This is a real interesting question and I wonder how much individuality there is, both between people and between time periods for individuals. Lots of variables work their way into whether or not this "works", including what a person is aiming for.
Kpreston, it sounds like you are looking to reduce the total number of sleep hours (from 13 anyway?) as well as gain other benefits from biphasic sleep (I have found there are some real additional benefits), is that right?
I agree, Scott, that oftentimes 1.5 hours between nap and sleep seems a bit short. Recently, I really couldn't fall asleep well after such a routine, that was different for me. Also, that throws in a really long awake period, especially if done for a while. At the same time, it seems it might work for an individual for a while anyway.
I decided this morning that once holidays are over (house full of company coming and I've no idea what I'll do til New Year's--probably free sleep like the rest of 'em
), I'll change the experiment......
Since I have gotten an amazing amount out of this whole thing in regards to energy level, focus while awake and actual sleep quality while I'm sleeping, I'm going to keep playing with it and see just what essential elements are most important for this particular individual (that would be me
) at this particular time (that would be now and the near future
). I've identified these elements after the last 30 odd days of experimentation posted mainly on the "post your polyphasic sleep logs here" thread.
-----I've found that planning for
90 minute cycles is real helpful and my sleep physiology quite easily takes to that pattern (e.g., this morning, with a long day and night ahead of me, I decided to add a cycle..so instead of getting up at 3:45am---alarm was set, but I woke up spontaneously at 3:36 to make that decision
)---I decided to get up in one more cycle, at 5:15. Sure enough, I fell back to sleep, awakened very briefly at 4:15 then back to sleep and woke up spot on at 5:15am, ready to go).
-----I've found that sleeping in
two shots per 24hrs allows me great waking time (focus and energy) and great sleeping time (sleep
), with for me, 6 hours per 24, while if I sleep monophasically, I seem to need 7.5 hours. Don't know why, just seems to be that way. I know that I come to feeling sleep deprived after about 4 straight days of only 6 hrs monophasic sleeping and if I cut that into two bites, it's fine.
-----For me, situationally, being able to
get up early with going to bed "normally" is a hoot. I get up at 3:45am much or most of the time (with variances as circumstances change, like now), and going to sleep at 11:15pm seems to work great. It allows me to participate in evening activities with family and friends and to get up early to play and practice music while getting an early start at my "day job"
, all in the same day.
-----Last, I think I've found that I can
engineer the time slots pretty well while at home and while traveling (across two time zones once or twice a month for a week or so at a time), so that even if the times of nap and night sleep change, I can pretty much approximate something similar to my home biphasic sleep pattern and its benefits. That's almost like
budgeting other things--I mainly have to
work out a 1.5hr slot and a 4.5hr slot during each 24 hour period. 1.5 hrs on a plane is superb, almost like a free lunch
.
So, come New Years, I think I will:
---- Aim at that 1.5 plus 4.4 hrs per 24
-----Generally aim at 11:15pm - 3:45 am night sleep and 1.5 hrs nap pretty soon after I get home at 5 or earlier, or later, depending upon the afternoon evening circumstances.
------If, due to circumstances (that's what it generally is), I need to alter those times, then keep to the 1.5 and 4.5 time slots.
-----Log the hours I actually do this and anything relevant about the effects (to see how my "engineering" works, stuff like how close to night can nap be, etc.)
I'll be back to check in but less than before for the next week or so. '
Good luck, all and Happy Holidays!
Ati