So I did this for two weeks and then one night my alarm didn't work and I overslept a ton. The main friend that was doing this with me also really overslept and so we decided to end it instead of starting all over again. Polyphasic sleep is very interesting and I would recommend it if you are bored. Nothing bad happened in the two weeks I was on it so health isn't a problem. You develop a weird conception of time and days go by much more slowly. If you hit all the naps you can be awake and as alert as ever, while still maximizing your waking hours.
There were a few things that I didn't like about it. One big thing was my life was dominated by schedule. I don't care for strict schedules and that became a problem with the constant alarms and such. Also you couldn't sleep in lazily which can be a very enjoyable and relaxing experience. I think now I am going to go more into a biphasic sleep pattern that will keep open that 2am to 6am time slot so I can still be up at that time. That way I can hang out with anyone who wants to try polyphasic sleep during the time that is hardest for them.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Day 12
I am currenlty starting day 12 of polyphasic sleep. I haven't updated this in a while because most of the interesting changes were in the first week. I have learned that you can push it by skipping 4 naps in a day and can get right back on track without much difficulty. You can also oversleep and take a 3 hour or so nap and jump right back on it at the next nap. The most important thing in my opinion is to get a very loud alarm clock.
One nice feature in this sleep pattern is the ability to sleep anywhere. I have slept on a bench at a train station, I have slept on a bench next to a contruction site where there was a jackhammer making a fair amount of noise, I have slept at a party where they were blasting music, the next thing I want to try is just sleeping outside in a bush at night.
Skipping naps makes you very tired and may make you want to give up. It is important to have others polyphasing if you want to be able to skip naps. Sometimes its better to stay up so you can go to a party or keep working on the girl you've been flirting with all night. You don't want to go to sleep and find someone else got her. But try not to skip too much. Sleep is necessary and it is harder to make up sleep debt this way.
One nice feature in this sleep pattern is the ability to sleep anywhere. I have slept on a bench at a train station, I have slept on a bench next to a contruction site where there was a jackhammer making a fair amount of noise, I have slept at a party where they were blasting music, the next thing I want to try is just sleeping outside in a bush at night.
Skipping naps makes you very tired and may make you want to give up. It is important to have others polyphasing if you want to be able to skip naps. Sometimes its better to stay up so you can go to a party or keep working on the girl you've been flirting with all night. You don't want to go to sleep and find someone else got her. But try not to skip too much. Sleep is necessary and it is harder to make up sleep debt this way.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 7
So after one week of polyphasic sleep I am still alive and as sane as I was when this all began. Today I really tested the limits of polyphasic sleep by skipping 4 out of the 6 naps in a given 24 hours. Starting at 6 am I slept this first round like usual and everything was fine. However, I lost track of time and completely missed the 10 am nap, which was unfortunate because that was often my favorite. I then took a 30 min nap at 2 pm. From here I skipped the 6 pm, 10 pm, and 2 am naps due to shopping, rocky horror, and people. Finally I got to 6 am and the day concluded.
Obviously this is a bad idea and would result in a lack of both mental and physical energy. This is the equivalent of getting less than 3 hours of sleep in a normal 8 hours of monophasic sleep. I was doing alright in the morning, but after the 2 pm nap, I was on another plane of existance. I was up and moving but trapped in my mind and nothing felt real. I am wondering if I was sleep walking while dreaming. Luckily once I got a little food and a glass of sparkling cider I was much more awake. What I have learned is naps can be skipped for convenience without too much damage.
I am going to really try to hit every nap on every single level. It should really help my body adjust and make everything feel a lot better. One other thing that helps is one friend has now been on it for about a day and another friend just started last night! I am achieving my goal to convince a lot of girls to drive so you aren't as alone.
I likely will not keep posting daily since not enough that I can't write long on it. But anything else is not important enough to spend on.
Obviously this is a bad idea and would result in a lack of both mental and physical energy. This is the equivalent of getting less than 3 hours of sleep in a normal 8 hours of monophasic sleep. I was doing alright in the morning, but after the 2 pm nap, I was on another plane of existance. I was up and moving but trapped in my mind and nothing felt real. I am wondering if I was sleep walking while dreaming. Luckily once I got a little food and a glass of sparkling cider I was much more awake. What I have learned is naps can be skipped for convenience without too much damage.
