Time and Duration of Sleep: Difference between revisions

# According to the Zohar, for spiritual and health reasons, it's proper to sleep in the beginning of the night and in the second half of the night to learn torah . However the Talmud Bavli and Rambam hold that it's healthy to sleep in the end of the night until Amud HaShachar. <ref> Brachot 3b relates the story of King David who slept in the first half of the night to wake up and learning after Chatzot. This practice of sleep in 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 Chatom Sofer 31 (Jerusalem 5733 edition) writes that the majority practice is to learning in the first half of the night and sleep after Chatzot. Rav Ovadyah in Sh"t Yabea Omer Y"D 7:20(2) supports this from the the gemara Yoma 22a (and others) that it's preferable to stay up late learning than go to sleep early to 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.] </ref> Halacha Brurah (Birur Halacha 1:1) quoting the Zohar (Vayakel 195b) and Rambam (Deot 4:4) writes that either method one takes, it's proper to be awake at Chatzot to learn Torah. </ref>

# If one will fall asleep in prayer if he wakes up too early one can sleep later but should be careful not to miss prayer with a minyan. <ref> Aliyah Rabba 1:2, Pri Megadim, (quoted by Pitchei Teshuva 1:1), Halacha Brurah 1:1 </ref>