Halachot of Sleep: Difference between revisions

From Halachipedia
(→‎Time to Go to Sleep: Grammar fixes)
(→‎Duration of Sleep: Expanded the section with additional source-based details on sleep duration, timing, health, and preparation for prayer; clarified the scope of each cited view; corrected the attribution of the eight-hour allusion from *Arukh HaShulchan* to *Ba’er Hetev*; and standardized the references.)
 
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==Duration of Sleep==
==Duration of Sleep==
# One is not meant to sleep longer than 8 hours or less than 6 hours, one may vary within those parameters according to one's needs.<ref> Some sources suggest that one should sleep 8 hours such as the Rambam (Deot 4:4) and Orchot Rabbeinu (1 pg 189, biography of the Steipler). Some quote Mishna Brurah 1:9 to argue that one should sleep as much as one needs. If one however carefully reads the whole sentence there, one will see that the Mishna Brurah is speaking about someone who is weak and afraid that, should they not get enough sleep it will result in them falling asleep during [[davening]]. Baer Heitev 1:6 says the correct amount of sleep is a subjective measure and some people may need more than others. Yalkut Yosef (edition 5764, vol 1 pg 64) writes that it is unhealthy to sleep more than 8 or less than 6 hours. Aruch HaShulchan says that some learn from the pasuk "Yashanti Az Yanuach Li" that one should sleep 8 hours because the gematria of "Az" is 8, yet others maintain since the gematria (mispar katan) of "Li" is 4 one should sleep 4 hours, but concludes that it all depends on the health and age of the person. </ref>
The appropriate amount of sleep varies according to a person’s health, strength, and individual needs. The sources discuss sleep not only in terms of duration, but also in relation to physical health, rising for religious duties, and maintaining alertness during prayer.
 
Maimonides writes that eight hours (i.e., or one-third of a twenty-four-hour day) is a sufficient amount of sleep. He recommends placing these hours toward the end of the night, so that the sleeper rises before sunrise.<ref name="RambamSleep">Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De’ot''. 4:4. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh/_Torah%2C/_Human/_Dispositions.4.4/</ref> This recommendation forms part of his broader regimen for preserving bodily health. In the following section, he also advises sleeping on one’s side rather than face down or on one’s back, waiting approximately three or four hours after eating before going to sleep, and avoiding daytime sleep.<ref name="RambamSleepPosition">Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De’ot''. 4:5. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh/_Torah%2C/_Human/_Dispositions.4.5/</ref> His statements present a general regimen for a healthy person rather than an individualized medical prescription, though. Elsewhere in the same chapter, Maimonides specifies that a person who is ill, has an unhealthy organ, or has followed harmful habits for many years requires a regimen suited to that person’s particular condition.<ref name="RambamIndividual">Maimonides. ''Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De’ot''. 4:21. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh/_Torah%2C/_Human/_Dispositions.4.21/</ref> A practice of sleeping eight hours is also attributed to the Steipler.<ref>''Orchot Rabbeinu''. Vol 1. p 189.</ref>
 
The ''Mishnah Berurah'' discusses sleep in connection with the practice of rising during the night. It describes the religious value attributed to rising at midnight for Torah study and prayer, while recognizing that this practice is not appropriate in every circumstance.<ref name="MBSleep">Kagan IM. ''Mishnah Berurah''. 1:9. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah/_Berurah.1.9/</ref> A person who is physically weak, or who knows that rising during the night would cause him to fall asleep during [[davening]], should instead sleep as much as necessary. Even such a person should rise sufficiently early to prepare for prayer with the congregation. The ''Mishnah Berurah'' specifies rising an hour, or at least half an hour, before the synagogue attendant’s call, so that one can prepare to pray with the congregation and in a state of cleanliness.<ref name="MBSleep" />
 
The ''Ba’er Hetev'' likewise discusses sleep in the context of rising during the night. It records differing practices concerning which parts of the year require rising at night and then cites a view recommending eight hours of sleep.<ref name="BaerHetevSleep">Ashkenazi YBS. ''Ba’er Hetev on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim''. 1:6. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Ba'er/_Hetev/_on/_Shulchan/_Arukh%2C/_Orach/_Chayim.1.6/</ref> As an allusion to this amount, it notes that the numerical value of אז in the phrase ישנתי אז ינוח לי is eight. It does not, however, present eight hours as an inflexible rule, concluding that the appropriate amount depends upon the individual.<ref name="BaerHetevSleep" /> ''Yalkut Yosef'' states, as a general health guideline, that a person should not ordinarily sleep more than eight hours or fewer than six.<ref>Yosef Y. ''Yalkut Yosef''. 5764 ed. Vol 1. p 64.</ref> Accordingly, the six-to-eight-hour range is best presented as the guidance of ''Yalkut Yosef'', rather than as a uniform position shared by all the authorities cited above.


