Polyphasic Sleep

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 1:04pm

Originally Posted by Kintanon

Narcolepsy is uncontrollable. The ability to fall asleep quickly is a learned skill.

Non-rhetorical, non-sarcastic question: If the ability to fall asleep quickly* is a learned skill, how do I learn it? I'm not sold on the whole polyphasic sleep thing, but the number one thing standing between me and a solid sleep schedule is the amount of time it takes me between lying down and sawing logs.

(Right-side emoticon: :sleepy1: )

* EDIT: Clarified what "it" was.

**Jhemsley** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 3:13pm

Again, what is really gained by it? I've yet to hear any argument where this makes sense to do for anyone except soliders and parents of infants. At what point does it make sense to say this doesn't really help me in life enough in life to risk screwing up my mind and body and turning me into a road hazard?

Also, REM sleep SHOULDN'T be acheivable instantly. That's a sign of narcolepsy and severe sleep deprivation - not the learning of a skill.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 3:23pm

Originally Posted by Jhemsley

Again, what is really gained by it?

Well, if it could be demonstrated that 20-40 minutes of sleep every 4 hours was physiologically equivalent to eight hours of sleep a night, you'd be able to get by on 2 to 4 hours of sleep a day = a net gain of 4 to 6 waking hours.

Personally, I'd rather be asleep than awake, but I can see the appeal.

**Excaliber** · Posted On: 2/09/2009 9:27pm

I have no ambition of attempting Polyphasic sleep (I could never keep the schedule) but the idea does sound kinda interesting. Although from what I can find on the internet it's essentially long-term sleep deprivation. http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 2/10/2009 1:21am

Originally Posted by TheRuss

Non-rhetorical, non-sarcastic question: If the ability to fall asleep quickly* is a learned skill, how do I learn it? I'm not sold on the whole polyphasic sleep thing, but the number one thing standing between me and a solid sleep schedule is the amount of time it takes me between lying down and sawing logs.

(Right-side emoticon: :sleepy1: )

* EDIT: Clarified what "it" was.

I learned it via practice. I had a hugely busy schedule in high school and right after I graduated, TKD, Wrestling, School, Job, etc.. etc... So I frequently was up too late anyways. I started taking naps whenever could. At first it took forever to fall asleep, but after a while it got to where I would drop off within 5 minutes. Even later on in life after I started getting more sleep I was able to drop off after just a few minutes. At first I did use a self hypnosis/mind clearing exercise where you clench and release each muscle starting with your toes and working up to your neck. But I very quickly stopped needing to do that in order to relax.
To this day the second I sit down on a plane or bus, or in someone elses car I'll usually just close my eyes and nap until we get where we're going.

And as for what you get out of it, I get an extra 5 productive hours a day generally. That menas I can maintain a pretty successful Tech Blog as well as hold down an excellent full time job, train 4-5 days a week in the Jits, take care of my house, and still have time to post on bullshido and feel rested and alert for 95% of my waking hours.