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.