Pitfalls of Polyphasic Sleep and More

After further research, as well as recent experience, I can say that there is no easy way to live by a strictly polyphasic sleep cycle. The most difficult thing about trying to change one's sleep schedule is the body's biological initial resistance. Natural evolutionary cycles inside the human body like circadian rythms can cause someone to undergo chemical imbalances as they shift away from the established nuances that support sleeping at night rather than daytime, etc.

Naturally the body goes in a predictable sleep schedule throughout the stages of sleep. There are four stages of sleep, three levels of increasingly deep sleep as well as REM sleep. REM sleep helps you retain and organize information in your brain.

Usually you move through all of the four cycles every 90 minutes as you sleep, REM being the last stage of sleep. However, when trying to switch to polyphasic sleep, the body will change the way your sleeping cycles work. If you are lacking REM sleep, and are sleep deprived, you can enter it quickly after falling asleep (as compared to after 90 minutes). It is this adjustment that takes a toll on energy and overall well-being. Below is a video of a professor explaining the Sleep Cycle in depth:

Seeing as though I am taking classes right now, it does not seem worth it to try to get my body to adapt during such a crucial period. Also, in many polyphasic sleep techniques, there is no way that deep sleep (stage 3) could be achieved. According to this professor, as well as many others this is essential. The exact processes are unknown, but it is important nonetheless. Below is a picture taken of my Sleep Cycle app on my iPhone:

SleepSci by Chris Connor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.


This photo shows that when trying to take one of my many 45 minute naps, I never reach REM sleep. Here, I only reach level one. This is consistent with my other observations from the Sleep Cycle app. However, I can remember times in high school where I would fall asleep and dream before the class would end. It is this kind of sleep that indicates entry into REM sleep without having to go through the whole 90 minute cycle.

Polyphasic Sleep: A Realistic Alternative

As a Trinity Student, my homework load is never predictable. Often times I will find myself awake at night, finishing an assignment, muttering to myself, "I'm going to regret being up this late tomorrow." I usually feel as though I am unaffected by a mere 4 or 5 hours of sleep until lunchtime, then I crash. My new semester schedule allows me to take multiple naps throughout the day. It would seem that a couple of 30 minute naps between classes really wouldn't make a large difference in my bodily needs, but this commonly held belief may be wrong.

This blog provides information regarding Polyphasic Sleep Cycles: Alternate Sleep Cycles | High Existence. It basically argues that the commonly held belief, that 8 hours of sleep during the night is necessary, is not true. We can get enough sleep through naps throughout the day; thereby increasing time efficiency. I looked up the claims, and they are accurate.
This Men's Health Article , provides a lot of information and experimentation regarding polyphasic sleep.

So far, my hybrid polyphasic sleep schedule (5 hour sleep at night, two 45 minute naps in the afternoon) works quite well. However, when I looked further into ways to increase one's sleep efficiency, I found a nifty app for my iPhone. I have yet to use the app, but it has incredible reviews. In my next blog post I will upload a graph provided by the app that tracks my overnight sleep schedule. Basically, this app uses the iPhone's accelerometer to record your movement as you sleep. It will recognize when you enter your lightest stage of sleep the final time before your alarm clock goes off. This way you wake up extremely refreshed, and with extra time to spend. Here is a photo of the app from my iPhone that shows how it works:

SleepSci by Chris Connor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.