Polyphasic Sleep: The Power of "Power Naps"

A lot of research studies have proven that sleep has a direct relationship to physical and mental health. Proper sleep is recognized as a physical necessity because it has a restorative function for the brain and body. Lack of proper sleep can be responsible for an assortment of medical conditions. Moreover, lack of REM sleep can have serious implications to a person’s mental health. So, how do we really cope with this kind of situation? How can we actually get proper sleep? And how much sleep is necessary? Among the known sleeping practices, I am most interested with what is called polyphasic sleep. Several scientists and experts from different fields like the US military, NASA, and the Italian Air Force have stated that this sleep pattern is the most practical and the most effective in carrying out maximum work efficiency. However, getting used to and mastering this sleep pattern is not that easy. So one might wonder, “How can I actually do polyphasic sleep?” 

First things first, what is polyphasic sleep? Polyphasic sleep is when a person sleeps numerous times within 24 hours. While on the other hand, sleeping twice a day is called biphasic sleep. And sleeping once a day is called monophasic sleep.Polyphasic sleep is common to lots of animals, and sometimes labeled the ancestral sleep state. It reduces sleeping time to 2-5 hours daily. With this pattern, sleeping time breaks up into smaller parts throughout the day. It’s like coffee to some people. It lets you tolerate less sleep, but keeps your body up and going. If you tend to feel sleep deprived or exhausted or if the 24 hour day just doesn’t fit your body clock, well, perhaps you need to give polyphasic sleep a try. Be warned, though, because just like I have mentioned, the transition period is definitely not easy. It takes a lot of discipline, strong will, and determination in the first few days you try this. So now, let’s go back to the main, “How to do polyphasic sleep?”

First, make sure that you are mentally prepared to go through a few days of extreme exhaustion. It takes about 7-10 days before your body can adjust to the new schedule. If you have work, take advantage of the flexibility in your schedule, if any, take some time off, especially in your two-week adjustment period. Provide a schedule for yourself and have specific nap times during the day. Remember that in any type of sleep, our biological clock will depend on that. You need to establish a habitual nap time with the same duration every day. Straying from the schedule makes your body incapable of adjusting and YOU WILL CRASH.

With the most extreme form of polyphasic sleep, you have to take six 20-minute naps spaced evenly throughout the day. The naps are typically spaced 4 hours apart. You should discipline yourself to do your best to follow your schedule. A lot of people give up because they are too tired. And they are too tired because they don’t observe a strict schedule when it comes to naps, and their body gets confused and can’t adapt. To mitigate this risk of sleeping during a scheduled waking period, try making a list of things you will do instead of sleeping.

With polyphasic sleep, your brain will struggle to adjust in the initial days and weeks. But when you do adjust, you will get the necessary aspects of sleep in your naps in the most efficient and economical way possible, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized!

For further information on polyphasic sleep, you can visit these websites:

http://polyphasicsleep.info/index.php?title=Uberman, and

http://www.sleep.com/content/polyphasic-sleep.

Check out this video where an actual study on polyphasic sleep was conducted and video-documented.