Is it possible to survive a full day with only half an hour of sleep? Definitely. Could you imagine surviving for 12 years on just 30 minutes of daily naps? While it may seem unfeasible, Daisuke Hori has proven that it is achievable. Hori is an entrepreneur who loves music, painting, and bodybuilding. He started cutting back on sleep 12 years ago in order to have more active hours each day and was able to cut it down to 30–45 minutes a day, which, according to him, doubled his life expectancy.
What started as a little experiment for Hori became his whole lifestyle. After over a decade of conditioning his mind and body, Hori feels refreshed and maintains peak energy levels for 23 hours a day. His first advice to those of you who would like to try this routine is to exercise or drink coffee an hour before eating. This way, you can prevent sleepiness.
In 2016, Hori founded the Japan Short Sleep Training Association, where he reads lectures on the topic of sleep and health. People who need constant concentration in their work benefit more from quality sleep than from long sleep. For example, doctors and firefighters have shorter naps but maintain high efficiency.
The Japanese channel Yomiuri TV observed Hori for three days in a reality show called “Will You Go With Me?”. One day, Hori only slept for 26 minutes and woke up naturally full of energy. After breakfast, he went to work and had time to train in the gym. Hori’s resume states that he has taught more than 2,100 students about the peculiarities of ultrashort sleep. One of them told Yomiuri TV that she cut her sleep from eight hours to 90 minutes after Hori’s training and has been following this regimen for four years while keeping her skin and mental health in excellent condition.
This sleep phenomenon caused a heated discussion on social networks, with one of the most upvoted comments saying that Hori is a real master of time management and that sleeping less and working more efficiently is a dream come true. However, another person said that this regimen can ruin one’s health in the long run since even if the brain can stay awake, the heart can’t stand it.
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So, what do the actual doctors have to say about Hori’s sleeping schedule? Unsurprisingly, ultrashort sleep is not suitable for everyone and may have nasty side effects. According to Guo Fei, a neurologist at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology Hospital in Shenzhen, a good night’s rest is crucial for the body and brain to recuperate. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to memory impairment, weakened immunity, mood disorders, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. None of these sound like enjoyable things to have in your 40s.
Despite knowing the risks, Hori stands by his revolutionary sleeping habits, but with each day, more people share their opinions and observations, so eventually, we’ll be able to test the limits of human endurance.