Polyphasic Sleep

[Leif]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphasic_sleep

Polyphasic sleep is a sleep pattern specification intended to reduce sleep time to 2–5 hours daily. This is achieved by spreading out sleep into short naps of around 20–45 minutes throughout the day. This is supposed to allow for more waking hours with relatively high alertness.

The method uses natural human sleep mechanisms to maximize alertness when sleep time needs to be minimized. However, it requires a rigid schedule which makes it unfeasible for most people. It can work well for those engaged in activities which do not permit lengthy periods of sleep.


A Polyphasic Sleep journal:

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/polyphasic-sleep/

[Faustian Dreams]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphasic_sleep

Polyphasic sleep is a sleep pattern specification intended to reduce sleep time to 2–5 hours daily. This is achieved by spreading out sleep into short naps of around 20–45 minutes throughout the day. This is supposed to allow for more waking hours with relatively high alertness.

The method uses natural human sleep mechanisms to maximize alertness when sleep time needs to be minimized. However, it requires a rigid schedule which makes it unfeasible for most people. It can work well for those engaged in activities which do not permit lengthy periods of sleep.

A Polyphasic Sleep journal:

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/polyphasic-sleep/

Why would anyone want to alter their sleep pattern? It's highly unnatural, considering it clearly needs a manipulation of environment for it to be at all successful (most obviously, light levels).

For people like myself, who require at least an hour just to fall asleep. I'm not sure whether this can be considered insomnia; I would attribute it to external factors, such as light and noise pollution, namely the fact that my roommate has the atrocious habit of falling asleep[I] to the sound of a television, and at my expense. Also, this includes drunkards and the characteristically argumentative conversations carried on by all of these pinch-brains on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

I have a deep suspicion as to whether there exists any sort of mental, physical, and spiritual balance among all those who cannot adhere to normal sleep patterns. There is no logical reason to shift your day-cycle by a full eight hours, nor to deprive oneself of sleep:

Her (it is usually the women who take some strange pride in their eccentricities): "I am sooooo tired, I only got 2 1/2 hours of sleep! I need [I]my coffee..."

Me: "Why didn't you go to bed earlier?"

Her: "I just had so many things to do..."

Me: "Like what? It sounded like you were carrying on conversation when I went to sleep."

Her: ...

People in general fail at life, and when they meet with mild success, they fall into complacency and a limited perspective of things. Then there are those who enjoy blundering their way through it, attributing their shortcomings to the notion that it is characteristic of the stage in life they are in. ("Oh, I'm a college student...that means I'm entitled to be underslept and drink three nights a week.") As we know, this relativity is taken out of context.

Conclusion: There is no need for more time in the day. If you cannot satisfy yourself with a regular 16-hour day, with 8 hours of sleep, then there is simply nothing that can help you.

[1-800]

Sleeping less than eight hours is bad. No wonder people need stimulants to get through the day.

Chalk me up as another one who needs at least an hour to get to sleep--sometimes I have a nightcap and that seems to help in getting to sleep. On weekdays, I try to get at least eight hours of sleep, on weekends, I go for nine or ten.

[Helios Panoptes]

Sleeping less than eight hours is bad.

No, it's not. The amount of sleep people require varies.

I have a nightcap and that seems to help in getting to sleep

Alcohol makes falling asleep easier, but when it wears off, we tend to be awakened.


Why would anyone want to alter their sleep pattern?

Either because their circumstances require an alteration or they simply want to spend more of their time awake.

It's highly unnatural, considering it clearly needs a manipulation of environment for it to be at all successful (most obviously, light levels).

I don't understand the problem. If it isn't an injurious practice then why not manipulate the environment?

I have a deep suspicion as to whether there exists any sort of mental, physical, and spiritual balance among all those who cannot adhere to normal sleep patterns.

I cannot adhere to a normal sleep pattern(nocturnal), but I consider myself fairly balanced. Then again, I could be utterly deranged and not realize it. :confused: :D

There is no need for more time in the day.

There is no "need" for it for the great majority of people, but this doesn't mean that there is no desire for it. If fulfilling the desire is not harmful, I do not see why it should be avoided.

As an aside. I do not care to be awake for longer than I am, so this is not for me.