How to Get By on Four to Five Hours of Sleep

Your day will certainly be more manageable by following this plan, whether you adhere to every step or just select a few of the items.

Sometimes 8 hours just isn’t in the cards.
Sometimes 8 hours just isn’t in the cards.

We all know that it is optimal to get 8 hours of sleep per night.

Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter

By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime.

See all of our newsletters

The benefits of sleep for our health, happiness, and productivity have beenwell-documented.

There is simply no doubt that we need sleep to be at our best.

But sometimes 8 hours just isn’t in the cards.

Whether because of work stress, a crying baby, or some other late-night disturbance, we are sometimes forced to function on 4–5 hours of sleep (or less).

When that is the case, should we just resign ourselves to a day filled with moodiness and limited output? Or are there some strategies to counteract the effects of little sleep?

Fortunately, there are some effective ways to survive (and even thrive) after a night of tossing and turning.

Try this routine the next time you’re short on sleep:

Of course it is never ideal to operate on little sleep, but the reality is that we all find ourselves in this situation from time to time. And fortunately there are some proven strategies to make the most of it.

Your day will certainly be more manageable by following this plan, whether you adhere to every step or just select a few of the items.

Perhaps it also jumped out at you that this routine could maximize your day even when you are well-rested.

Here’s to a great day (sleep or not)!

Andrew Merle writes about how simple it is to live well, including good habits for happiness, health, productivity, and success. Read more at andrewmerle.com and follow him on Twitter.

How to Get By on Four to Five Hours of Sleep