We’ve all been there: a late night of cramming for a final or preparing for an important presentation at work; getting to bed at a reasonable time but needing to wake up insanely early to make it to the airport in time for a 5 a.m. flight; or not sleeping well during the night and needing to catch up on quality sleep the next day.

One of the most well-known pieces of health advice out there is to get between seven to eight hours of sleep each night. However, getting enough sleep is always harder than we want it to be, even when we plan for it. Some last minute late-night opportunity always arises, or the baby wakes up a few too many times, and before we know it the sun is rising and we can barely remember falling asleep.

Here at Pillow Cube, we strive for excellence in making sleep more comfortable by creating the ultimate pillows and mattresses. Nothing helps you fall fast asleep better than helping your body find a relaxed, comfortable position. However, there are many other tips and tricks for falling asleep quickly and reaching a state of deep, true quality sleep in a short amount of time. Keep reading to learn how to get eight hours of sleep in three hours.

Can You Really Get 8 Hours of Sleep in 3 Hours?

“What a bold claim!” you might be thinking. “Don’t they know that every doctor says we should get seven to eight hours of sleep each night?” Well don’t worry, we are well aware that three hours is a far cry from the recommended amount of sleep we need to maintain health, energy, and happiness. However, sometimes things come up that interfere with our sleep schedules, and some people really do only get three hours of sleep each night—and if that’s the case, then we want to help you do whatever you can to increase the quality of your sleep so that your three hours in bed, be that at night or midday, can help carry you through the day and give you enough energy that you’ll be saying to yourself, “Wait—did I really only sleep for three hours last night? It felt like a full eight!”

Pillows: Prepare the Ultimate Sleep Environment

In order to get the best sleep possible, it’s imperative that you prepare a conducive sleep environment to achieve that goal. Eliminate extra light, find a sound machine if your window is right by some train tracks, and make sure your bed, pillow, bedding, and any extra blankets are as comfortable as possible. If your neck tends to be sore or you can never seem to find that sweet spot to rest your head, our Side Sleeper is here to save the day (or, well, night…you know what we mean). A good quality pillow can literally change the sleeping game and help you have the best sleep of your life.

• Get hot when you sleep? Try our Ice Cube Pillow Cube, it will keep you cool all night long!
• Hate it when your legs touch while you are sleeping? Us too. Try the Knee Pillow.
• Struggle with lower back pain? The Knee Pillow will also give you relief by aligning your spine.
• Worried about sleeping while traveling? Bring our travel-size Side Sleeper! 

Exercise Earlier During the Day, Take it Easy at Night

Exercise is important for many aspects of our health, but the timing of our exercise can impact our ability to reach deep sleep, which is the most important part of a meaningful sleep cycle. Exercising during the day will help you expend energy, relieve stress, and feel like you accomplished something that you can be proud of during the day—all things that will improve your ability to sleep each night. Avoiding intense exercise later a night will help you sleep better since your body needs time to wind down and relax before drifting off to sleep.

Practice Mindfulness as Part of Your Bedtime Routine

Stress is one of the biggest roadblocks for most people when it comes to negative impacts on sleep quality. If you have too much on your mind from earlier that day it can be nearly impossible to relax your mind, and if something especially stressful is waiting for you in the morning when you wake up, anxiety about future outcomes can often prevent you from getting quality sleep in situations when you need it the most. Practicing mindfulness before going to sleep, whether in the form of meditation, journaling, or a spiritual practice that fits your needs, can help you declutter your mind and prepare for a truly restful sleep experience. 

Avoid Screens Before Heading to Bed

This might be the most popular advice on the internet right now, but for good reason! The light that emanates from digital screens can seriously hinder your ability to get quality sleep. If you have a full eight hours to zonk out in bed then it might not be as big of a deal, but if you only have three hours to sleep, then you sure don’t want to be wasting any time in reaching a state of deep rest. Try to stop looking at screens two hours before you need to fall asleep, or, if that’s really not possible, then consider investing in blue light glasses to block the light from your eyes.

Avoid Caffeine Anytime Close to When You Want to Sleep

You’ve probably heard people say that drinking caffeine too close to bedtime—or even past the earliest hours of the afternoon, for that matter—is important so that you can fall asleep at a reasonable hour. However, if your work schedule requires that you get sleep during the day so that you can work overnight, or if you’ve noticed that your body is especially sensitive to caffeine, you should consider how many hours it takes for caffeine to run its course in your individual body so that you can know how many hours before trying to sleep you should stop drinking anything with caffeine. While it can be difficult to do so, some people find that their bodies are so sensitive to caffeine that they try to avoid it altogether for the sake of getting better sleep. Figure out what works for you, and do your best to commit to a caffeine intake schedule so that you can feel ready to sleep, whenever your bedtime comes around!