The genius of the past, Leonardo da Vinci, left behind a lot of discoveries and various creative explorations. Many of his contemporaries knew him as an artist, sculptor, scientist, and architect.
According to some sources, many discoveries came to him in a dream. There is also a legend from which we can learn that, because of the specifics of his life and the desire for perfection and the best results, he invented a special sleep pattern.
Considering that too much time is spent on sleep, he began to practice the sleep mode, in which he devoted this type of rest to an average of 15 minutes every 4 hours. The result was that during the day he slept only half an hour.
If we count 24 hours / 4 = 6 times per day * 15 minutes = 90 minutes or 1.5 hours
Thus, in addition to the fact that the amount of time to sleep was greatly reduced, and released for other purposes, Leonardo observed a significant surge of strength and an increase in creative potential.
Many consider this legend to be a legend and the absence of any documentary evidence confirms this perception. Nevertheless, this mode of sleep in various periods of life, practiced by many famous people.
This mode of sleep practiced Byron, Napoleon, Jefferson and many others. Most of them came to such a regime unconsciously, due to some external circumstances, which did not allow to spend a lot of valuable time sleeping.
As we see such a routine was at least not universally, but quite common among famous people of the past.
Alternative sleep patterns these days
And what about modern world? What does science say about this? And such a regime is useful or is it all the same harmful to the body.
The modern researcher Kladuio Stempi came to the conclusion that such a regime has a biological meaning, since the brain is most active in the first after waking up.
Pros from this method:
The release of free time, more vivid and intense dreams and maintaining the body in good shape.
Minuses:
Not everyone can withstand such a rhythm, all organisms are different and each has its own need for different sleep intervals, and it can have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system.
It should be noted that those who decide to practice such a regime should be ready for an adaptation period of about a month, which may be accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea and loss of coordination.
There is also one subtlety of using such a mode. Not everyone can afford a short sleep during the day, due to the specifics of its duration. Therefore, this mode is more convenient, creative people are not tied to a specific workplace and that no one will interfere with withstand a given mode.
As a result, Stampi came to the conclusion that it is problematic to use such a regime for a long time without harm to the body, and therefore it is not advisable to carry out this practice for more than two months.
Nowadays, a mad rhythm of life, many young people think about using alternative sleep methods and successfully apply them.
As an example, Yevgeny Dubovy, who as a student, realized that he did not have enough time and decided to follow in the footsteps of Da Vinci decided to practice multi-phase sleep.
He sleeps only 4.5 hours a day (3.5 hours at night and one hour for 20 minutes during the day).
The first - maintain sleep mode, get up and go to bed at the same time.
The second- split the dream into two parts, for three or four hours (biphasic sleep).
Third - sleep 3-4 hours at night and in short intervals during the day.
Eugene adapted to this mode for 3 weeks.
Having given an example, we touched on such a thing as - polyphasic sleep.
Polyphase (multiphase) sleep and its types
Briefly tell about it.
Multiphase sleep implies a dream, divided into several periods in contrast to the usual sleep, when we sleep only at night. In this case, except for the night, we still sleep during the day, but due to the fact that we sleep in smaller intervals, as a result, the total duration of sleep decreases.
Duration of sleep can be reduced by reducing the phase of slow sleep. We talked about the phases of fast and slow sleep in the article.
Also, many believe that the phase of slow sleep is longer at night, and during the day it is easier to dive into the phase of fast sleep.
There are several polyphase sleep modes.
- Dymaxion mode when you sleep for thirty minutes every six hours.
- Uberman mode, when you sleep twenty minutes every four hours.
- “Everyman” mode, in this mode you sleep 1.5-3 hours at night once and after 20 days in the afternoon three times.
- “Siesta” mode, in this mode, they sleep once at night, lasting 5 hours and once during the day, lasting 1.5 hours.
- The "Tesla" mode, it sleeps two hours at night, and after once a day for 20 minutes.
In contact with
Polyphasic sleep is one of the sleep patterns, which involves not the traditional eight-hour sleep all night (monophasic sleep), but several planned and well-defined sleep periods during the entire 24 hours. As a result, you sleep much more often (several times a day), but less in time. Supporters of polyphase sleep are satisfied that they have a few hours of free time per day, which they used to inevitably spend on sleep. However, it is worth noting that this sleep mode is not for everyone. Sometimes the military and some athletes resort to polyphasic sleep.
