While setting our daily alarm, a question always pops up at the back of our mind, and we wonder how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours. The question may sound absurd to many, but to your surprise, the answer is quite simple! While it may seem practically impossible, this issue can be solved simply by improving the quality of your sleep.
Let’s learn ways how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours! But before that, let us have a basic understanding of the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and its impact on our physical and mental health.
Sleep-wake cycle
Sleep is one of the body’s basic needs to restore energy and function optimally. It repairs cell damage and powers the brain.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that 7-9 hours of sleep is essential for an adult.
The sleep-wake cycle is characterized by the Circadian rhythm, which is a biological clock inside your brain. It keeps you alert during the day, and as it gets dark, melatonin or sleep hormone is released, thus making you sleepy.
Messing up with your circadian rhythm can negatively affect your sleep-wake cycle as well as the quality of your sleep.
Sleep has four stages. Out of these, three stages are of Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and the last of Rapid Eye Movement (REM). These stages last for 90 mins and repeat about 6-7 times during sleep. However, if you sleep for 3 hours, you will undergo these cycles twice.
So, if you ask how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, you should also keep in mind that despite achieving the sleep cycles, lack of recommended sleep may harm your body’s functions and productivity.
Let’s end your suspense and see how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours!
How to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours?
You might sometimes feel that there are just 24 hours in a day and a lot on your to-do list. House chores, work, lunch, family and friends gatherings, and some me-time leaves no space to sleep. So, you may want to spend the minimum of your time sleeping while achieving maximum productivity.
The solution to this problem is that by increasing the quality of your sleep, you can get the maximum benefit out of these 3 hours of sleep.
Learn how to get quality sleep!
Reduce screen time before bed
Well! You don’t have time to sleep so you are browsing how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, stop doing it as the screen will damage your plan to sleep.
You might plan your screen time before bed as that’s the most peaceful time to enjoy your favorite movie and check all your social media accounts. But the bad news is that the blue light on the screen reduces your ability to sleep.
Blue light reduces the sleep hormone and melatonin production, which is essential to make you feel drowsy. Studies also show that blue light messes up your circadian rhythm.
Sleep in a dark room
The relationship between sleep and light has been studied extensively.
The circadian rhythm is designed such that it wakes up the body during the day and as it gets dark, the body begins to shut itself down.
If you want to know how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, the key is to make your room dark.
Melatonin is released as your biological clock announces that it’s night and dark. It makes you sleepy without tossing and turning for hours in bed.
Avoid caffeine before bed-time
If you aim to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, restrict your caffeine intake at least 6 hours before bedtime.
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and hence, its intake disrupts our circadian clock, which directly affects melatonin production. This overall effect reduces deep sleep time, causing you to invest many hours lying hopelessly in bed with your eyes wide open.
As coffee is a rich source of caffeine, avoid consuming it before bedtime if you want to improve your sleep quality and achieve your goal of sleeping for 8 hours in 3 hours.
You are still wondering how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours? Wonder less and read how to sleep 8 hours in 4 hours.
Reduce stress
If you are stressed over how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, then the first step is to stop stressing about it, because stress prolongs the time required to fall asleep.
Stress also releases the hormone cortisol(Stress hormone), which makes the body alert and in survival mode. Hence, the biological clock stops melatonin production, and sleep vanishes from your eyes.
The data from ADAA shows that stress often leads to insomnia and reduces the quality of your sleep.
So, say goodbye to stress if you have less time to invest in bed and achieve the maximum output.
Exercise daily
Recent evidence shows that moderate aerobic exercise can improve sleep quality.
In research, almost 76-83% of participants had improved sleep quality after getting involved in moderate daily exercise.
Exercise not only increases the blood flow to your brain but also enhances your core body temperature. After about 90-100 mins, it begins to fall back to normal ranges, thus facilitating sleepiness.
Hence, indulging in aerobic exercise for at least 30 mins before bedtime aids in improving the quality of sleep.
Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet stuffed with all the essential vitamins and nutrients keeps your energy levels high and keeps you active even after sleeping for only 3 hours.
- A diet rich in carbohydrates, tryptophan, and melatonin (eggs and fish) imparts a positive effect on the quality of sleep.
- Excess sugar is bad for your sleep quality. So, try to avoid consuming high amounts of sugar, if you are looking to sleep for 8 hours in 3 hours.
- Research also proved that low-protein intake was associated with poor quality well as prolonged initiation of sleep.
- Taking warm milk soothes the body and mind, and hence, it is recommended to take it before bedtime to improve your sleep quality.
Thus, a well-balanced and healthy diet aids in improving sleep quality, making those 3 hours of sleep more beneficial to your body than 8 long hours of poor sleep.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise makes a person Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
If you want to find the solution to ‘how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, then the answer lies here!
Sleep quality is directly linked with the time you go to sleep which further depends on your performance during the upcoming day.
The same was reported in a study that showed that when sleep timing was correlated with academic performance in college students, the performance declined with late sleep.
The natural circadian rhythm starts releasing the melatonin as soon as it gets dark, reaches the peak between 2-4 am, and falls in the last half of the night. The peak melatonin time is the high time for you to go to your bed and enjoy some quality sleep in just 3 hours.
Take naps during the day
If you are a night owl and get only 2-3 hours of sleep at night, then the golden tip is to take small naps during the day.
Resting your mind and eyes for a small productive nap and practicing it multiple times during the day can make you feel fresh and full of energy at night.
So, if your exams are near and you are browsing the tips on how to sleep 8 hours in 3 hours, we recommend taking small, quality naps during the day and feeling refreshed during the night.
Effects of sleep deprivation on your body
Sleep is a basic human need and our biological clocks are set to 8-9 hours of quality sleep for a reason. Continuously taking a night of sleep for less than the recommended hours can affect health in multiple ways, like;
- Lack of sleep causes mood swings and irritability
- Sleep deprivation affects your memory
- Endocrine functions are compromised and hormonal imbalance may occur
- Metabolism may slow down owing to the persistent lack of sleep
- Increases risk of hypertension
- Increases risk of obesity
- Increases chances of heart attack and stroke
- This may lead to anxiety and depression
- Affects the body’s immune system
Final Note
Although these tips can answer the question that how to sleep for 8 hours in 3 hours and it can be achieved by a couple of lifestyle modifications and changes in the sleeping pattern, still, it doesn’t impart the same health benefits as sleeping for the standard, the recommended number of hours.
Several health risk factors are associated with a lack of sleep. Hence, it is suggested to not disrupt the ideal sleep-wake cycle by challenging your body and getting the recommended hours of sleep each night.
Consult a doctor for any sleep-related problems.
FAQs
1. How can you get to sleep for 3 hours?
If you just have 3 hours to sleep then munch on protein-rich foods like nuts that boost your energy and avoid taking heavy meals rich in carbohydrates.
2. How do I fall asleep quickly?
Set your schedule if you want to initiate your sleep quickly. Avoid using screens before bedtime. Also, avoid caffeine and naps during the day.
3. How much sleep do I need?
The recommended sleep hours may vary according to your age. However, for an adult, the average recommended sleep is 7-8 hours.