How to Condition Your Body to Need Less Sleep

Co-authored by Alex Dimitriu, MD

Last Updated: November 14, 2024 Approved

If you have a busy schedule, you might like to spend less time sleeping. While long-term sleep deprivation is a bad idea, there are steps you can take to sleep less for a short period. Take time to prepare your mind and body, gradually cut back on sleep, and return to a normal schedule if you notice any effects on your health or well-being.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing Your Mind and Body

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1
Exercise. If you expect to function without sleep you'll have to build up your body's overall strength. Exercising three or four times a week can build your overall strength and stamina, resulting in you needing less sleep. According to sleep medicine and psychiatry professional Alex Dimitriu, "getting exercise during the day can also help you build a good sleeping routine."
- Focus on aerobics, like running or jogging, swimming, as well as mild weight training, such as lifting weights, doing push or sit ups, and Pilates.^{[1]
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2
Cut out certain substances. Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine all mess with your sleep schedule. If you want to function on less sleep you need to take steps to assure your sleep is high quality.
- Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster. However, once you do fall asleep the sleep you have is of a lesser quality. You'll end up needing to sleep more. Ditch alcohol, only drinking on occasion and in moderation.^{[2]
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- Caffeine stays in the body for up to six hours after you drink it. Drinking caffeine in the late afternoon can affect your ability to sleep at night. It's best to stick to coffee in the mornings without going overboard. One or two 8 ounce cups a day should be enough.^{[3]
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- Nicotine, in addition to leading to many health problems, is a stimulant. Smoking cigarettes throughout the day can lead to trouble sleeping at night. Not to mention tobacco weakens your body and immune system, meaning you'll need more sleep for strength. If you want to go on less sleep, take steps to quit smoking.^{[4]
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3
Develop a sleep routine. Work on improving your sleep schedule before trying to cut back on sleep. Take measures to assure you fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling refreshed. Sleep medicine and psychiatry professional Alex Dimitriu suggests setting a regular sleep and wake time for yourself." He also advises "waking up to bright light in the morning, and avoiding any bright lights or screens in the 2 hours before going to sleep."
- The blue light that comes from smartphones and laptops has a stimulating effect on the body that makes nodding off difficult.^{[5]
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- Have some kind of bedtime ritual. If your body associates a certain activity with bedtime, you'll naturally feel tired in response to that activity. Pick something relaxing to do, like reading a book or doing a crossword puzzle.^{[6]
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Keep your bedroom environment sleep friendly. Remember, to sleep less you need to make sure your sleep is of as high quality as possible. To do so, make sure your bedroom is sleep friendly.
- Check your mattress and pillows. They should be firm and supportive and not result in you feeling sore. Pillows and bedding should be free of any allergens, that could cause irritation and keep you up at night.^{[7]
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  Research source} Sleep medicine and psychiatry professional Alex Dimitriu also suggests "keeping your room cool, and setting your thermostat to 64 to 66 °F (18 to 19 °C) if you can."
- If you live in a noisy building or area, consider investing in a white noise machine to block out unwanted sound.^{[8]
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Quiz

wikiHow Quiz: Why Can't I Sleep?

Whether your environment, your habits, or something else entirely is affecting your sleep, we’ve designed this quiz to pinpoint the source of your sleep deprivation. We’ve even included research-backed tips tailored to your situation. By the end of this quiz, you’ll be on the road to a healthier sleep schedule!

1 of 12

Which of the following best describes your nighttime routine?

Most nights, I scroll on my phone or look at emails before dozing off.

I spend a long time laying in bed before going to sleep.

I’m usually doing chores or work right before turning out the light.

I have a specific pre-bed routine. I don’t look at screens, and I might even try to meditate.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Gradually Scaling Back

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1
Reduce the number of hours you sleep gradually. If you try to go from sleeping nine hours a night to sleeping six, it's going to backfire. Work on gradually delaying your bedtime or getting up earlier.
- For the first week, go to sleep 20 minutes later or get up 20 minutes earlier than usual. For the second week, add another 20 minutes. For the third week, move your bedtime or wake time back or forward by an hour.^{[9]
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- Continue cutting back by 20 minute intervals each week.^{[10]
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You'll likely experience fatigue for the first few weeks. It will take your body time to adjust to less sleep. If fatigue is getting to you, change your diet by adding healthier, energy-stimulating foods and exercising more to rev up the quality of your sleep.^{[11]
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Six hours of sleep a night should be your goal. You can still function relatively well, if you maintain the quality of that sleep. Anything less than this could pose major health risks.^{[12]
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Part 3

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Knowing the Risks

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The absolute least amount you can sleep is five and a half hours a night. Sleep studies that monitored the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain report subjects who get less sleep than this report severe fatigue and reduced ability to function in day-to-day life.
2
Watch for ill health effects. Sleep deprivation can be dangerous. If you experience any of the following, you may want to consider returning to your regular sleep schedule:^{[13]
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- Increased hunger
- Changes in weight
- Loss of short-term memory
- Impulsive behaviors
- Poor motor skills
- Changes in skin
- Blurred vision
3
Understand sleeping less is difficult to maintain long-term. While you can cut back on sleep for short periods of time, sleeping less than eight hours a night is not recommended long-term. Eventually, your functioning will slip and you'll need to catch up on sleep.
- How much sleep you need varies based on lifestyle. However, most people need at least eight hours of sleep a night. Regularly getting less than this is bad for your concentration.
- If you continuously run on six hours a night, you'll create what's called a sleep debt. Your body will crave more sleep than you're providing. Eventually, you'll end up crashing. If you're trying to run on little sleep, make sure to only do so for a few weeks at a time before returning to eight hours a night.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I stop sleeping too much?

Alex Dimitriu, MD
Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional
Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. Alex earned his Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2005 and graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep Medicine Residency Program in 2010. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine.

Alex Dimitriu, MD

Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional

Expert Answer

Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every night. Your body has a natural circadian rhythm that adjusts to a regular sleep/wake cycle. If you keep your bedtime and waking time the same each day, you'll feel tired naturally at night and wake up refreshed in the morning.

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Question

How come some people need less sleep?

Alex Dimitriu, MD
Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional
Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. Alex earned his Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2005 and graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep Medicine Residency Program in 2010. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine.

Alex Dimitriu, MD

Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional

Expert Answer

Everybody is naturally different. Some people function just fine with 7 hours of sleep while other people may need up to 9 hours of sleep. As a general rule, almost everyone falls within this range, though. Try to avoid sleeping in for more than 9 hours and waking up with less than 7 hours of sleep since this may disrupt your sleep schedule.

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If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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Question

How can I reduce my sleep instantly?

Alex Dimitriu, MD
Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional
Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. Alex earned his Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2005 and graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep Medicine Residency Program in 2010. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine.

Alex Dimitriu, MD

Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional

Expert Answer

Unfortunately, there's no good way to do this. Your best bet would be to simply wake yourself up as required and then do your best to take a nap when the chance presents itself to eliminate your sleep debt. Chronically reducing your sleep can come with many negative health consequences. Whenever you can, try to keep a regular sleep schedule and practice good sleep hygiene—this ensures that you get the most high-quality sleep throughout the night.

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Warnings

Do not attempt to operate a motor vehicle while running on less sleep. Falling asleep at the wheel can lead to potentially fatal car accidents.

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