Any of us would be happy to extend the 24 hour day for a few hours to have more time to sleep. We know 6 secret sleeping techniques that will give up to 22 hours free per day.
Be sure to consult your doctor if you decide to change your sleep patterns, especially if your job requires more attention. At the end of the article, you will find a bonus that will help you wake up on time and feel rested.
How To Get Enough Sleep
6. Our Ancestors’ Sleep — 6 hours
Sleeping formula: 4 hours (first phase) + 2 hours (second phase) = 6 hours
Our ancestors slept in two phases, separated by a period of wakefulness. This period was considered a special time and used for spiritual practice, contemplation, and reading.
If you want to try polyphasic sleep, but don’t know where to start, this is the recommended method. For most people, it is the most comfortable option and it can be supplemented with 30 minutes of sleep to adjust.
5. “Dymaxion” — 2 hours
Sleeping formula: 4 30-minute naps every 6 hours = 2 hours
Buckminster Fuller devised the most effective sleep technique, which is to take 30-minute naps 4 times a day every 6 hours. He stated that he had never felt more energetic.
After 2 years of this schedule, the famous inventor was examined by doctors and declared that he was in perfect health. This is the most extreme sleep cycle.
4. “Superhuman” — 2 hours
Sleeping formula: 6 20-minute naps every 4 hours = 2 hours
For many, this is an effective and convenient sleep technique. However, there is a flaw: you cannot interrupt the schedule and skip a sleep period, otherwise, you will feel sleepy and tired.
This method is a creative secret of Leonardo da Vinci and Salvador Dalí. Dali would place a metal tray next to his bed, where he was sitting with a spoon in his hand.
When the spoon fell, the artist woke up from the noise. This intermediate state between sleep and wakefulness gave him new ideas.
3. “Siesta” — 6.5 hours
Sleeping formula: 5 hours at night + 1.5 hours during the day = 6.5 hours
Winston Churchill, one of the best British, kept that schedule. He went to sleep at 3 am, woke up at 8, and then slept for about an hour in the afternoon.
“You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner, and no halfway measures. Take off your clothes and go to bed. That’s what I always do. Don’t think that you will do less work because you sleep during the day. You will be able to achieve more,” he wrote.
2. “Tesla” — 2 hours 20 minutes
Sleeping formula: 2 hours at night + 20 minutes during the day = 2 hours and 20 minutes
The excellent physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla slept only 2 or 3 hours a day. He was able to work through the night, but most of the time he used this sleeping technique which later got his name.
1. “Everyman” — 2.5 hours
Sleeping formula: 2.5 hours at night + 3 20-minute naps during the day
Scientists have studied the sleep patterns of babies, the elderly, and animals. Elephants, for example, maintain a schedule known as “Everyone” and sleep an average of 2 hours a day: 1 hour at night and then 3-4 15-minute breaks during the day.
There should be equal intervals between periods of short sleep. This schedule is considered the most flexible and easy to adapt. In addition, short sleep can be omitted without causing harm to health.
Bonus: What is the best time to wake up in order to feel refreshed and not sluggish?
If you’re not ready for extreme sleep experiences, but still want to wake up easily, you can calculate how long your body is fast asleep from eye movement. This is the time when waking up is easiest.
You can calculate the exact time for optimal awakening here.
Also, don’t forget the correct sleeping position. Scientists said the ideal position for a comfortable sleep (which also stimulates digestion) is on the left side.