==Sleeping Alone in a Room==
==Sleeping Alone in a Room==

Latest revision as of 00:03, 27 October 2026

Sleep.jpg

The Torah attributes significance to all of a person's daily actions[1] and there are halachic guidelines on how a Jew should conduct himself from the time he wakes up until he goes to sleep.[2] See a closely related topic Bedtime Shema for the halachos regarding saying Shema before going to sleep.

Time to Go to Sleep

  1. According to the Zohar, for spiritual and health reasons, it is proper to sleep at the beginning of the night and to learn Torah during the second half of the night. However, the Talmud Bavli and Rambam hold that it is healthy to sleep at the end of the night until Amud HaShachar.[3]
  2. If one will fall asleep during prayer due to the fact that one woke up too early, one can sleep later but should be careful not to miss prayer with a minyan.[4]

Duration of Sleep

The appropriate amount of sleep varies according to a person’s health, strength, and individual needs. The sources discuss sleep not only in terms of duration, but also in relation to physical health, rising for religious duties, and maintaining alertness during prayer.

Maimonides writes that eight hours (i.e., or one-third of a twenty-four-hour day) is a sufficient amount of sleep. He recommends placing these hours toward the end of the night, so that the sleeper rises before sunrise.[5] This recommendation forms part of his broader regimen for preserving bodily health. In the following section, he also advises sleeping on one’s side rather than face down or on one’s back, waiting approximately three or four hours after eating before going to sleep, and avoiding daytime sleep.[6] His statements present a general regimen for a healthy person rather than an individualized medical prescription, though. Elsewhere in the same chapter, Maimonides specifies that a person who is ill, has an unhealthy organ, or has followed harmful habits for many years requires a regimen suited to that person’s particular condition.[7] A practice of sleeping eight hours is also attributed to the Steipler.[8]

The Mishnah Berurah discusses sleep in connection with the practice of rising during the night. It describes the religious value attributed to rising at midnight for Torah study and prayer, while recognizing that this practice is not appropriate in every circumstance.[9] A person who is physically weak, or who knows that rising during the night would cause him to fall asleep during davening, should instead sleep as much as necessary. Even such a person should rise sufficiently early to prepare for prayer with the congregation. The Mishnah Berurah specifies rising an hour, or at least half an hour, before the synagogue attendant’s call, so that one can prepare to pray with the congregation and in a state of cleanliness.[9]

The Ba’er Hetev likewise discusses sleep in the context of rising during the night. It records differing practices concerning which parts of the year require rising at night and then cites a view recommending eight hours of sleep.[10] As an allusion to this amount, it notes that the numerical value of אז in the phrase ישנתי אז ינוח לי is eight. It does not, however, present eight hours as an inflexible rule, concluding that the appropriate amount depends upon the individual.[10] Yalkut Yosef states, as a general health guideline, that a person should not ordinarily sleep more than eight hours or fewer than six.[11] Accordingly, the six-to-eight-hour range is best presented as the guidance of Yalkut Yosef, rather than as a uniform position shared by all the authorities cited above.

Sleeping Alone in a Room

  1. One should not sleep alone in a room at night. However, if there are others in the same house sleeping in other rooms, one should leave the room door ajar at night (unless a man is sleeping alone in a room and the only other person in the house is a women in which case it is forbidden to leave the door open because of Yichud.) [12]
  2. Some hold that it is enough to have the door closed and unlocked. [13]

Sleeping in Shul or Bet Midrash

See Respecting the sanctity of the Shul.

Correct Position to Sleep In

  1. One should sleep on one’s side and not face up or down. [14]
  2. According to Ashkenazim, a person should place his bed north south and not east west.[15] According to Sephardim, one may place one's bed in any direction that one wants, however if possible it is preferable to situate the head of the bed in the east and the foot of the bed in the west.[16]
  3. One should not sleep with one’s head or feet directly facing the door "in a position that it looks like one was about to be taken out of the room".[17]
  4. There is no source anywhere in halachic literature for the custom not to sleep facing the door, therefore if one doesn't have this custom he does not have to adopt it.[18]

Clothes to Wear to Sleep

  1. There is a custom to sleep with one’s Yarmalka on one’s head. See also Kippah#Wearing_a_Kippah_to_sleep. [19]
  2. There is a custom to sleep with one’s Tzitzit (Tallit katan). See the Tzizit page.[20]
  3. The minhag is to allow sleeping in one’s regular daytime clothes. [21] However, one should remove one's shoes when going to sleep.[22] There is a discussion if the same applies to a short nap.[23]