I am going to really try to hit every nap on every single level. It should really help my body adjust and make everything feel a lot better. One other thing that helps is one friend has now been on it for about a day and another friend just started last night! I am achieving my goal to convince a lot of girls to drive so you aren't as alone.
I likely will not keep posting daily since not enough that I can't write long on it. But anything else is not important enough to spend on.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Day 5
Today started off by being the best day so far in this experiement. From 6am-6pm I didn't skip a nap or oversleep and I felt more rested than most days when I was monophasic. I was really starting to fall quickly asleep and wake up right after my alarm.
However, this evening I skipped my 10 pm nap because I lost track of time and by like 11:30-12:00 I started to crash hard. If I was doing anything or in a focused conversation with someone I was fine, but there were lulls that I just started to drift off during. I was able to make it untill 2 am but then my alarm didn't wake me and I slept until like 3:30. I have noticed if I oversleep I don't sleep more than about an hour and a half before naturally waking up. My 6 am sleep went fine though and I was back on track.
Sorry this one was short, but today wasn't much and my wrist is in a brace so typing is difficult.
However, this evening I skipped my 10 pm nap because I lost track of time and by like 11:30-12:00 I started to crash hard. If I was doing anything or in a focused conversation with someone I was fine, but there were lulls that I just started to drift off during. I was able to make it untill 2 am but then my alarm didn't wake me and I slept until like 3:30. I have noticed if I oversleep I don't sleep more than about an hour and a half before naturally waking up. My 6 am sleep went fine though and I was back on track.
Sorry this one was short, but today wasn't much and my wrist is in a brace so typing is difficult.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Day 4
Once again the 6 am nap was by far the hardest, and this morning I messed up while setting the kitchen timer so I just had my watch timer. I must have slept right through it. Luckily one of my friends decided to try out polyphasic sleep and called me around 7 informing me of this choice so I only overslept by about 30 min. I was very sleepy during this morning time but was able to make it to my 10 am nap. Once again, I left this nap feeling wonderful and awake.
I didn't have much to occupy myself with this morning so it went slowly. I was pretty awake and just killed time before my 2pm nap. I slept through that one perfectly and after I got up I drove up to San Francisco to meet a friend. This drive really tested out my alertness and level of mental clarity. It probably was unsafe, but it all worked out just fine. I even pushed back my 6 pm nap to around 7:30 pm because I didn't want to leave this particular friend at this time. My drive back was just fine even though I hadn't slept yet and when I got home I briefly talked to some people online and went to sleep.
I overslept again, not sure why this time. I guess I didn't hear my timers. Once again I woke up to a phone call from a friend. I went to sleep at about 7:45 and got up at 9 so again it wasn't too bad, but I need to stop doing this. I started this night by hanging out with the same friends I did last night and probably will each night I do this. I showed up at 10ish and took a nap while they played video games. I woke up fine and joined them until around 1 am, at which time we decided to head out to the streets and wander. Any time I am active I feel wide awake and I really enjoy seeing the world at night when so many people are asleep.
We returned to his house at about 2:45 and I took another 30 min nap, from which I woke up without any difficulty. We played video games for a while and then I left to go home around 4:30 am. Not ready to sleep, I decided to try roller blading some outside, an activity I hadn't done in a while but though might be a good mode of transportation at night. Unfortunately I am not good enough to really stop on a hill and fell hard twice. Hopefully the pain won't keep me up, since the 6 am nap is the one I least want to ever skip. I have not completely abandoned the idea of roller skating, but I want to practice more on really flat ground, maybe carrying flip flops to wear to walk up and down any hills I find.
I believe I am having dreams but they are hazy and I don't remember much. This probably means I am coming out of REM sleep before I wake up. I might consider shortening the nap from 30 min to 25 min. Overall I am very awake except if I sit and do nothing. I was even more awake on the car ride home than I was most days as I drove home from school on a monophasic sleep schedule where I got 9+ hours of sleep each night. I am very pleased with the results so far.
