Agronesia

This is a question of paramount importance to me. If I sleep too much, that’s a waste of time and productivity. But sleep too little and you will easily get sick. How much is this baffling ideal time?

According to NSF (National Science Sleep Foundation), it really depends on your age. And even within an age range, it can vary significantly. Here’s a hint if you’re seeking answers:

Image from NSF

But basically, the optimal sleep time is an individually unique value. If you feel you need more sleep, then you probably need it. Read the multi-page article for more details.

I’m going with 7 hours per day. So at this fasting season, this translates to sleeping at 8 PM and waking at 3 AM. Another option seem to be sleeping like the usual months at 10 PM but getting an extra sleep at daytime.

(and here’s hoping that you don’t break the sleep schedule… again…)

PS: I heard that Indonesia’s first president Soekarno sleeps only 5 hours (IIRC) per day. If he can really endure that, I envy him very much…

Steve Pavlina mentions on his various blog posts about batching. (There was actually one post specifically discussing it, but I couldn’t find it) Basically, it’s grouping related tasks and doing it in one session instead of spreading it the whole day.

For example, lets talk about checking emails. People who are always connected to the Internet usually have a compulsion to check their email at random intervals. That is a productivity loss, because most probably you are actually in the process of doing something else important. With batching, you say to yourself: “OK, I’ll just check all new emails every morning. Other emails arriving throught the day can be checked the next morning”.

I’m now in the process of applying it. Other than emails, there are RSS reader and various SNS that I use which can really waste time if you get into the habit of checking them periodically. Batching gives me extra time which is a luxury in our 24-hour day.