woke before sunrise. And they slept through the night. The result of these sleep patterns: Nearly no one suffered from insomnia. In none of their languages is there even a word for insomnia.
Research shows that most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per 24-hour period. Teens need at least 8 to 10 hours, while children need more sleep of varying amounts that depend on their age. Older adults require seven to eight hours of sleep per 24-hour period.
Most adults need 7 or more hours of good-quality sleep on a regular schedule each night. Getting enough sleep isn't only about total hours of sleep. It's also important to get good-quality sleep on a regular schedule so you feel rested when you wake up.