I didn't have much to occupy myself with this morning so it went slowly. I was pretty awake and just killed time before my 2pm nap. I slept through that one perfectly and after I got up I drove up to San Francisco to meet a friend. This drive really tested out my alertness and level of mental clarity. It probably was unsafe, but it all worked out just fine. I even pushed back my 6 pm nap to around 7:30 pm because I didn't want to leave this particular friend at this time. My drive back was just fine even though I hadn't slept yet and when I got home I briefly talked to some people online and went to sleep.
I overslept again, not sure why this time. I guess I didn't hear my timers. Once again I woke up to a phone call from a friend. I went to sleep at about 7:45 and got up at 9 so again it wasn't too bad, but I need to stop doing this. I started this night by hanging out with the same friends I did last night and probably will each night I do this. I showed up at 10ish and took a nap while they played video games. I woke up fine and joined them until around 1 am, at which time we decided to head out to the streets and wander. Any time I am active I feel wide awake and I really enjoy seeing the world at night when so many people are asleep.
We returned to his house at about 2:45 and I took another 30 min nap, from which I woke up without any difficulty. We played video games for a while and then I left to go home around 4:30 am. Not ready to sleep, I decided to try roller blading some outside, an activity I hadn't done in a while but though might be a good mode of transportation at night. Unfortunately I am not good enough to really stop on a hill and fell hard twice. Hopefully the pain won't keep me up, since the 6 am nap is the one I least want to ever skip. I have not completely abandoned the idea of roller skating, but I want to practice more on really flat ground, maybe carrying flip flops to wear to walk up and down any hills I find.
I believe I am having dreams but they are hazy and I don't remember much. This probably means I am coming out of REM sleep before I wake up. I might consider shortening the nap from 30 min to 25 min. Overall I am very awake except if I sit and do nothing. I was even more awake on the car ride home than I was most days as I drove home from school on a monophasic sleep schedule where I got 9+ hours of sleep each night. I am very pleased with the results so far.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Day 3
Today started out very rough. My 6 am nap was not very refreshing and I really felt exhausted. I had to be active to avoid falling back asleep. I took a short drive to pick up milk and a donut for breakfast, which probably wasn't the smartest idea. Nothing bad happened but I don't think I should drive much unless I feel well rested. I really struggled to stay awake until 10:00.
Waking up from my 10:00 rest was amazing. I felt the polar opposite of how I felt before it, and although I don't really remember dreaming, I feel like I did, which means I finally got some REM sleep. This led to the whole day being much more in focus and it was very easy to stay up. I skipped my 2 pm nap because I lost track of time, but I didn't notice anything from it and still felt rested after my 6 pm nap. I got little rest at 10 pm because people were loud in the other room but I still felt awake.
Today was the best night by far. I spent it hanging out with other people the whole time so I didn't get bored. A bunch of people stayed around to play video games until about 1 am. I then went with two other people for a walk to chucks where we hung out for a while before returning home at almost exactly 2 am. We all took the 30 min nap and after waking up we left to wander the streets.
I felt so awake and alive. The cold air, the light exercise of walking, and the silence around me that amplifies all other sounds fully rejuvenated me. We climbed onto the roof of a building and found a ball that we then used to juggle for the next 20 min or so in a parking lot. Being active like this was exactly what I needed and it felt so great that early in the morning. We then continued to wander around for a while and just took in our beautiful city and how different it is when everyone is asleep. Walking back home at around 4:30, I felt more awake than I have in a long time.
However, just 40 min of being by myself sitting at my computer, I am starting to crash. My eyes are getting a lot heavier and I am really getting ready for sleep. It isn't too hard to push the last 45 min until 6 so I'm not worried that I won't make it.
Polyphasic sleep have been very interesting so far. I am able to fall asleep quickly almost anywhere now, which is very convenient. My last two naps were on a couch that isn't as long as I am. I also fall asleep much faster than I used to. Today I didn't eat as much as in some of the first days, so I don't know how much more food is required by polyphasic sleep versus monophasic sleep. Finally waking up is a lot easier now, which is a big help.
I look forward to continuing my experiment tomorrow!
Waking up from my 10:00 rest was amazing. I felt the polar opposite of how I felt before it, and although I don't really remember dreaming, I feel like I did, which means I finally got some REM sleep. This led to the whole day being much more in focus and it was very easy to stay up. I skipped my 2 pm nap because I lost track of time, but I didn't notice anything from it and still felt rested after my 6 pm nap. I got little rest at 10 pm because people were loud in the other room but I still felt awake.
