4 hour sleep cycles?

Swag1138

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2000
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Ive heard that the body sleeps in 4 hour cycles, this is why 8 hours is reccomended mostly, and that 4 hours of sleep is better for you than 6.

Is there any truth to this?
 

Superdoopercooper

Golden Member
Jan 15, 2001
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Dunno... good question SWAG. I know when I get about 6 hrs of sleep, I'm ragged. When I get 4, I'm tired but usually feel better than 6 for some reason. Give me a few days straight of 8-9 hours... and WHAM... I'm back in the ZONE! ;)
 

PeeluckyDuckee

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2001
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If you're an insomniac like me, on a normal day I usually do only 3-4 hours of Zzzzz's. On what I consider a busy day (I'm bad with time management, believe me :) ), I get closer to 2hrs.

Its funny how I'm working, suddenly turn around to look at the window and the sun's already up!

On tiring days, I get close to 8hr. On the weekends is where I do my catch up sleeping. The most ever was straight 16hrs, can you believe that?! hehe

Not sure about the sleep cycle you're referring to though...

Plucky

 

Swag1138

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2000
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Im the same way, cept Ive never gotten just 4 hours of sleep before. But I know if I get 6 hours of sleep, Im dead, and if I oversleep Im dead, though most of my oversleeping is between 10 and 15 hours of sleep, so most of it doesnt fit in the 4 hour increment thingie.

I think Ill try 4 hours of sleep tonight, see how I do in the morning. Cant be any worse then the 7 I usually get.
 

Semimaker

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Dec 13, 2000
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I work mainly night shifts. Hence awake at 1:40AM in the UK. Consequently I have done alot of research into sleeping.

The body does sleep in 4 hourly cycles.

If you were to wake up after 6 hours sleep, you would be woken from deep sleep and still feel very tired because your body hasn't woken up yet. The same goes for 10 hours, but if you wake up after 5,7 or 9 hours you don't feel as bad.

I tend to sleep either 5 or 7 hours as 4 is too short and 8 would mean missing most of my day light.
 

cavingjan

Golden Member
Nov 15, 1999
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My body seems to like the 3,6,9 cycle. Mostly, I function well on whatever my body decides the night before as to when I'm getting up.
 

Unclemo

Banned
Apr 1, 2000
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A friend of mine that drives long cross-country routes for UPS drives with another and they take 4 hour shifts throughout the trip until complete. Appearantly, four hours is the ideal time for the body....
 

PeeluckyDuckee

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2001
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Sometimes its not what's idealistic that sets your schedule, there's just things in life that happens that won't allow you to do what you feel like doing at times.

I know for me, time spent sleeping away is time lost doing other important things that MUST be done TODAY, not tommorow. Not very often do I let the clock set my pace of work, I work when I work when I work. Sleeping is the least of my priorities. Sure I'd like to hit the sack when I'm tired, but that's just not always possible. I'm a procrastinator as well, so that doesn't really make things any better :p

What can I say, I'm a full blown insomniac.

Plucky

 

tm37

Lifer
Jan 24, 2001
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The cycle is NORMALLY 90 min. how ever the light sleep at the end of every other cycle for some is not as high as for others. It is bettr to take a 90 min nap as apposed to a 2 hour nap. I typically sleep either 4 1/2 to 6 hours a night.
 

MWink

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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You know what's funny. During high school I got 3-4 hours of sleep per night. Now I get 8-10 hours per night and I don't feel much more awake during the day.