If you have to choose between sleeping for a couple of hours or not sleeping at all, you should choose to sleep. Just 90 minutes gives your body enough time to complete 1 sleep cycle, of which you typically complete 4 to 6 nightly.
Sleep pressure is a feeling of tiredness that gets stronger the longer you stay awake. If you don’t sleep, your drowsiness will worsen until you can finally get some rest.
Sleeping for 1 to 2 hours can relieve some sleep pressure and make you feel less tired in the morning than you would otherwise if you stayed up all night.
Sleeping for a couple of hours or fewer isn’t ideal, but 90 minutes gives your body enough time to complete a sleep cycle. You go through 4 to 6 cycles on a typical night.
Research has found that sleeping for
The
- Stage 1 (NREM): Also called N1, this is the lightest stage of sleep and lasts for about 1 to 5 minutes. Your brainwaves, breathing, and heart rate slow, and your muscles relax.
- Stage 2 (NREM): Also called N2, this is when your body temperature drops while your heart rate and breathing continue to slow. Stage 2 lasts for about 25 minutes in your first sleep cycle and becomes longer with each cycle.
- Stage 3 (NREM): Also called N3 or deep sleep, this is when your body repairs itself and strengthens your immune system. It’s difficult to be awoken from this stage.
- Stage 4 (REM): REM is when you’re most likely to dream and is characterized by paralyzed muscles and quickly moving eyes. It usually begins about 90 minutes after you fall asleep and becomes longer with each cycle.
Sleep deprivation can negatively impact your judgment and cognitive ability. Not getting enough sleep can put you at risk of making poor decisions, such as driving when not mentally alert.
Regularly getting less than 6 hours of sleep increases your risk of falling asleep at the wheel by
Not getting adequate sleep over a long period can negatively impact your health. Chronic sleep deprivation puts you at a
According to the CDC, adults should aim for
But getting enough sleep every night can be challenging. Life gets busy, and things can crop up at the last second.
If you’re routinely finding yourself in a position where you have to decide between sleeping 1 to 2 hours or not at all, you can try a few things to make getting quality sleep easier:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Keep your bedroom quiet and at a cool temperature.
- Avoid large meals and alcohol right before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
- Refrain from using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a balanced diet.
Collectively, these habits are called sleep hygiene. Practicing good sleep hygiene is associated with long-term sleep improvement.
But if you still have problems getting adequate sleep even after trying to improve your sleep hygiene, speak with your doctor. They may have other solutions for you.
If you must choose between getting very little sleep and getting none, it’s better to opt for some sleep — even for 1 or 2 hours.
But you should try to get at least 90 to 110 minutes of sleep to give your body enough time to complete a full sleep cycle and minimize grogginess when you wake.
Any sleep is better than none — even a 20-minute nap — but most adults should aim for at least 7 hours. Practicing good sleep hygiene can help if you’re constantly getting low quality sleep. But speak with your doctor if you’ve tried improving your sleep hygiene and it hasn’t helped.
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