Steps
Part 1
Graphics with the main night sleep segment- Two-phase sleep, Everyman mode, Dymaxion mode and Uberman.
- Two of them are designed for sleep both at night and in the daytime. These include biphasic sleep and Everyman mode.
- The easiest and safest way to switch to polyphasic sleep is to start by reducing sleep at night using one of these modes.
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Consider a two-phase sleep mode. The essence of this mode is that the sleep time is divided into two segments. Usually the longer segment falls on the night, and the smaller segment (lasting 20-30 minutes or 90 minutes) falls on the first half of the day. In many cultures, this sleep mode is used quite widely, because it not only saves time during sleep, but is also a neutral option in terms of health.
- The shorter the time of the daytime sleep segment (nap, which allows you to recuperate), the longer the night segment will be (during which all phases of sleep, including REM sleep), take place.
- Biphasic sleep has several advantages over other polyphasic sleep regimens, because it has circadian rhythms and hormonal emissions that help regulate sleep. Thanks to them, our body has adapted to sleep more at night than during daytime.
- Biphasic sleep is described in the story as the "first" and "second" sleep. At a time when people did not know how to use electricity, people slept for several hours immediately after dark, then were awake for several hours, and then went to bed again and woke up at dawn with the first rays of the sun.
- However, two-phase sleep is hardly suitable for those who want to free up as much time as possible for wakefulness, because in sleep duration this mode is not very different from normal monophasic sleep mode.
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A convenient advantage is the ability to create your own sleep schedule in two-phase mode. Your sleep schedule will depend on your school and work schedule, as well as on your body’s general condition. Thus, you can get the most out of this mode and adapt it for yourself.
- So break the sleep time into two segments. Each sleep segment should last as long as there is enough time for the REM phase. Usually, a person needs about 5-6 periods of REM during a day.
- One normal sleep cycle (along with REM sleep) takes about 90 minutes. Make a schedule according to which each sleep segment will include 90-minute cycles.
- For example, your main sleep segment will last from 1 to 4:30 am, and the second sleep segment can last for 1.5 hours (from 12 noon to 1:30 pm) or 3 hours (from 12 noon until 15:00). It all depends on your schedule and capabilities.
- As soon as you more or less get used to the new schedule, try to gradually reduce the time to sleep until the sleep is short enough, but you will still feel good and cheerful.
- There should be a break between the sleep segments (at least 3 hours).
- It is important not to sleep and not fall asleep ahead of time. Try at least a week to keep your sleep schedule before making any changes to it.
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Consider the Everyman mode. This mode consists of a main sleep segment (about three hours) and three additional segments of 20 minutes each. If you still want to switch to a polyphasic sleep mode, in which you can save even more time to be awake, this option is most likely suitable for you. It is easier to switch to this mode, since it still provides for the main three-hour segment.
Start to move gradually to your schedule. Try to stick to it at least a week. Most likely, you will first have problems, because adapting to the polyphasic sleep mode is not so easy. As soon as you have adapted and got used to your new schedule, you can break 5 hours of sleep into 3 segments.
- In this case, the main sleep segment can last about 4 hours, and the additional two segments - 30 minutes each. If you work from 9:00 to 17:00, distribute these segments so that they fall during the lunch time and at the time when you return from work.
- Try to stick to the chosen mode for at least a week. Do not make changes to the mode until you get used to it.
- After one or two weeks, you can adjust your sleep schedule by reducing the duration of the main sleep segment and adding another segment.
- In the end, if you continue to adjust the sleep mode, you will achieve the following result: the main sleep segment (3.5 hours) + three more segments of 20 minutes each.
- Spread the time of sleep and wakefulness in such a way that it is most consistent with the schedule of your study / work.
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Stick to your sleep schedule. Try to strictly follow it, do not wake up and stay up early. At first it will not be easy, because the body will begin to adapt to the new regime.
- Do not worry if at first you will not be able to comply with your regime. Some people find it harder to fall asleep, especially if every minute of sleep matters.
- If you choose Everyman mode, be sure to strictly adhere to the schedule. Plan ahead when you need to get ready for bed.
- Plan in advance what you will do in free time. It is unlikely that others also adhere to polyphasic sleep. Prepare in advance and make a to-do list. Focus on what you were going to do all the time, but each time you didn’t have enough time for it. This will help to adapt to the new sleep mode.