Sleeping during the Day

  1. A person should refrain from sleeping during the day more than “Shitin Nishmei” which some explain as being more than 3 minutes, others say it is half hour, and yet others maintain it is 3 hours. Therefore, a person should be careful not to sleep during the day unless sleeping will result in one afterwards serving Hashem more effectively. [24]
  2. On Shabbat it is permitted to sleep during the day.[25] However, one should not sleep too much because it will take away from one's time to learn Torah on Shabbat.[26]
  3. One who stays up all night to learn Torah may sleep during the day as is the custom on Shavuot morning.[27]
  4. A person who sleeps during the day for longer than Shitin Nishmei should wash their hands without a bracha. [28]
  5. No bracha of HaMapil or "Veyahi Noam" is said before going to sleep during the day and no "Elokei Nishama" is said upon waking up. [29]

Placing Items under a Bed

  1. One may not place food even if it is covered[30] under a bed because there is a concern that ruach raah coming upon it.[31] This applies to raw or cooked food and even water.[32]
  2. If one already put food under a bed some poskim hold that the food may be eaten, while others say that it should be thrown out.[33]
  3. Some say that this ruach raah only applies to food that was under a bed when someone was sleeping on it, but others disagree.[34]
  4. There is a discussion if this concern also applies to a bed of a non-Jew.[35]
  5. Some say that there is no concern of placing food underneath one's pillow.[36]
  6. There is no concern of ruach raah on utensils other than food.[37]

