Day 15 - The Change

It's been a while since my last post - sorry about that. Things got messy and then [insert semi-relevant but ultimately lame excuse here]. I do have interesting news however. After struggling manfully to stick to the Uberman cycle (and being constantly foiled by real life) I decided it was time to be realistic. I just couldn't take the naps at the prescribed times every day, and when I didn't I got mauled. It wasn't pretty, nor was it safe. Something had to change. I came to the conclusion that everyday, normal monophasic sleep - still wasn't for me. I don't tend to give up that easily, especially not when there are other options. And I've been enjoying the extra time I've had (when adequate naps have enabled me to appreciate it). I wasn't about to chuck that away just yet. You see, Uberman is only one of three major polyphasic sleep cycles. It's the one that gives you the most extra time, but it's also the most inflexible (and the most punishing, should you bend the rules). The Everyman and Dymaxion cycles offer a valid alternative. I won't go into how Dymaxion works (I'm not a fan of the concept, and if you want to know more there's plenty of info on the net) but I'll take a sentence or two to explain the Everyman cycle - my current sleep cycle. The Everyman cycle revolves around the idea that you get a three hour core sleep each day - supplemented by three evenly spaced 20 min naps. Practically how that works for me is that I sleep from about 2am to 5am. Then take a nap before work, a nap after work, and a nap two hours or so before the core sleep. Core, pre-work, post-work, and pre-core. Or predub, pdub, and pc naps as I've come to think of them. Sleep times are far more flexible and I have much more energy than before. Uberman works, but you must be fanatical about keeping to schedule or it'll eat your brains for breakfast. This pattern is not such a cruel master. Previously I seriously doubted that I would practically be able to stick to polyphasic sleep for more than three / four weeks. Now I don't really see any reason why I should stop. I'm very excited about the Everyman cycle and am relishing the benefits already. Long live polyphasic diversity!

Day 07 - Attack of the Monophase

Well, hm, yes. I went to sleep. For a long time. It was as they say, an Epic Fail. For various reasons my Day 7 naps hadn't been as consistent or solid as normal - which made me a bit tired, but that was fine, I just kept going and didn't feel too bad. 10pm and 2pm worked pretty well. Then, feeling quite tired around 4:30am I decided to take a nap. And forgot to set my alarm. Woke at 11:30am. Not good. Okay, it's not the end of the world though - it's actually a chance to experiment with something that Steve and I had discussed earlier: whether Polyphasic and Monophasic can be mixed for a more flexible schedule. I'd be inclined to think that they can't, but I'm about to find out. So while there's no excuse for my slip up, it may be useful in the end. Was also informed that earlier in the night I was doing a bit of offscheduled dozing - and when questioned about it at the time I defended myself emphatically, saying that I was actually taking a proper nap. I remember none of this. I can only conclude that there is a rather annoyed (and increasingly crafty) Monophasic buried in my subconcious. It's pretty safe to say that he's in collusion with Enemy of the State #1: The Overcomfy Couch of Doom. They are both seductive and unscrupulous in the extreme, catching both the unwary and the confident unawares.

One thing I noticed about the massive oversleep was how much I had adjusted already to having those extra hours in the day - I had a bunch things I needed to do and had planned to do most of them between 5 and whenever. Had to rush to get it all done. Ah well. Better luck next time.

Day 06 - Finally Useful

Had a good day, high energy levels throughout. I haven't achieved the "super-alert" state that some have said the Uberman regime brings on, but I'm certainly feeling as good as I would normally. Work hasn't been a problem. Had a Coke at work (without thinking) and wasn't adversely affected, though I'm still cautious with caffeine and have so far avoided coffee. Tea seems okay.

During the night I finally had the energy and the willpower to do more than just try to stay awake or blob on the couch. Very encouraging. Played a game of chess, read for a bit, then did sparring and weights training. It's been a long time since I've done any boxing - every time I forget how hard it is... Highly effective cardio workout though, and a good way to warm up for weights. Some people have wondered if muscles have enough time to recover on a polyphasic sleep cycle - it's a bit early for me to say really, but Steve has done some long runs since starting Uberman and each time he recovered just fine. It's certainly not something that I think merits worrying about.

I'm pretty happy with where I am currently in the experiment - though I'm not fooling myself that hard times are over, and I don't know just how much I can push the schedule (as I will have to do from time to time) before it becomes ineffective. Wait and see.