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Adjust the schedule to fit you as much as possible. A very popular schedule is the division of sleep time into 4 segments, as already described above (the main sleep segment and three additional ones). If necessary, you can adjust this schedule by rearranging the sleep segments for another time.
- This sleep mode can be observed, guided by other schedules.
- According to one schedule, night sleep is reduced to 1.5 hours (instead of four), and the additional twenty-minute segments become 5. Between them there should be equal time intervals.
Choose the most suitable sleep mode for you. During the preparation you need to understand which mode suits you best, based on your goal, schedule of classes or work, as well as the general condition of the body. There are four main polyphase sleep modes:
Part 2
Charts without the main night segment of sleep-
So, if you are willing to take a chance and reduce the hours of sleep even more, consider switching to Uberman or Dymaxion modes. Both methods involve the abandonment of the main segment of sleep (night). If you have already adapted to the previous sleep schedule and want to try something more extreme, you can switch to one of these modes. Keep in mind, according to these graphs, sleep time is only 2 hours per day.
- A significant disadvantage of these regimes is the difficulty of adhering to the sleep schedule, since it is necessary to stick to the schedule very clearly.
- Before you switch to these modes, consider whether you can keep a sleep schedule every day (depending on your studies, work, and family plans).
- As mentioned above, these sleep patterns suggest about 2 hours of sleep per day.
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Make a schedule according to Uberman mode. It includes six sleep segments of 20 minutes each. Between these segments should be equal intervals of time. It should clearly adhere to the schedule.
- For example, you can arrange sleep segments as follows: at 1:00, at 5:00, at 9:00, at 13:00, at 17:00 and at 21:00.
- It is very important to sleep exactly 20 minutes and exactly according to the established schedule.
- Uberman mode involves 20 minutes of sleep every 4 hours.
- If it is very difficult for you to stay and not fall asleep, try to focus on your plans and to-do list that you made up in advance.
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Now consider the Dymaxion mode. It is very similar to the Uberman mode, but it is even harder to comply. The reason is that the sleep segments become smaller, but they take longer.
Part 3
How to prepare for polyphase sleep-
Learn to doze. The essence of polyphase sleep is the division of the entire sleep time into several segments. As a result, such a dream takes less time than a normal monophasic sleep. If you are going to try out such a sleep mode, it is very important to act exactly in accordance with the schedule.
- Be accustomed to get up earlier than usual, and in the afternoon, do not be afraid to give in to the temptation to take a nap after lunch.
- Try to turn off your computer and gadgets at least 15 minutes before bedtime so that the bright light of the monitor does not disturb you.
- Go to bed at the same time so that the body adapts more quickly to the new regime.
- When you lie down to take a nap, the heart rate becomes less. Mentally count 60 heartbeats, then try to hear another 60. After your heart rate slowed down, try to clear your mind of different thoughts.
- Set alarm for certain time. When he rings, do not tell yourself: “5 more minutes”. Get up as soon as the alarm goes off.
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Reduce night sleep time. Do not do it sharply. Just gradually reduce the duration of a night's sleep.
- First set the alarm 3 hours earlier. Instead of sleeping 8 hours a day, sleep about 5 hours.
- Keep this schedule for three days.
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Set an alarm and stick to this sleep schedule. At first you will be a little uncomfortable, you will feel unusual. But over time, if you stick to the rules and wake up on time, the body adapts to the new regime.
- Set the alarm away from the bed so that you have to get up when you want to turn it off.
- As soon as you get up, immediately turn on the lights in the room.
- If you have a lamp that simulates natural lighting, turn it on to wake up faster after each sleep segment.
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Think over your schedule. Before you divide your dream into segments, think about work, study, family, sports activities. Distribute everything in such a way that you feel as comfortable as possible. Remember that the graphics need to stick very clearly!
- It is important to take into account the fact that no one will adapt to your schedule. Make sure that you have the opportunity to sleep in the middle of the day and live according to the schedule.
- Do not forget about unplanned events that you did not take into account in the schedule. The schedule should have enough time in which you could cram an event.
Lack of time is one of our main problems. Moreover, it is not enough for him not only to work, but also to rest, physical and moral. It is tempting to “eat away” the hours we are missing from such an obscure pastime as sleep.
Accordingly, lack of sleep is the second major problem for modern man (and at the same time, which is typical, it usually does not solve the first one). Going to bed on time is often stupidly unwilling: there is such a bad feeling that then only life and work will remain in life.
