Polyphasic Sleep

Step 12 The End

I have decided to quit this sleep pattern, at least for now. On Monday the 10th I got sick, and I'm quite sure I would not have (at least not nearly so badly) if I hadn't been so physically stressed from sleep deprivation. Anyway I'm not foolish enough to try to stick to Not Sleeping while trying to recuperate, so I have slept as much as I wanted for the past three days. I'm pretty much well again (thanks for asking) but I'm completely off this schedule. And I just don't have the energy to get back on it right now... and finally, I would feel irresponsible to Instructables, and all of you, to let this experiment take any more time away from my work of making this site even better.

My current belief is that polyphasic sleep is a method for handling sleep deprivation as well as possible, but that it likely does not provide Enough sleep for an average person. I suspect, as well, that youth and health, as well as level of discipline, figure largely into one's ability to transition into a polyphasic pattern. I am not particularly young any more, and while I'm perfectly healthy for my age, I'm not particularly Disciplined, so that's 2 of 3 against me...

Anyway if anyone else tries this, I would love to hear about it, whether you succeed or not. In fact I encourage you to blog about it in detail, somewhere - but I can't say I actually encourage you to try it. It's kind of miserable.

Comments

[LoganFranklin16]

I am re-doing this experiment and plan on posting my journal for it so people will see the effects it has on you each day. I give all credit to you however for giving me the guidelines on doing it

[kensands]

I used to sleep just 5 hours every other night and was fine with it, used to get loads done, I learned to play instruments, did electronics projects and generally lived far more than those around me, I've also never owned a tv which mean s doubly so I did lots of productive things. I only got into sleeping longer and every night when I got a girlfriend who demanded I come to bed every night (I wish that was as good as it sounds!) and not wake her at 4am, so I ended up getting used to 6-7 hours every night. I'm not trying to get myself back into the every other night thing as it was great. by the way I think one of the things that allows me to perform better at this is not having an alarm, when I was 18 someone bought me an alarm clock as a pressie when I got a new job. for the first two weeks of that job I felt rough as anything. so I took the batteries out of it and thought if I'm late I'm late. but I wasn't, I woke up on time. I've since worked out that I can tell myself what time to wake up as I go to sleep and I always wake to the minute on time feeling great. and yes that includes when I have a flight to catch at 4am etc, I can go to sleep happily telling myself to wake 3 and a half hours later and I will, I now trust myself far more than any alarm. if you turned off your alarm and simply went to sleep telling yourself you must only sleep 30 mins I think you would never have over slept.

[kensands]

Oh one more thing, the setting myself to wake up thing only works if I know there is no alarm set, if someone else says "I've set an alarm for 7am" then something in me decides to forget about trying and just relies on that. I don't have an alarm in my room and I've not woken late in the last 10 years.

[chello2k9]

It's funny, I always set my alarm when I have something important I have to wake up early for, and on those nights I don't get any sleep. Typically I set my alarm 2 hours head of the time I have to be at a place, and hour of getting ready and because I use public transport, and hour to get there, so usually it's set to 6am.

l normally go to bed at 2am, but when I'm busy or tired 1, so roughly 4 to 5 hours of sleep, but when I set my alarm, I'm waking up every hour to look at my alarm. It's suppose to wake me up, but I can't even sleep because I'm making sure the alarm is working. I then end up waking up 30 mins before the alarm goes off and literary laying in bed counting down for the alarm to go off.

So alarms, I might have to reconsider using them, for quality of sleep, though I don't wake up tried when I'm up all night checking on it, it's just I enjoy sleeping.

[kensands]

Knowing they are there definitely messes with your ability to sleep.

[biospot]

I believe that sleep is when your stomach fully digests food. If you don't sleep, the food is not digested, and you get tired, and cranky due to low blood sugar, not because of lack of sleep. That is why you get cold also. Also, why you eat healthier. I normally sleep 5 hours per night and no longer routinely take any naps. Of course I am older (56) but I run most days 5-6 miles, and other days walk 5-6 miles. I also work all day and at home work at night until 3AM, then up at 7:30 to go to work. Occasionally, I sleep in my car during lunch, but that is it. I also will take naps at different times. I have found several points about this life style: 1. Don't eat sugar. That will give you energy that will be quickly used up and you get soooo sleepy you fall asleep. Protein is required of this lifestyle to provide long term slow energy to keep you going. 2. If you feel sleepy, take a nap. Don't fight it. Your body knows what it needs most. Mostly if you feel sleepy, it is low blood sugar. 3. If you feel groggy, take a nap. Your mind will clear right up with 15-20 minutes of sleep, and you will be normal 4. Relax sometimes.. but not when you are sleepy. If sleepy, eat some protein and walk. 5. Do NOT starve yourself, but do NOT gorge on carbs, or ANYTHING sweet. I suggest to cut out the cokes, as the sugar in that will wake you up, then drop you like a 2 ton weight.. .right into bed. I find your observations astute and correct. If you keep working on this project, you will eventually live with a minimum of sleep, and feel great. Good Job (so far) :-)

[AnitraF]

It is also truew that different people need different amounts of sleep, and we all need different amounts of sleep at different times of our lives. For example, teens, whose bodies are growing, need 8 - 9 hour a night - while older people (60's and older) need as little as four hours a night. See also my previous comment regarding Node Points.

[polyphasic1337]

I have been keeping a polyphasic sleep schedule for months in preparation for returning to college. It does require a large amount of discipline, but if it is done correctly for a month or so, it becomes second nature. It was so hard for me at the beginning that I had to purchase a timer/valve for landscaping and rig it into my shower to turn on cold water 22 minutes after it was started. I would then sleep in my shorts on one of those floating mats for swimming pools (not the inflatable kind) in my tub. After about a month I found that I could wake up consistently before my alarm clock. You must stay very busy the first month or it will never work. If you ever stop, you will find that you no longer require more than five hours of sleep.

[egriff]

that is a an awesome alarm clock

[micronxd]

that's genius... I'm so doing that!!!!

[Rishnai]

That's a really unique solution to needing to wake up... automatic cold water. I like the idea, but I don't think I'd ever use it.

[dukie]

I would have loved to see the measure of the range of blood pressures everyday (or something quantatative). When I wasn't sleeping as much as I do now I actually found that I was less hungry, but my body does the same when it gets exercise so it might just be me. Random fact: one of the oldest women in Japan kept a pattern of 3 days no sleep and 2 days sleep, just showing you it's possible and it's whatever floats your boat...

[airflorida]

I would imagine that you were simply sleeping to little. Even in the case of Spain and the siesta the average person still gets at least 6 hours at night and another 1-2 during the day for a normal 7-8 hours. Your experience seemed to demonstrate that its not so much how you sleep but how much you sleep that matters.

[bkf11]

Thanks for sharing your experiment, I found it very interesting. It seems to me that 20-30 minute sleeps are just not long enough. I am considering trying to have a siesta (1/2 - 1 hour nap at lunchtime) as well a normal nightime sleep . It would be interesting to see if it's possible to reduce overall sleep time with that pattern. I have read that in Greece those who have midday naps are healthier than those who don't. Problem with this idea is that there is nowhere to sleep at work... Thanks again Benjamin