Blog posts 65 Sleep Hacks That Actually Work: Backed by Science (Part 7)

November 24, 2021

Advanced Sleep Hacks and Other Methods

60. Consider polyphasic sleep: This method might not work for everyone but if you’re serious about hacking your sleep polyphasic sleep is worth a shot. Polyphasic sleep entails dividing your sleep into two blocks rather than a single time period. Monophasic sleep is what most of us do and sleep once a day. A polyphasic sleep schedule would include a 20-minute nap every four hours, for two hours of sleep every day. Then, three 20-minute naps throughout the day and a 3-hour “core sleep” at night. While polyphasic sleeping can help you acquire more time in your day in the short term, it is not recommended for a long term sleep hack as it ultimately causes a sleep deficiency.

61. The 28-hour day: Instead of following the rest of the world's 24/7 schedule, you can hack your sleep with a 28/6 week, which has 28 hours per day and 6 days. Because the 28-hour schedule advances your internal clock, allowing you to rely on cues like light and darkness to tell you when it's time to sleep. Here is an example of a 28/6 week schedule. This schedule allows you to enjoy late evenings and weekend outings without feeling deprived of sleep. However, there is no way you can have this schedule while working an average 9-5 job.

62. Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation: The goal of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is to tense and relax distinct muscle groups until you fall asleep. To start a full body PMR, begin with your eyebrows and forehead muscles. Raise your brows as high as possible for 5 seconds to tighten the forehead muscles-the tension will dissipate as you relax these muscles. Apply the same tension / relax technique to the shoulders, triceps, chest, stomach, hips, thighs, calves, and feet as you move around the body.

63. Take a coffee nap: A coffee nap is a new concept that is gaining popularity. The nap technique-drinking a cup of coffee before taking a nap-allows the caffeine in coffee to fully take effect (in about 20-30 minutes). By the time your nap is over, you'll be experiencing the first effects of caffeine. This science-backed method is an excellent way to level up your nap game.

64. Keep a sleep log: Taking notes on hour sleep is a great way to find out if something is keeping you awake at night, disrupting your sleep, or helping you sleep. Write down your activities for the day, mood, what you ate, exercise, caffeine consumption, etc. Create your own sleep diary in a spreadsheet, purchase a pre-made sleep journal, or try a sleep app.

65. Reduce your overall need for sleep: Reducing your overall need for sleep may not work for some. The concept of reducing sleep is more about improving the quality of your sleep instead of cutting down on the hours you spend asleep. The average adult needs at least 7 hours of sleep to feel fully rested. Reducing your overall need for sleep is not recommended long term.

These tips are sure to help you sleep no matter what group you fit into or where you find yourself in life. The importance of good sleep is vital to overall health, physical fitness, mental cognition, and more. These tips can help you both get to sleep and improve your health. Looking for even more sleep tips? Visit our website for even more sleep tips, mattress recommendations/comparisons, guides, and more!
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