So, my last couple of microposts on Twitter and such might have been a little confusing to some. I’ve gotten a couple of questions, so I thought I’d answer them with a FAQ-style post.
You’re doing what?!
I’m adapting to a polyphasic sleep schedule. There’s a lot of great information at PureDoxyK’s website (http://www.puredoxyk.com/) and here (http://ohgodthechicken.com/start-up-guide/). Long story short, I’m reducing the amount of sleep I take, and spreading it out a bit over the day.
Why would you do such a thing?
Now THERE’s a question! I’ve been using monophasic (all in one big block) sleep for quite some time. Back when I was at school all day and working all night, I had a scenario where I never had a big block of sleep. For about two days, I was more-or-less stable just taking naps. I called it “grazing” sleep, instead of going for a big meal (monophasic sleep).
Much later, I read Steve Pavlina’s article series on polyphasic sleep. (Too lazy to hunt it down – just check out http://stevepavlina.com) He was using the Uberman schedule, which to me was impractical: 6 naps per day, with no real wiggle room. Not good for anybody with a job or other commitments. I was slightly bummed that I couldn’t try it out, but got on with life.
I’ve been in light levels of sleep deprivation for a while now. Recent events have put me further into sleep-dep. I’ve handled it before, but I was getting tired of it. Trying to sleep all at one go was clearly not working: I wasn’t getting the sleep I needed, nor was I doing all the things I intend to do.
At about this time, I got wind of alternate polyphasic sleep schedules. They don’t give as much time as the Uberman schedule, yet are more flexible and easier to integrate with the outside world. Since the hard part of adjusting to (any!) new sleep schedule is dealing with sleep deprivation during adaptation, I figured I was halfway there. So, I started over the weekend.
Sleep deprivation? That’s dangerous!
Yes, actually. Very. But two big points here: First, I was already experiencing enough sleep-dep that I was falling asleep during normal wakeful time, with Mountain Dew in my system. Over-amping the body isn’t especially good for you either. Secondly, the goal is to get beyond the sleep-dep adjustment phase and be rested and active while you’re awake.
So, you’re going to be tired all the time?
Just the reverse, actually. I’m still in the first week of adjustment, so I can’t stand up and point too much, but the dark circles under my eyes have actually been slowly fading. That doesn’t mean it’s been easy going; it’s a fight to get the body adjusted. Still, once the body figures out how to sleep more efficiently, you can get all the rest you need. This morning my wife and I enjoyed a bit of role reversal: I’ve never been a “morning person”, all the moreso for not getting enough sleep. Today, I was buzzing around the house doing this and that, while she was trying to get her eyes fully open. Still, she’s liking what she’s seeing thus far.
Ok, so what are you doing with the time?
Well, thus far it’s been “working like normal and doing whatever it takes to stay awake the rest of the time” 
This morning, I reinstalled my wife’s computer (Ok, we had Windows loaded, but nothing else. Taking a bare Windows install to fully updated, customized and comfortable takes a while if you’re not restoring from an image. 
I’ve been able to stick to my twice-daily-meditations-plus-other-spiritual-exercises better than I have in a while; it’s easier to find time, and like I said, my sleep dep is actually going DOWN, so it’s easier to stay awake during lay-down guided meditation sessions.
I’ll also be using the time to work on my sites, read books that I’ve been putting off, and thus enjoy life a little more.
How do you have your sleep arranged?
Well, presently I’m using what’s called the “Everyman 2-nap” schedule. I wanted to opt for the 3-nap variant, but the numbers don’t work; couldn’t make it work and still be able to go to sleep the same time as my lovely wife. It may seem silly, but to me it’s psychologically important, so the 3-nap variant is out… at least until the scheduling changes.
So, I take my “core nap” (the longest sleep of the day) from 9PM to 1:30 AM. 4.5 hours. Then, I take my first 20-minute nap at 7:30 or 8:00. I really should be strict about it, but stuff happens. I don’t think a half-hour variance will make that much of a difference. I take my second nap at 2:00. This is handy, as I take my lunch at that time. I subsist on green smoothies (very nutritious!) during the day, so “lunch” itself doesn’t take long. So, I’m freshly rested before work and coming back from lunch. Work is getting a pretty good deal, I’d say.
So, I’m getting just shy of 5 hours of sleep per day, and 19 hours of wakefulness. That’s a little more awake time than I had previously, with the bonus of actually being properly awake during them. Were I not the eternally inquisitive sort, I might worry about getting bored, heh.
(In contrast, the aforementioned Uberman schedule uses six naps evenly spaced, yielding 20 hours of wakefulness. R. Buckminster Fuller (one of my heroes) used a similar plan, 4 naps at 30 min. each. Either way, a bit steep for the likes of me.)
All questions, comments, and other contact are of course welcome. I’m hardly the first or last person with an online presence to comment on switching to a polyphasic schedule
Oh, and a quick postscript: I’ve been off caffeine since starting on Friday, and don’t anticipate needing it. Once the body adapts, I should be all set. Nifty!
