--- title: How You Can Function on Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep description: "When I get a few energy slumps, I rely on some tried and true solutions" canonical: https://time.com/3544255/function-little-sleep/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-28T21:36:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:00:24.642Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How You Can Function on Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep og:description: "When I get a few energy slumps, I rely on some tried and true solutions" og:url: https://time.com/3544255/function-little-sleep/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaeab73036c98ef91/69876315524fc0f088dea191/bed.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2988 og:image:height: 1681 og:image:alt: bed og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How You Can Function on Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep twitter:description: "When I get a few energy slumps, I rely on some tried and true solutions" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaeab73036c98ef91/69876315524fc0f088dea191/bed.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How You Can Function on Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1a60e1de-5b47-404e-b698-9166f0be042e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=1a60e1de-5b47-404e-b698-9166f0be042e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1a60e1de-5b47-404e-b698-9166f0be042e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? [Watch (HLS stream): Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/o0FTMkL0.m3u8) (2:25)  _Published 2015-05-15. Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep?_ by [Quora](https://time.com/author/quora/) ## Quora Oct 28, 2014 9:36 PM UTC  Bed Pillow Bed Pillow Getty Images by [Quora](https://time.com/author/quora/) ## Quora Oct 28, 2014 9:36 PM UTC [_Answer_](https://www.quora.com/How-do-CEOs-who-sleep-for-only-4-5-hours-daily-manage-to-function-and-run-multi-million-dollar-companies/answer/Alexandra-Damsker) _by_ [_Alexandra Damsker_](https://www.quora.com/Alexandra-Damsker)_on_ [_Quora_](http://www.quora.com/)_._ I don’t have a multi-million dollar company (yet), but I’m one of those CEOs who function on 3-5 hours of sleep. No, there aren’t any drugs involved, nor is there poor management (as far as I know). It’s a variety of things. First, reduce TV. You sleep much better, and do much more work, when you don’t watch much TV. Your brain is actually less active watching TV than when it’s sleeping. This dullness is addictive. My daughter becomes a giant mess when she watches too much TV — huge tantrums, crying, screaming, complete meltdown. She doesn’t want to eat or listen. It’s like she’s addicted, and I’m taking away her drug. My husband is very similar, without the actual crying. He just sort of grunts more. I’m not certain it happens with everyone, but I’d be surprised if most people aren’t highly susceptible to this “one more show” mentality, and the gape-mouthed stare is the death knell for good work, good eating, good sleep or good play. Second, limit carbohydrates. For me, anyway — they just make me sleepy. Third, limit meetings. Same as carbs. Blah blah blah — hate just droning on, or being droned at. Nothing good comes of this. Fourth, I actually have specific hours I need to sleep to do well, not a specific number of hours. It’s a quirk of my circadian rhythm, and it’s been that way since my 20s. If I can sleep from 4 to 8am, I’m very happy. However, my home life doesn’t permit that, so I usually end up sleeping from 1-4am, and 5-6:30am. I have a hard time sleeping in the early morning hours, and love the morning (once I drag myself out of bed). Fifth, when I get a few energy slumps, I rely on some tried and true solutions: I switch tasks to things I really like (so I save that stuff for sleepy times). I hang out on Quora (dangerous, because I’m on here WAY longer than I should be. There should be a stopwatch or a clock on this thing…!) I go outside. I email or chat with someone personal (not usually on the phone—hate the phone.) I play a set number of solitaire hands. I read the news or, if read, one of three gossip sites I frequent (I’m not proud.) Or, if all else fails, I take a nap. I usually sleep more on slower days or if nothing is happening on a weekend, but it works out. **Quiz**: [_5 Must-Haves Before You Head to College_](http://motto.time.com/4447131/college-packing-checklist/) Sixth, and most important, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LOVE WHAT I DO. I love it so much! I am so incredibly happy that I get to do my job. I have days that suck. I have strings of days that suck. But they are just sucky days — my life is still pretty spectacularly awesome. It makes me excited to wake up, to take the conference call I had today set at the incredibly ludicrous time of 6:30am, to take calls and go to meetings while visiting family, to get over shyness and speak to the stranger next to me on the airplane, to spend the evening playing with my daughter knowing that I’ll be working on a document until 4 am and begging Kinko’s for something (and I HATE begging.) I mostly just think I am a very lucky person. I have a (pretty) supportive spouse, a fantastic kid, a wonderful dog. I’m healthy, I’m privileged to run a company that is about to split into 2, with customers that are acolytes that spare me marketing dollars. People believe in me and my ability to lead, they believe in what I’ve created. I do something that I think makes a difference in the world. And today I’m having a pretty good hair day. I don’t really worry about the sleep that I get. I get what I can, and do what I have to do every day. Everyone around me is trying to help me out (for the most part), I keep my priorities in order (my kid never suffers, I can’t make myself sick), and I just focus on what I have immediately ahead and in the near future, and what I need to get those done. I truly believe it will all benefit everyone in the end, and my support group does, too. And that’s how I do it. _This question originally appeared on_ [_Quora: How do CEOs who sleep for only 4-5 hours daily manage to function and run multi-million dollar companies?_](https://www.quora.com/How-do-CEOs-who-sleep-for-only-4-5-hours-daily-manage-to-function-and-run-multi-million-dollar-companies/answer/Alexandra-Damsker) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] You're watching Everwell. Know more, live better. If I don't get at least eight hours of sleep, I'm tired, I'm crabby, I'm sluggish, I have trouble thinking clearly, making decisions. I'd say people need around, you know, eight hours of sleep and but when you're younger your just able to still function with less If you think about it, sleep is a lot like weight. There's an ideal we're all suppose to meet but few of us do. So is getting less than the recommended eight hours a night really bad for us? Well a lot less is a problem. But if you're getting a little less, there's probably no need to lose sleep over it. Routinely sleeping less than seven hours a night leads to reduced attention, concentration, and memory in most people according to research. One result is an increased risk of car accidents, but individuals vary widely in how they're effected and how much [ MUSIC ] Getting six hours of sleep, for example, can have a severe impact on some people and barely make a difference in others. Though you may think you fall in the second category, it can be hard to judge accurately for yourself. Studies amongst sleep deprived people show that they often overestimate their alertness on tasks like driving. [ NOISE ] As for the effects on our health Studies overall have linked less than six hours a night with an increased risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity, and premature death. Interestingly, getting lots of z's, meaning nine or more hours a night, is also associated with these risks. But it's unclear whether sleeping that much is the cause of health problems, or just the result. There's no evidence that sleeping in on weekends is harmful, and it may help make up for lost sleep during the week, but not entirely. Your best bet is to consistently get seven or eight hours a night. If your reaction to that is, dream on Try turning off that TV and shutting down your computer a little earlier every evening. It could help make that dream of getting more sleep a reality. 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