To keep up with all the demands of the hectic modern life, more and more people wish as though they have more hours in the day. They simply want and need to sleep less to have more time for other activities. If you're one of those people who don't want to spend their precious hours on sleep, you have to learn how to train yourself to need less sleep. Yes, this is possible. By exposing the myths and discovering the facts about sleep, you can get by on less sleep without putting your health at risk.

Myth: Sleep is just for resting.

Fact: Sleep is more than just a period of rest. Sleep is for learning, memory optimization, energy renewal and cell repair. Skimping on sleep can leave you feeling tired, miserable and irritable. Learning how to improve the quality of your sleep is an important step if you want to learn how to train yourself to need less sleep.

Myth: Pre-midnight sleep is more valuable.

Fact: Sleep is most important if it comes at the time scheduled by your internal body clock. Sleep when you're sleepy. If you force yourself to sleep before midnight, even if you're not yet sleepy can ruin your quality sleep, because you'll likely wake up earlier than you're supposed to.

Myth: Don't take daytime naps.

Fact: Naps should be avoided if it will be taken too late in the afternoon. Otherwise, short naps are very beneficial to physical and intellectual performance. A 15- to 20-minute nap early in the day can help refresh your mind and renew your energy. It also won't affect your sleeping rhythm or pattern.

Myth: Sleeping in a quiet and dark room is a must.

Fact: Silence and darkness can help you fall asleep faster but it is not that vital. The most important factor that can help you sleep well is the natural circadian rhythm. If you sleep along with your natural rhythm, you'll sleep well even with the lights on and with noises around. If you understand your natural sleep rhythm, you'll easily know how to train yourself to need less sleep.

Myth: Sleeping less makes you successful.

Fact: A lot of people lead a busy lifestyle that they choose to sleep less to have more time for more activities. Although many geniuses and successful people like Leonardo DaVinci and Donald Trump sleep little, this is not necessarily the reason for their success. They are competitive and creative even with less sleep probably because their sleep pattern is very well structured. Sleeping in the right hours and in solid and consistent blocks is what's important. This does not put your health and overall well-being at risk.