4 Proven Ways to Reduce Sleep – Sadhguru’s Yogic Tips
In today’s fast-paced world, time is one of our most precious resources. While sleep is essential for our physical and mental well-being, many wonder: Is it possible to reduce sleep naturally and still feel energized and healthy?
According to Sadhguru, a renowned yogi and spiritual master, the answer is yes—but not through stimulants or force. Instead, the ancient science of yoga offers simple, natural methods to minimize your sleep requirement by improving the efficiency of your body and mind.
Let’s explore four proven yogic ways Sadhguru suggests to reduce sleep, without compromising your health.
1. Practice the 24×24 Technique
Sadhguru introduces the 24×24 technique as a powerful way to increase energy and reduce the feeling of tiredness after meals. The principle is simple: eat only 24 bites per meal, and chew each bite at least 24 times.
This method promotes mindful eating and ensures your food is partially digested before it even reaches the stomach. The result?
- Less energy is spent on digestion
- You feel lighter and more alert
- The body requires less downtime (sleep) for recovery
Sadhguru explains that when digestion is more efficient, the body doesn’t feel sluggish after meals. Especially at dinner, practicing this technique can allow you to wake up earlier—sometimes as early as 3:30 AM, known in yogic tradition as Brahma Muhurta, the most spiritually supportive time of the day.
2. Follow the 90-Minute Freshness Rule
Another key concept from Sadhguru’s yogic teachings is about eating fresh food within 90 minutes of preparation. In the yogic system, it is believed that food begins to lose its life energy—or prana—shortly after it is cooked.
After 90 minutes, food begins to turn tamasic, meaning it induces inertia or dullness in the body and mind. Tamasic food increases lethargy, thereby increasing the body’s need for sleep to process it.
By consuming food within 90 minutes of cooking, you:
- Preserve its vital energy
- Avoid burdening your system with “dead” food
- Reduce your sleep needs naturally
In modern terms, this aligns with the concept of eating fresh and whole foods instead of packaged, processed, or reheated meals.
3. Cultivate Inner Joy and Alignment
One of the most transformative tips from Sadhguru is not physical, but emotional and energetic. He explains that the amount of sleep you need is directly proportional to how much “repair” your system requires.
If your body, mind, and emotions are in constant friction—due to stress, anger, anxiety, or emotional turbulence—your system consumes more energy during the day and demands longer periods of sleep for recovery.
On the other hand, if you live in a state of inner balance and joy, the wear and tear on your system is significantly reduced.
Ways to cultivate this harmony:
- Daily yoga and meditation
- Conscious breathing (pranayama)
- Gratitude practices and positive thinking
- Spending time in nature
When you are joyful, aligned, and peaceful, your energy flows freely, and the body heals faster—even during shorter sleep cycles.
4. Avoid Chemicals and Plastic in Food
Modern diets often contain chemicals, preservatives, and microplastics from processed food and packaging. Sadhguru warns that even 1% of unnatural substances in your diet can greatly reduce the body’s ability to assimilate nutrients effectively.
This forces your system to work overtime during sleep to detoxify and repair, increasing the amount of rest needed.
To reduce this load:
- Choose organic or chemical-free produce
- Avoid food stored in plastic containers
- Cook at home with fresh, whole ingredients
- Drink water from glass or copper vessels instead of plastic bottles
By reducing the chemical and plastic load in your diet, your body becomes more efficient, your energy increases, and your need for long sleep cycles decreases.
Is Reducing Sleep Safe?
It’s important to note: Sadhguru does not advocate sleep deprivation. Instead, his teachings focus on enhancing the body’s efficiency so that it requires less sleep naturally.
When your body, emotions, and energy are well-managed, sleep becomes more restorative, even in shorter durations. Many advanced yogis report functioning optimally with just 4 to 5 hours of sleep, without any fatigue—because their systems are in harmony.
Final Thoughts: Sleep Less, Live More (Consciously)
Sadhguru’s yogic tips are not hacks, but conscious lifestyle changes rooted in thousands of years of inner science. These practices help your system run smoothly, reduce friction, and tap into a higher level of vitality.
Here’s a quick summary of the 4 yogic tips:
- Eat 24 bites, chew 24 times – improves digestion and alertness
- Consume fresh food within 90 minutes – preserves energy
- Keep body, mind, and emotions joyful – reduces internal damage
- Avoid chemicals and plastics in food – supports clean assimilation
If practiced consistently, these simple yet powerful techniques can reduce your dependency on long hours of sleep and enhance your clarity, productivity, and inner peace.
Are you ready to experience more life with less sleep?