How was the rise of our Master David (peace be upon him)?

The hadith concerning the fasting and prayer of David, peace be upon him, is authentic. He used to sleep for half the night, stand in prayer for a third of it, and then sleep for a sixth of it. This means he would sleep during the first half of the night, then wake up in the second half for a duration equal to one-third of the night, and then sleep for the remainder of the night. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to do something similar: he would sleep until midnight, then wake up for prayer, then sleep again during the pre-dawn hours until Fajr.

This division offers immense benefits, including: resting the soul by sleeping in the early part of the night, then standing in prayer during a time when supplications are answered, and then catching up on comfortable sleep to renew energy and remove fatigue. This approach is gentler on the soul and helps in sustaining worship with vigor. It is also closer to concealing good deeds from ostentation.