The Science of Success Podcast

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The Top Benefits of Having a Sleep Schedule

Laying out an every-day sleep schedule is a great way to give your body the health level it deserves. Considering all the health benefits that a good night’s sleep can bring us, it’s vital to give our sleep schedule a proper thought. Just like physical activity and healthy nutrition, our sleep habits can greatly affect our wellbeing, so we definitely shouldn't neglect them.

Most of the people who have chosen to stick to a special sleep routine due to specific factors enjoy the following benefits:

●      They Get Used To It. A great number of people, including popular scientists like Nikola Tesla, Isaac Newton, and Thomas Edison, made sure they scheduled their sleep. As you can see in this interesting infographic, Nikola Tesla never slept for more than two hours, Isaac Newton slept for three to four hours every day, and Thomas Edison slept for 20 minutes every three hours. This made their bodies know when it was time to be awake and working, as well as when to be asleep.
 

●      They Wake Up With Ease. Having a sleep schedule comes as a great way to effectively and naturally wake up. A stress hormone known as cortisol can be released right before you wake up, and this enables you to get up without troubles.
 

●     They Don't Need An Alarm. According to studies, people like Abraham Graham Bell, who used to sleep four to six hours, would not need an alarm to wake up. In fact, by having a sleep schedule, you can wake up roughly at the same time every day without alarms.
 

Sleep Cycles To Support Your Sleep Schedule

You can decide to base your sleep schedule on a set of cycles which could be quite healthy. Here's a brief rundown of the sleep cycles that can help you place your sleep schedule correctly.

●      Monophasic. This refers to one continuous block of sleep. Most of the time, the monophasic sleepers get about five to nine hours of sleep. According to research, the famous German composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, used to be a monophasic sleeper, usually sleeping from 1 am to 7 am.
 

●      Biphasic. This involves sleeping for two segments every day. A great number of people find this to be a very common sleep pattern. A popular politician who adopted the biphasic sleep cycle was Napoleon Bonaparte, who slept from 12 am to 2 am, and then from 5 am to 7 am.
 

●      Polyphasic. This cycle is not as common as the previous two. It involves sleeping and waking up multiple times during the night and day. In other words, sleep periods are broken up into shorter naps throughout the entire day. Thomas Edison, for instance, was known to have been sleeping for 20 minutes every three hours. Eleanor Roosevelt was another example. She used to take short naps before giving public speeches.

Sleep is an essential factor that contributes to overall health. Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about successful people and their sleep habits.