Questions about biphasic sleep

[allspiritseve]

Ok, so I've been trying biphasic sleep for the last two weeks. I have a few questions that I hope people might have answers to.

1. I tend to take a while to fall asleep, maybe half an hour after I lay down. Should I be taking this into account when planning for a 6 hour sleep cycle? (i.e. setting my alarm for 6.5 hours instead of 6).

2. For the past few years I have been sleeping around 8 hours a night. I wanted to try a biphasic sleep pattern, so I've been aiming for 7.5 hours (6 hours at night plus 1.5 hour nap). I've heard that biphasic sleepers need less sleep, but I can't get myself to 4.5 hours a night. Will it be easier to switch to 4.5 + 1.5 after I've been doing 6 + 1.5 for a while? Or should I just force myself to do 4.5 + 1.5 from the start, and wait til my body gets used to it?

3. I tend to feel very lethargic after a 1.5 hour nap. Despite this, if I take it too late (7-8pm) I have trouble falling asleep at night.

4. What should I do if I don't have time for a nap during the day? Should I increase my sleep to 7.5 hours during the night, or just keep the regular schedule and try to fit it in the next day?

I realize some of these questions may not have good answers, but I figure I'd ask them anyways.

[firenexx]

How long is the gap between your 6 and 1.5? In what order are they?

[allspiritseve]

I've generally been taking a 1.5 hour nap between 12 and 3pm, and going to bed at 1am, so maybe 9-12 hours or so? I've napped a couple of times around 7 or 8pm, but felt too tired after those to get any studying done so I've been trying to nap earlier.

[faithsdaddy]

Originally Posted by allspiritseve

Ok, so I've been trying biphasic sleep for the last two weeks. I have a few questions that I hope people might have answers to.

1. I tend to take a while to fall asleep, maybe half an hour after I lay down. Should I be taking this into account when planning for a 6 hour sleep cycle? (i.e. setting my alarm for 6.5 hours instead of 6).

You would want to fix the delay. If you go to bed only when you're tired, it should make it easier to fall asleep quickly. In my experience of sleep reduction strategies, tiredness comes over me quicker and I fall asleep almost straight away. I wouldn't allow for falling asleep time.

2. For the past few years I have been sleeping around 8 hours a night. I wanted to try a biphasic sleep pattern, so I've been aiming for 7.5 hours (6 hours at night plus 1.5 hour nap). I've heard that biphasic sleepers need less sleep, but I can't get myself to 4.5 hours a night. Will it be easier to switch to 4.5 + 1.5 after I've been doing 6 + 1.5 for a while? Or should I just force myself to do 4.5 + 1.5 from the start, and wait til my body gets used to it?

Start with the pattern you want to actually do.

3. I tend to feel very lethargic after a 1.5 hour nap. Despite this, if I take it too late (7-8pm) I have trouble falling asleep at night.

From what you said earlier, you may be sleeping more than 90 minutes, without realising it. I would take the nap about half way-ish through the day. I wouldn't take it as late as you are, unless you don't go to bed until 4am or something.

4. What should I do if I don't have time for a nap during the day? Should I increase my sleep to 7.5 hours during the night, or just keep the regular schedule and try to fit it in the next day?

If you go for the 4.5 hour night sleep, you won't get away with dropping your nap until you have adapted. You'll never really adapt properly. In fact, if you can't get the 90 minute nap almost every day, then it won't work out. If this is the case, you may fare better with another way, such as fixing your waking time and inching your going to bed time later by 15 minutes per week.

I realize some of these questions may not have good answers, but I figure I'd ask them anyways.