Today was the best night by far. I spent it hanging out with other people the whole time so I didn't get bored. A bunch of people stayed around to play video games until about 1 am. I then went with two other people for a walk to chucks where we hung out for a while before returning home at almost exactly 2 am. We all took the 30 min nap and after waking up we left to wander the streets.
I felt so awake and alive. The cold air, the light exercise of walking, and the silence around me that amplifies all other sounds fully rejuvenated me. We climbed onto the roof of a building and found a ball that we then used to juggle for the next 20 min or so in a parking lot. Being active like this was exactly what I needed and it felt so great that early in the morning. We then continued to wander around for a while and just took in our beautiful city and how different it is when everyone is asleep. Walking back home at around 4:30, I felt more awake than I have in a long time.
However, just 40 min of being by myself sitting at my computer, I am starting to crash. My eyes are getting a lot heavier and I am really getting ready for sleep. It isn't too hard to push the last 45 min until 6 so I'm not worried that I won't make it.
Polyphasic sleep have been very interesting so far. I am able to fall asleep quickly almost anywhere now, which is very convenient. My last two naps were on a couch that isn't as long as I am. I also fall asleep much faster than I used to. Today I didn't eat as much as in some of the first days, so I don't know how much more food is required by polyphasic sleep versus monophasic sleep. Finally waking up is a lot easier now, which is a big help.
I look forward to continuing my experiment tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Day 2
Today I was feeling a bit more refreshed than the previous day. The kitchen timer worked well and I hit the 6 am and 10 am naps on time and didn't oversleep. The 2 pm nap got pushed to about 2:30 but was still fine. Once again I woke up with the alarm. The 6 pm nap was pushed to about 7:10 because I was watching a movie and then remembered I had my astronomy final today. This nap wasn't as refreshing, but that is probably because instead of in my bed I took this nap on the rocky dirt ground outside the classroom. I still managed to get to sleep but it was more difficult. All in all day 2 was pretty comfortable during the day time.
At night I didn't get as refreshed as I was hoping. I didn't oversleep, but waking up after 10 pm and then again at 2am. I was very spacey and just kept rambling on if anyone asked. Most of my AIM conversations became less and less sophisticated. I also learned I am very honest when really tired just because I don't think about things, I just say them. I am also much more affectionate. I'm not sure about the science behind that, but it's another thing I noticed.
Now towards the end of the 2:30-6 am session I feel more awake, partially because I went outside instead of just staying at my computer. I think going outside really helps to wake someone up. Now that I am back inside though, I am getting sleepier and sleepier. It is difficult just writing this at this point because I my eyes keep closing and I forget where I was in the sentence.
I'm hoping either today or tomorrow I will be able to start having REM sleep and get some valuable rest. I also look forward to the dreams, and once I get into it, I'll have 6 dreams each 24 hour period.
I am really starting to think that I am more tired during the night sessions than the day ones. If thats true then things will start to get better tomorrow as time goes on. It is possible that I either made it over the hump, or this new day is the hump. Hopefully its the former.
At night I didn't get as refreshed as I was hoping. I didn't oversleep, but waking up after 10 pm and then again at 2am. I was very spacey and just kept rambling on if anyone asked. Most of my AIM conversations became less and less sophisticated. I also learned I am very honest when really tired just because I don't think about things, I just say them. I am also much more affectionate. I'm not sure about the science behind that, but it's another thing I noticed.
Now towards the end of the 2:30-6 am session I feel more awake, partially because I went outside instead of just staying at my computer. I think going outside really helps to wake someone up. Now that I am back inside though, I am getting sleepier and sleepier. It is difficult just writing this at this point because I my eyes keep closing and I forget where I was in the sentence.
I'm hoping either today or tomorrow I will be able to start having REM sleep and get some valuable rest. I also look forward to the dreams, and once I get into it, I'll have 6 dreams each 24 hour period.
I am really starting to think that I am more tired during the night sessions than the day ones. If thats true then things will start to get better tomorrow as time goes on. It is possible that I either made it over the hump, or this new day is the hump. Hopefully its the former.
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