Day 05 - The Real World Intrudes

Day 05 - first day polyphasic day at work. I have the best possible shift this week to accommodate the schedule, which is great, but still it might be a challenge. Got through the work day absolutely fine, not feeling tired or stretched at all. I did, however extend the period between two naps to about 5 1/2 hours. Came home, slept, had a large dinner, then a little later went for my 10pm. That's when I started to feel a bit tired. Not desperately tired but bad enough to cut down on my functionality. Certainly worse than Day04. Remained like that for the rest of the night unfortunately, despite taking extra naps. They helped, but were not enough to shake the fuzzy-headedness. Not sure if it was the big meal or the stretched time between naps that did it. I'd be inclined to think the former. Anyway, it's another reminder that I'm not even close to being out of the traditional adjustment period (ie up to 2 weeks), so I'm not too worried about it.

On the black side of that balance sheet, I'm dreaming in pretty much every nap now. It's quite a change - for example, I set my alarm for 5 minutes instead of 25 by accident recently. Fell asleep, woke up with alarm, was already dreaming and felt like I had slept for hours. I felt, in fact, like that nap would've been sufficient. Steve's tried that in the past though, and found that you'll be fine for the first 2 hours or so and then need another nap. Hmm. Could be a new flavour of polyphasing in the works... UltraUberman - Twelve 5 min naps a day! In all seriousness I think Thomas Edison was on a very similar schedule. Crazy man. The wonders that our bodies are capable of, eh?

Day 04 - A Good Night

I've had a good day. Not without its downsides - I did oversleep on my 6pm, but I'm pretty sure this can be avoided in future. How? Take extra naps if you need them. Simple as that. No point bullying yourself into staying awake just to wait uselessly, overtired, til your allotted sleep time. This can be taken too far, but the principle is sound and is a good remedial measure. Had a good day, and a great night, felt with it and alert pretty much the whole time. Certainly none of the straining to stay awake that had been haunting me.

Steve got back today from a couple days away - it does really help having another poly in the house. Apart from obvious things like making sure each other wakes up on time, it's helpful to have someone to bounce experiences and ideas off of. There's been so little real research done into this area (in spite of its blogcult popularity over recent years) that you are pretty much flying solo. There are only the most basic guidelines and rules to follow, and most "what ifs" are unanswered. So any personal experience is valuable. Also talking to Steve about setting up more of a routine - should help the nights pass more productively. I imagine it won't be stuck to religiously (knowing me) but if there's some sort of structure there I'm sure it'll help.

Day 03 - What Dreams May Come...

Good news and bad news. Start with the bad, eh? I overslept again. It's extremely frustrating. I'm not sure exactly how much it knocks back the adjustment period, but it can't be helpful. Will have to think of something to sort that out. Good news? I'm starting to dream in my 20min sleep segments. This is very encouraging, as it means I'm beginning to achieve REM sleep within that period, which is what the adjustment phase is all about. Once you start dreaming regularly it gets a lot easier. Which would be a bonus. Some awake segs I'm completely alert, some I'm functional but lethargic and drowsy - and others don't bear remembering. The last two are most common at the moment. One of the hardest aspects of adjusting is that in the middle of the night, there's no one to talk to, and not much to do. Oh, you can make grand lists of "things to do when going polyphasic" and that's good but it's not really going to help you during this first phase. Cause you're too tired to concentrate on any of your well-intentioned tasks. Those are for later. Walking is good - I think I'll go for walks more often. Brain power required is almost zip, does a wonderful job of keeping you awake, and is healthy into the bargain. More walking, less oversleeping. Easy to say.

Day 02 - Rewards of Action

I was right about the crucible bit. 6am to 10am was the hardest segment I've done yet. In spite of getting up straight away, showering, making breakfast (ie standard wake-up routines) I still found myself falling asleep with my eyes wide open. Tried standing up, sitting down, walking - it didn't matter, the struggle went on. Made it through to 10 (somehow. My muscles still remember the fight - as I'm sliding into sleep they often now jolt in an effort to keep me awake). Had a great nap, then went to work with a friend on a short film script. It's much easier to stay awake and alert when you're A: around someone else; and/or B: engaged in a task which requires active participation. This isn't news, of course. Anyone who's ever been sleep deprived will know this, and know how grateful one is for A or B. Script meeting went really well (had my 2pm in the middle), then came home and (gasp) overslept. Not really sure how it happened - I keep my alarm well out of arms reach. Either I slept through a minutes worth of an obnoxious "Sunday Morning" ringtone twice (it's set to go off again in five minutes unless turned off) or I staggered across the room, turned the alarm off, staggered back onto my bed and kept sleeping - all without really waking up. Doesn't really matter why though does it? It happened. Anyway, it didn't mess up any of my other naps during the night (though it was a much harder night than last) and I seem to be back on track. On we go.