In time - this means reserving to sleep at least 8 hours, as all of us were taught. But in the end, in fact, most of us sleep for 6 hours, and then “break away” at the weekend. But although these 6 hours are not enough for sleeping, they are still too much in a day: the desire (and tendencies!) To “cut back” sleep even more does not disappear. In search of the magic pill “how little to sleep and get enough sleep”, I, like many, probably, once came across the doctrine of polyphasic sleep.
What is it?
There is even an article on Wikipedia about this phenomenon. It is also called (completely unreasonable) "da Vinci dream" and "wolf dream". According to the legend, which was common among fans of "polyphase", Leonardo slept just like that, due to which he managed to study, invent and create so much. Alas, this is a fake. The second name owes its appearance to the fact that the sleep regime of many animals in the wild is close to poly-rather than monophasic. But no special studies on this score seem to have been conducted.
Polyphasic sleep is not a “single block” sleep, 8 hours a day, but gradually at regular intervals. Its total time is reduced, up to only 2 hours during the day (depending on which mode you choose). Possible modes described several.
The habit of taking a nap after lunch, it turns out, allows classifying its carriers as practitioners of polyphasic sleep - this is the “Siesta” mode, 5-6 hours sleep at night and 1–1.5 hours after lunch.
More unusual and tough modes:
“Everyman”: 1 time 1.5-3 hours at night and 3 times 20 minutes each during the day.
"Dymaxion": 4 times 30 minutes. during the day at regular intervals, i.e. every 6 hours
"Uberman": 6 times for 20 minutes. during the day at regular intervals, i.e. every 4 hours
Finally, there is a story that Nikola Tesla adhered to a certain polyphase sleep mode, called Tesla in his honor: 1 time 2 hours at night and 1 time 20 minutes. in the afternoon. As in the case of Leonardo, no reliable historical evidence of this does not exist.
If you do not take the well-known "Siesta", then in practice, attempts are made mainly to use "Everyman", "Dymaxion" and "Uberman" (judging by the reports of experimenters on the Web).
I myself tried half a year ago polyphase sleep. Being a person (I want to believe) rational and cautious, I then tried to collect as much information as possible about this phenomenon in order to form a sound attitude. That's what happened.
"Eyewitness testimonies"
There are indeed relatively many reports on the Web by people who have tried the "polyphase" (and over the past year and a half there have been even more). In the runet of such reports, you can easily find two or three dozen.
Of these, the series can immediately be discarded as not meeting the criteria of adequacy and reliability. For example, on reports with spelling and grammatical errors, "ragged" texts; the articles posted on websites promoting the personal effectiveness of bad behavior (“Supermethod: stop sleeping to become a new person and start earning in five days!”) I did not pay attention.
On the contrary, a number of other reports seem reliable. For example, posted on blogs, where you can read other entries and form an opinion about the author in their context.
The overall final impression was this: it works.
Most of the reports were positive: I tried it and it worked. A series of negative ones described failure rather than some pitiable consequences from the experiment. Then, a year and a half ago, I found only one report, which stated that the result of polyphasic sleep attempts was serious impairment of performance, which remained after the transition to the normal mode (by the way, this report was among the "reliable").
And according to the majority of negative reports, it was clear that the authors violate the main rule of the transition to polyphasic sleep: they do not stand up clearly, get off, so that “neither fish nor meat” comes out. And a difficult transition period, according to the gurus of this topic, can be successfully passed only under the condition of a consistent approach and clarity, not allowing for a new breakdown mode.
Main source
By the way, about the guru. Although ideas of a la polyphasic sleep often gather around themselves a kind of sektochka (or even a whole sect ...), a circle of not quite adequate fans, this time I did not come across anything like that. And this is good.
The most detailed, generalizing personal and not only experience book on polyphasic sleep was written by some American living in Michigan, known by her nickname PureDoxyk. This young lady also has a twitter, and, probably, excavations on the web could allow her to find out her name and biography, but I didn’t do it. The book claims that the author has a degree in philosophy, has been practicing polyphasic sleep for many years and feels great.
The book is well written, and it is felt even in the Russian "supramobral" translation. The author is a person with brains and charisma. The text is simply hung up with disclaimers urging the reader to treat polyphasic sleep responsibly, making the transition clearly and not making it an excuse for just indiscriminate and ineffective sleep. And then…
Here we, in fact, turn to the theory. Well, that is, to the "theory".
