Polyphasic Sleep December 17, 2006
Posted by The Probabilist in : [Articles], Consciousness, Dreams, Food, Health, Productivity, Sleep, Time, Weird, Work , 6 comments
Why is it that we get an average of eight hours of sleep per day and all of it in a single chunk? Is there an alternative method, what is it called and what does it include? What are the pros and cons of choosing this alternative sleep rhythm, called polyphasic sleep? And what does it require and how does one go about to succesfully adapt it?
Polyphasic sleep is the term for sleeping more than once during the existing 24 hour rotation of our planet. The common sleep pattern of sleeping once per day is therefore called monophasic sleep. There are several variations to polyphasic sleep. Primarily, it can be separated into two approaches - schedules that include equally long naps within equal lengths of waking time between them, and schedules that contain a “core sleep” period of a few hours with one to three short naps on the side.
Choosing a schedule without core sleep, the naps can for instance be split into six per day, every four hours and their lengths are 20-25 minutes. This method is called the Uberman’s sleep schedule. Another choice could be to sleep four times per day 30 minutes at a time. Buckminster Fuller is said to have used this schedule for two years, called the dymaxion sleep schedule.
Can this be considered normal? Healthy? Sane? Haughty? There’s only one way to find out. Previous results by other testers show no crucial ailments of conducting this experiment. What is normal anyway? Babies sleep polyphasically. Maybe we’re all being programmed to follow the rotation of our planet since being awake during night time wasn’t very productive until the invention of electricity. Perhaps sleeping polyphasically is more normal and healthy than it may first seem, and that’s just what social conditioning and following others’ examples can do to our minds.
We sleep to get a portion of the REM-stage, which both the mind and body requires. In monophasic sleep it usually sums up to about 90 minutes of an adult’s total sleep time, and most of it at its last stages. This is why we often experience more dreams during the very end of our sleeping time. Polyphasic sleeping therefore aims to convert the mind to start the REM-phase immediately after we doze off. It is sort of a defence mechanism for being robbed off REM for too long after one starts out on this schedule. In total, a succesful transitioning to a polyphasic sleep pattern sums up to a healthy 90-120 minutes of REM per day.
Why choose polyphasic sleep?
First off, a succesful adaptation means 22 hours of waking time and two hours of sleep per day. There’s no more room for complaining about not having the time to get things done. In fact, while trying to transition, one will do anything to get the mind off of the sleep deprivation that is experienced. It is said that after about 7-10 days the overall confusion and fatigue will start to rebound. Sleeping in on a nap is a setback and makes it harder and longer to make the change.
It is also said that once successfully adapted, one has an even greater clarity of mind, level of energy, motivation and ability to focus than during a monophasic schedule. Perhaps it’s a result of hormones and chemicals adjusting to different levels. Sipping coffee and allowing various influencers of body functions make it a rougher starting point to make the transition to polyphasic sleep. So even the diet one subscribes to makes a difference. It is said that a vegetarian or vegan diet makes it even easier to make the change.
Additionally, the chance of having lucid dreams are said to increase. Since lucid dreaming is the skill to allow a certain degree of awareness into the dream world, it sounds probable. This is because reports say that once in a polyphasic pattern, one gets quite dependant on it and falling asleep is quite easy. Once four or five hours are up, it can be very tough to stay awake any further and it may lead to harsh deprivation if the schedule gets out of balance. This can be a big negative side effect of polynapping.
A fourth positive side effect is eliminating jet lag. This depends naturally on how often one travels. Being awake this much raises the question if 24 hours is still a day. Living with a polyphasic rhythm could actually mean that the week is separated into 14 “days” - seven nights and seven days, because weeks and months literally feel like they are moving at a slower pace.
Limits and requirements
This goes without saying, but turning polyphasic requires a pretty flexible schedule. Most full time jobs simply won’t allow the attempt to try it out. Not only are the holidays a good gap to fit the experiment in, but I’m not studying or working on anything until March, except on this blog/business and my own personal development. My business gives me the option to write and publish posts whenever I want to around the clock.
The transition is no walk in the park either. Most people quit after a day or a few out of sheer tiredness and boredom. Keeping the mind occupied is the best remedy to make it through the first week when the going gets gradually tougher. Therefore it’s more or less a requirement to have a list of things to do before one starts out. I still haven’t set a date to start out, my list of things to do and my final schedule are still incomplete. I’m on the verge of moving to another apartment in the near future as well. So I’ll post them closer to the launch of this experiment.
I’ve also collected some polyphasic audio that consists of white noise that swooshes on during the sleep and is followed by loud noises guaranteed to wake me up. Or at least I hope they will. 
This experience/experiment is all in the name of trying for myself to get my own opinion on the subject. If it’s too difficult to adapt to, or it simply isn’t a smarter or better way to live (and sleep), then I can always turn back to monophasic sleep. During my endeavors I’ll keep everyone posted on my progress, level of clarity, use of senses and tiredness. So stay updated in the near future on my polyphasic journey.
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As a Man Thinketh December 16, 2006
Posted by The Probabilist in : [Books], Consciousness, Emotions, Health, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Purpose, Beliefs, Vision, Wealth , add a comment
James Allen presents the power of thought in a rich, delightful and refreshing perspective. While the book is small in volume, I’m somewhat amused and amazed as to how one can write so much of something as simple as the statement that “your thoughts create your reality”. However, the strength in Allen’s writings is unquestionably his inspiring and suggestive use of language that help to visualize why each and everyone’s state of happiness and prosperity is exactly where we allow it to be.
However, simplicity in this context can still be elusive or frowned upon as too good to be true. Yet on the other hand, changing a mind-set can be unfathomably difficult to carry out into effect. Changing another person’s thoughts about the nature of things is impossible, but changing your own is at least plausible. The boundaries of where free will is within your grasp may be farther away than you think. Reading this book gives its reader the insight and capacity to acknowledge the fact that the mind is a tool capable of either creating a joyful or a despondent life, regardless of external occurences or upbringing.
It will show you why your mind alone is the sole contributing factor that brings forth the emotions you feel. It will show you what causes most of the diseases and illness in your body. It will show you how external circumstances, synchronicities and happenings of positive and negative significances may and may not shape your life. And it will show how living a life of purpose brings out the giant within - a character of clarity, mission, integrity, duty, courage and will to achieve.
The copy I purchased also includes The Path of Prosperity, which appears as sort of a continuance and complementary work to As a Man Thinketh. You may be able to find it as a free to download e-book by joining various newsletters on personal growth. It’s a healthy read because it covers any and every aspect of self development. Then all you have to do is choose to either disregard or accept and apply its teachings.
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