Related Pages

Sources

  1. ↑ Mishlei 3:6
  2. ↑ Rashi (Bamidbar 23:24) writes that when a Jew wakes up he should wake up like a lion in order to perform mitzvot with alacrity. This idea is also found in Shulchan Aruch 1:1. Additionally, Rashi continues, before going to sleep a Jew makes sure to say Shema and entrusts their soul to Hashem.
  3. ↑ Brachot 3b relates the story of King David, who slept in the first half of the night to then wake up and learn after Chatzot. This practice of sleeping at the beginning of the night is praised in a few places in the Zohar (Noach 72a, Toldot 136c, Beshalach 46a, Vayahakel 185b, Vayikra 13a). So writes the Sh"t Arugot Bosem O"C 1 that the learning at night should be done primarily after Chatzot. However, Sh"t Chatam Sofer 31 (Jerusalem 5733 edition) writes that the majority practice is to learn in the first half of the night and to sleep after Chatzot. Rav Ovadyah in Sh"t Yabia Omer Y"D 7:20(2) supports this from the Gemara Yoma 22a (and others) that it is preferable to stay up late learning rather than go to sleep early and subsequently wake up early. This is codified in Yalkut Yosef (edition 5764, vol 1, pg 75). [Halacha Brurah (Birur Halacha 1:1) writes that Rav Ovadyah's practice was to learn until after Chatzot and then sleep until morning.] Halacha Brurah (Birur Halacha 1:1), quoting the Zohar (Vayakel 195b) and Rambam (Deot 4:4), writes that regardless of which method one chooses, it is proper to be awake at Chatzot to learn Torah. [Machazik Bracha 1:1 wonders why the Shulchan Aruch left this Halacha out of his work, since it leads people to be lax in this law.]
  4. ↑ Eliyah Rabba 1:2, Pri Megadim, (quoted by Pitchei Teshuva 1:1), Halacha Brurah 1:1
  5. ↑ Maimonides. Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De’ot. 4:4. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh/_Torah%2C/_Human/_Dispositions.4.4/
  6. ↑ Maimonides. Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De’ot. 4:5. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh/_Torah%2C/_Human/_Dispositions.4.5/
  7. ↑ Maimonides. Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De’ot. 4:21. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh/_Torah%2C/_Human/_Dispositions.4.21/
  8. ↑ Orchot Rabbeinu. Vol 1. p 189.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kagan IM. Mishnah Berurah. 1:9. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah/_Berurah.1.9/
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ashkenazi YBS. Ba’er Hetev on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim. 1:6. Sefaria. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://www.sefaria.org/Ba'er/_Hetev/_on/_Shulchan/_Arukh%2C/_Orach/_Chayim.1.6/
  11. ↑ Yosef Y. Yalkut Yosef. 5764 ed. Vol 1. p 64.
  12. ↑ Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 71:2 disagrees and writes one should not sleep alone in a room. Mishna Brurah 239:9 states one should not sleep alone in a room at night. However, Shaar HaTziyun 239:17 writes when there are others in the house it can be made permissible by leaving the door ajar. Yalkut Yosef (Brachot pg 669, Sherit Yosef vol 3 pg 369) also holds that it is forbidden. He however writes if one has no other option than to sleep alone in the room, one should at least leave a light on in the room. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 71:2) agrees.
  13. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot 239:6, BeYitzchak Yikra of Rav Neventzal 239:6
  14. ↑ Shulchan Aruch OC 63:1. Shulchan Aruch Even Haezer 23:3 says that it is prohibited to sleep on one's back, but leaves out the prohibition to sleep on one's stomach. Mishna Brurah 239:6 says that it is a severe prohibition to sleep on one's back or stomach and one should sleep on one's side. Shalmat Chaim 224 states that the correct position to sleep in should be reinforced with children at the age of nine.
  15. ↑ Shulchan Aruch O.C. 3:6, Mishna Brurah 3:11. Even though the Zohar might say otherwise, Mishna Brurah quotes the Gra that even the Zohar means to say like the Gemara. Segulot Rabotenu (p. 240) quotes Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Daat Noteh 1:251) that since the interpretation in the Zohar is unclear a person should follow the Gemara.
  16. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 3:6 writes that one should arrange one's bed so that one's feet are towards the south and head towards the north. However, Kaf HaChaim 3:16 cites the opinion of the zohar that one's feet should be in the west direction and head towards the east. Kaf HaChaim sides with the opinion of the zohar though he adds that either opinion is acceptable. Similarly, Or Letzion (vol 2 chap 1:1) writes that one may place one's bed in any direction but it is preferable to follow the zohar. Moreshet.co.il cites Rav Mordechai Eliyahu in Darkei Tahara as accepting both views. ykr.org also favors the opinion of the zohar.
  17. ↑ Halachically Speaking (vol 3, article 1, pg 2) quoting Rav Yisrael Belsky
  18. ↑ https://outorah.org/p/49936/
  19. ↑ Mishna Brurah 2:11
  20. ↑ Mishna Brurah 21:15
  21. ↑ Halachically Speaking (vol 3, article 1, pg 5)
  22. ↑ Rabbi Eli Mansour on dailyhalacha.com, Ben Ish Chai Parashat Pinchas: Halacha 16, Kaf Hachaim YD 116:211
  23. ↑ see Rabbi Eli Mansour on dailyhalacha.com
  24. ↑ S”A 4:16 writes that a person should not sleep more than Shitin Nishmei. The Rama limits this stringency to the daytime. Halachically Speaking (vol 3, article 1, pg 4) writes that there are some lenient opinions about sleeping during the day but the general consensus is that one should not sleep during the day unless one needs to do so to serve Hashem more effectively. Beiur Halacha 4:16 s.v. David quotes three opinions on the length of Shitin Nishmei; some say it is more than 3 minutes, some say a half hour, and some say 3 hours. Mishna Brurah 4:36 concludes with a quote from the Machasit HaShekel that sleeping during the day depends on each person’s individual needs to be able to serve Hashem in the most effective way possible. (The Beiur Halacha 4:16 s.v. David reaches a similar conclusion). Piskei Teshuvot 231:1 writes that the Halacha follows the opinion that Shitin Nishmei is slightly longer than a half hour.
  25. ↑ Mishna Brurah 4:36
  26. ↑ Mishna Brurah 290:3
  27. ↑ Halachically Speaking (vol 3, article 1, pg 4)
  28. ↑ S”A 4:15 writes that there is a doubt whether one who sleeps during the day should wash their hands with a bracha or not and so the Rama concludes that one should wash without a bracha. Mishna Brurah 4:34 writes that this only applies if one sleeps more than Shitin Nishmei.
  29. ↑ Mishna Brurah 231:2, Piskei Teshuvot 231:1
  30. ↑ Shach 116:4, Pri Chadash 116:6 based on Gemara Pesachim 112a and Bava Batra 58a
  31. ↑ Gemara Pesachim 112a, Shulchan Aruch YD 116:5
  32. ↑ Pitchei Teshuva 116:5 citing the Binat Adam 63
  33. ↑ Pitchei Teshuva 116:4 citing the Shvut Yakov 2:105 writes that after the fact if the food was under the bed it is still permissible to eat it. However, the Binat Adam 63 quotes the Gra as holding that one should throw away the food. Rav Ovadia Yosef in Yabia Omer YD 1:9 concludes that if there's a large loss the food doesn't have to be thrown out and if no one slept on the bed when the food was there it is permitted after the fact even if it isn't a large loss.
  34. ↑ Torat Chaim Bava Batra 58b writes that the ruach raah is a result of the tumah that descends upon a person who is sleeping, which is akin to death, and transfers to anything under him. However, the Darkei Teshuva 116:38 quotes the Or Yitzchak 14 who writes that this applies even to food under a bed that no one slept in. See Pri Hasadeh 5.
  35. ↑ The Darkei Teshuva 116:39 cites a discussion about food under a bed of a non-Jew. The Degel Efraim 28 holds that there is ruach raah. The Teshurat Shay 2:116 writes that there's no concern of ruach raah under a bed of a non-Jew.
  36. ↑ Darkei Teshuva 116:37 quotes the Mizmor Ldovid who holds that there's no concern of ruach raah under one's pillow.
  37. ↑ Darkei Teshuva 116:36 quoting the Or Yitzchak 14
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