"Theory" is
Sleep, as we know, is divided into phases of slow sleep and fast, and the lion’s share of our rest is exactly slow sleep. It is allegedly not as useful for the organism as the fast one, and it is to them that the followers of the “polyphase” propose to neglect.
In the transition to the polyphasic sleep mode, the brain learns to “dive” immediately into fast sleepbypassing the slow stage. When the transition is fully completed, the “zombie state” characteristic of this period passes. A person gets the opportunity to sleep where less time during the day, resting at the same time as fully as during the 8-hour sleep, and all at the expense of "skipping" the "unnecessary" phase of slow sleep. A complete transition, by the way, takes about a month, and the “state of the zombies” lasts about 10 days, provided that the new regime is strictly observed. When it is violated, it is delayed.
Polyphasic sleep is natural for humans as well as for animals (recall the "wolf sleep"). So babies sleep. People often naturally come to this regime under extreme conditions: in war, for example.
Everything said above about the “theory” is not my personal point of view, but the very basis that the supporters of “polyphase” bring under their experiments. It seems to me at least controversial and very common. Nevertheless, the presence of positive reports on the Web, the charm of the book PureDoxyk and the desire for the magic pill prompted me to try.
For myself, I decided this: it is obvious that even if the theory is wrong, the "polyphase" takes place in practice. If the stars are lit, then it is necessary for someone. Perhaps such a regime for a person is provided as extreme, and it only causes harm in the long term.
I just quit my job at the office for freelancing - and decided to try. Like most of whose reports I found on the Net, I took the “Uberman” mode, designed, in fact, by PureDoxyk.
How it was
I will say right away that I did not last long. I did not repeat the mistake of many experimenters and maintained the periods of sleep and wakefulness very clearly. I did not encounter another problem that many people write about - the inability to wake up; I always heard the alarm and found the will to rise.
I redid a number of cases that hands couldn’t reach for half a year (for example, I washed the kitchen cupboard covered with greasy soot), and half went through the game Call of Cthulhu - during those night hours when I couldn’t do anything else because my head didn’t think at all .
I stopped the experiment on the third day, faced with a problem that no report warned me about - my heart began to ache. Not too much, but each time with very specific movements. I shook off, noted in the logbook: "the end" and went to sleep.
On the one hand, I didn’t have such problems before, or later, but on the other hand, the pain appeared before, in fact, the experiment started with sleep — obviously, as a result of several days of a completely disorderly regime and an earlier, unrelated lack of sleep. . The new regime only made them regular and strengthened.
Therefore, despite the presence of experience, I never built a final opinion on such a dream. Obviously, if you try, you need to take this attempt very seriously, to prepare even more carefully. Although the experiment did not last long, I completely drank unusual psychological sensations that gave even worse than lack of sleep. The dream began to be felt by some kind of existential value, and the realization that it is impossible to sleep off in the future, that this regime — it is forever — really scares.
Perhaps in the future I will try again. But those who want to set up such experiments would like to warn one more time: preparation is needed. Well, and, probably, an approach in itself when you increase your effectiveness as such - an intensive approach - is more correct than an extensive one: an attempt to simply “stretch the time” without solving deep organizational problems.
Polyphasic sleep is often associated with a brilliant artist and inventor of the Middle Ages. Leonardo da Vinci. On the introduction of numerous ideas he needed time, which was always sorely lacking. Being a resourceful man, Leonardo da Vinci decided to find new reserves of time in his daily sleep.
He broke the usual night rest into several parts, making it polyphase. Now he slept for fifteen minutes every four hours. As a result, the total duration of sleep was reduced to just one and a half hours per day. The time freed from the rest, Leonardo could now use on creativity. He used such a polyphasic sleep for many years of his life without experiencing fatigue. Perhaps this is precisely where the mystery of the great artist’s unique workability is hidden, thanks to which his works have survived for centuries and still continue to delight humanity.
What is the phenomenon of polyphasic sleep
It is known that physiologically the most productive for work and creativity is the time after sleep. At this time, the body's performance is especially high. The interruption of wakefulness every four hours, followed by a short rest, leads to a sharp increase in the time of increased efficiency.
