Sleeping only 4 hours at a time

[rogue06]

There was a program on TV about this a couple years ago. It went into how in pre-industrial time folks would get up around midnight and do chores, eat, visit neighbors... and then go back to sleep for a few more hours.

[DesertBerean]

I heard about that.

[Jedidiah]

For a year and a half I was averaging 4 hours every two nights. I became quite zombie like. That was some years ago now.

[Scrawly]

For a year and a half I was averaging 4 hours every two nights. I became quite zombie like. That was some years ago now.

4 hours every two nights? Well, well weren't you the lucky little devil.

[Sparko]

I hired an investigator to record Ivo's dreams the other night, and know I now why he can only get a few hours of sleep...

[KingsGambit]

Was it da Vinci who segmented his sleep into multiple short nap periods daily instead of one overnight, in the name of time management?

[rogue06]

Was it da Vinci who segmented his sleep into multiple short nap periods daily instead of one overnight, in the name of time management?

Thomas Edison did. While he rarely went to bed at night he would take a couple of three hour naps each day often sleeping on a workbench.

[Sparko]

Thomas Edison did. While he rarely went to bed at night he would take a couple of three hour naps each day often sleeping on a workbench.

so if they catch me napping at work, I can just tell them I am following in Edison's footsteps.

[I am Ivo, hear me roar]

Ivo, do you go back to sleep at all that same night after waking up?

Usually. A lot of times I can go back to sleep almost immediately.

[rogue06]

so if they catch me napping at work, I can just tell them I am following in Edison's footsteps.

Good luck with that.

[rogue06]

Usually. A lot of times I can go back to sleep almost immediately.

Goodness. You'll be doing a lot more of that as you get older and finding yourself making a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

[QuantaFille]

Usually. A lot of times I can go back to sleep almost immediately.

Yeah, that sounds like natural segmented sleep. I recommend you just roll with it and don't worry. If it used to be considered normal, it's likely not harming you. Like I said, it's a pretty newfangled idea that you have to get a whole eight hours in one go. I would only start worrying if it was difficult to get to sleep when you first go to bed, or if you can't go back to sleep after waking and you know you need more than those four hours. It could be that it's only started recently because your activity level has changed lately and you aren't as tired when you go to bed, which means you aren't sleeping as deeply, allowing you to wake up after four hours. I dunno.

Melatonin will help you get to sleep, but it won't necessarily help you stay asleep. Just make sure you go to bed at roughly the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning, and falling asleep and staying asleep for as long as your body needs will be easy, even if you wake up for a few minutes halfway through the night. When I was having to get up at 4:30 am for work, I would still get up that early on weekends and it was never difficult for me to get to sleep because I never slept in on weekends so my sleep cycle was never out of sync. Waking during the night has pretty much always been normal for me. I used to think it meant something was wrong but it really is fine.

[Sparko]

Good luck with that.

I have perfected the "sleeping with your eyes open" technique. So if someone talks to me, and I don't answer, I can use the excuse that I was concentrating on work. But it's always good to have a backup plan.

[rogue06]

I have perfected the "sleeping with your eyes open" technique. So if someone talks to me, and I don't answer, I can use the excuse that I was concentrating on work. But it's always good to have a backup plan.

Might wanna try something like this











If Homer Simpson thought it was a good idea what could possibly go wrong?

[Sparko]

what could possibly go wrong?

I could dream about Cher, like Ivo.

Or worse:

Or even: