While an average human body needs about 6-8 hours of sleep for perfect health, what if we told you there was a man who has slept only 30 minutes a day for the last 12 years? Well, that’s just unbelievable but true.
Daisuke Hori, a resident from central Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, has been managing with less than 30 minutes of sleep every day for the last decade or so, according to the South China Morning Post, to live a “doubled” life. According to Hori, his body and brain have gotten so attuned to having less sleep that he works more efficiently.
According to the South China Morning Post, Hori said, “As long as you exercise or drink coffee an hour before eating, you can stave off drowsiness.”
According to entrepreneur Hori, in order to keep one’s focus sharp, quality sleep is more important than length. He said, “People whose jobs require them to concentrate continuously get more benefit from high-quality sleep rather than just long sleep. For instance, doctors and fire fighters have shorter rest times but remain highly efficient.”.
So, Japan’s Yomiuri TV decided to take Hori’s claims and put them to the test in a reality show called Will You Go With Me? The premise is very simple: cameras followed Hori around, 24/7, for three days. That footage showed Hori sleeping for just 26 minutes, woke him up feeling refreshed, have some breakfasts, worked, went to the gym.
Besides this very unusual regimen that he has adopted, Hori in 2016 founded the Japan Short Sleepers Training Association, where he teaches other people about sleep and health. Thus far, he has trained over 2,100 students to become ultra-short sleepers.
Other incredible cases include an 80-year-old Vietnamese man, Thai Ngoc, who claims to never have slept in over 60 years. According to Ngoc, he lost the ability to sleep after catching a fever in 1962, and despite the many treatments and sleeping pills, his insomnia just persists.