Before we get to the story about specific people who have experienced the benefits of polyphasic sleep, I would like to convey to readers a warning formulated by the director of the Department of Sleep Disorders from the Massachusetts Clinic Matt Bianchi: ”Every organism is individual. One person might get a polyphase form of sleep, and another as a result of such an experiment can fall asleep at the wheel and crash into a pole. ”
So if you decide to try to go into polyphasic sleep, we recommend that you temporarily give up driving, do not operate with any heavy equipment, do not make momentous decisions - until you decide on how many hours you can reduce your sleep time. .
According to rumors, many famous thinkers, among whom, besides the already mentioned Leonardo Da Vinci, are Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, managed to reduce the time of their sleep by breaking it into several parts. However, the very first documented case of transition to polyphasic sleep is associated with the name of the architect, inventor and philosopher Buckminster Fuller.
Sleep experiments were conducted by Fuller in the mid-1900s, and he developed a regime called “Dimaxion” (Fuller gave the same name to his trademark, which combined several inventions).
The Dimaxiton sleep technique provided for half an hour of sleep every six hours — that is, about two hours a day. The scientist set out his experiments in a book that was a resounding success. Fuller’s ability to fall asleep for 30 seconds struck contemporaries. However, after some time the scientist returned to normal monophasic sleep - but only because of the grumbling of his wife.
But be that as it may, the Fuller case did not die, and the idea of polyphasic sleep found many admirers and successors.
In the 1980s, Italian neurologist Claudio Stumpy also began to study the benefits of polyphasic sleep. He noticed that his fellow sailors were accustomed to sleep in fragments without much damage to their health and side effects.
In the course of his experiments, he examined the Swiss actor Francesco Jost, who was trying to master the technique of polyphasic sleep for 49 days at home. At first, Jost's body survived the shock, but then his concentration and mental state became relatively normal, although at times it was difficult for him to wake up. With minimal side effects the actor was able to reduce the usual time of his sleep by five hours. True, this is in the short term - the long-term effect has not been studied.
Nowadays, enthusiasts from the Internet are also trying to explore the possibilities of polyphasic sleep. A woman with a nickname PureDoxyk has developed her own technique called Uberman, which consists of six sleep phases of no more than 30 minutes each: at 2 pm, at 6 pm, at 10 pm, at 2 nights, at 6 am, and 10 am. The circle goes about three hours of sleep per day.
Personal development specialist Steve Pavlina mastered this technique and achieved impressive results. The most important problem, by his own admission, was boredom - and not the difficulty with concentration or insomnia. He returned to normal life just because he wanted to spend more time with his wife and children.
The same PureDoxyk developed another polyphase sleep mode, called “Everyman” (that is, “every person”), which, according to her own statements, allowed her to find more time for hobby, self-education and communication with her daughter.
Different Polyphase Sleep Techniques
What does science say
One of the theories regarding alternative sleep patterns is that polyphasic sleep is generally more natural. A report in 2007, published in the scientific journal Journal of Sleep Research, states that many animals sleep several times a day, and people, most likely, in antiquity also followed the same pattern.
It is known that the sleep of most people lasts for several hours and consists of alternating periods of slow sleep (approximately 90 minutes) and short periods of REM sleep. The exact purpose of this alternation is not known. However, experts believe that, most likely, different phases of sleep have a different restorative effect on the body.
In this regard, the question arises - whether the supporters of polyphasic sleep get enough “fast sleep”, and whether they get it at all.
Some practitioners of “polyphases” claim that their technique “forces” the body to enter the REM sleep much faster. Indeed, during the experiments, Stumpy noticed that Jost's brain sometimes entered a phase of REM sleep almost immediately. The scientist came to the conclusion that with a lack of sleep, the body adapts in such a way as to recover in a shorter time.
Other polyphasic proponents claim that fast sleep is not something vital. Numerous studies have confirmed that a person suffers mainly from a lack of sleep in general, and not specifically from fast or slow sleep. Other studies show that fast sleep plays a certain role in maintaining the ability to learn, memory and emotional state, but a person, in principle, can live without him.
In addition, it is not known how polyphasic sleep can affect a person’s health and life if practiced continuously throughout life.
In many cases, a person’s ability to adhere to a polyphasic sleep pattern may depend on genetics. It is known that from one to three percent of the world's population naturally needs a very short duration of sleep. This ability gives them a mutated gene DEC2. Some polyphasic proponents claim that with the help of appropriate technology you can convince your brain that you belong to this small group of people.
