A Japanese man who claims he has survived on just 30 minutes of sleep a day for years is facing renewed skepticism after livestreaming an entire week of his life on YouTube.
Daisuke Hori says he has followed an extremely short sleep schedule for roughly 17 years. He has gained attention as a self-described “short sleeper” and has even operated a school teaching others his methods for a fee.
To demonstrate his claims, Hori began livestreaming his daily life on September 9, with the broadcast continuing until September 16. But viewers quickly began questioning whether the stream actually supported his claim.
According to local reports, Hori spent about an hour receiving a massage on September 13 while his face was not visible and the stream's audio was muted. Some viewers suspected he may have slept during that period.
Later the same day, he reportedly disappeared from the camera for an extended period and returned after an alarm sounded.
Hori also told viewers that he would begin taking naps during the livestream, prompting further criticism over whether his total daily sleep was actually limited to 30 minutes.
He explained that he had created an overly ambitious sleep schedule for the livestream and that naps had therefore become necessary.
The week-long broadcast has fueled online debate over Hori's long-standing claims, with skeptics arguing that the interruptions, off-camera periods and additional naps make it difficult to verify how much sleep he actually gets.
Despite the controversy, Hori has continued to defend his unusual sleep routine, while viewers remain divided over whether his livestream provided convincing evidence for his claims.