Feb

14

Ninety Minutes, from Scott Brooks

February 14, 2007 |

I have a business partner in another venture who sleeps only between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., sometimes less.

He's been involved in several sleep studies and has taught me a few things about sleep. One is that humans go through 90 minute sleep cycles. If you're awakened during a sleep cycle, you are groggy and have less energy during the day.

The key to good sleep is to arrange to sleep in 90 minute increments (sleep an amount of time that is evenly divisible by 90).

Therefore, don't sleep for eight hours. You are better off sleeping for 7.5 hours or nine hours than for eight.

I've tried it and found that I am much more alert and productive with this methodology. I used to suffer from terrible insomnia, but it hardly affects me anymore.

I've also gone from needing eight hours of sleep down to sleeping only six. My goal is to work myself down to needing only 4.5 hours.

Each of us needs different amounts of sleep. And each of our "sleep cycles" is slightly different, but 90 minutes is pretty much on the money for the majority of people. Try experimenting and finding what is right for you.

It will take at least 20 - 30 days to get into a pattern. But once you do, you'll be glad you did it.

It has helped me out a lot.


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