According to a recent discovery, before the invention of electricity, people slept twice a day: they went to bed after sunset and slept until midnight, then woke up for a couple of hours and fell asleep again until morning. But a total of 7 or 8 hours left anyway. Perhaps in the future we will return to this old pattern.
Tested on yourself
Two descriptions of the transition to polyphasic sleep from the blogs of Internet users.
Misha Suboch (Mikhail Subach):
"The experiment with polyphasic sleep was a success - I felt the hard way all the features of this unusual sleep mode. I couldn’t fully adapt because I couldn’t strictly adhere to the 20x6 mode. After the 10th day I decided to stop, for two reasons.
The first one was very stressful that during the day I had to take 20 minute breaks. Now almost a week has passed since the completion of the experiment, and it is hard to believe that this could really be a serious problem, but at that time it was so.
The second reason is that you miss sleep when you can just lie down and do nothing. Apparently not determined for themselves enough interesting cases.
In the polyphase mode, you become “bigger” - if you manage to get interested in taking all your waking time, you will succeed in it even more. It’s like immortality: many people want to be immortal, but they don’t know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon. "
findings
- Polyphasic sleep is an excellent mode if you need to do a lot of things.
- Before you get the benefits of polyphasic sleep, you must go through a 5-day adaptation.
- Days are felt two times longer than during normal sleep.
- High motivation is needed to adapt.
- Skill to wake up and get out of bed on an alarm clock helps a lot when adapting.
- The optimal duration of sleep is 20 minutes.
- It helps when adapting planning active activities for the next 4 hours before the dream.
- It is necessary to sleep every 4 hours in the afternoon, therefore it is necessary to foresee how this will take place.
- It is necessary to switch to polyphase mode after you have slept well.
Benefits of Polyphase Sleep
- More time for creativity.
- Interesting perception of time.
- At night, no one bothers.
The disadvantages of polyphasic sleep
- Social inconvenience.
- Drowsiness during adaptation.
Before switching to polyphasic sleep, it is necessary to develop the following habits:
- do not drink alcohol;
- do not consume caffeinated beverages (coffee, black / green tea, energy, cola);
- get up on an alarm clock.
If you already have these habits, get enough sleep last night and start doing 20-minute slumber every 4 hours.
Conclude an agreement with yourself and others - that you will follow this regime for 5 days without exception.
Avoid driving for the first 5 days, further on by well-being.
Optimally if the last night of monophasic sleep will be from Wednesday to Thursday. Friday will be easy, and sleep difficulties will fall on the weekend, when you can build a daily schedule as convenient. God willing, by Monday you’ll get used to the regime.
Slow reading, watching videos - passive ways of spending time, are not suitable for the night.
zveriozha (zveriozha.livejournal.com):
1. Problems in adaptation were not in waking up after 20-30 minutes, but in falling asleep. First, it is advised not to sleep 6, but 8 times a day - every three hours. The body, even after deprivation, refuses to sleep like that. I lie for 20-25 minutes and when the current is flowing, I begin to fall asleep, the alarm clock rings.
2. As a result, deprivation is increasing and, when sleep comes in the morning, it is REALLY difficult to get up after it. Therefore, oddly enough ... It is possible that the easier option is to immediately switch to the Uberman system (20-25 every four hours), and not to enter it using sleep every three hours. But in any case, exercise nap every three hours - a useful workout.
3. Time with such a life flows quite differently. The trick is that normal sleep at 8 o'clock clearly separates one day from another. And you live discretely - day, night, next day, night. Like a two-stroke motor. When you sleep (or try to sleep) every 3-4 hours, the discreteness turns into continuity. The sense of time is lengthened tremendously. For example, yesterday I went to optics to order glasses, but I have a feeling that it was 3-4 days ago, but not at all yesterday.
4. In order to live this way, you must really have some permanent tasks, projects. Otherwise, you just have nowhere to go all the time that has appeared. And if you sit at night and get bored, it will be very difficult not to fall asleep. In other words, if you suddenly want to try this mode, then you first need to decide - why do you need it?
5. Coffee, tea, stimulants or vice versa - things that help you fall asleep in this mode are very undesirable. If you are overly alert, you will not be able to sleep at the right moment, and this will lead to a breakdown in the future. If you are very sleepy, you can wake up the alarm, which is also a breakdown.