Dream
If you are seriously interested in polyphasic sleep, and you are ready to spend several hours reading one of the most detailed reports on this topic, you are here: Polyphase dream. For the rest – this digest.
The essence of polyphasic sleep is that instead of one long sleep per day, we sleep a little, several times during the day. One of the popular polyphasic sleep patterns is the “Uberman Mode”, which offers a breakdown of the day into 6 short (20-30 minutes) sleep periods, alternating with a regular (about 4 hours) wakeful periods. This means that the total sleep time is reduced to 2-3 hours per day.
Normal human sleep consists of 90-minute cycles, and each such cycle ends with a fast sleep phase (REM). REM is the most important phase of sleep, it is during this time that we see dreams, and depriving a person of REM – phase, for a long time leads to serious nervous disorders. During the practice of polyphasic sleep, the body learns to enter the REM immediately after falling asleep, and not at the end of the cycle. Therefore, during the first week, until the body adapts to the shorter cycles of sleep, it will experience an increased load. But then it will feel great, maybe even better than before.
0 day
Probably, readers of my articles “How to become a lark” and “How to learn to wake up on an alarm clock”, they sent me several references to information about polyphasic sleep. Of course, I was interested. The thought of extra 30-40 hours a week for a few days does not give me rest.
Among other things, it’s just a crazy idea. She’s so crazy that I want to try. I am pushed to this step, above all, by curiosity and a desire to test the strength of my self-discipline. In addition, it fits perfectly with my other eccentricities.
I begin my experiment of polyphasic sleep today, so last night was the last “normal” night. Today I, as usual, woke up at 5 am, and I will go to bed every 4 hours. In order not to oversleep, I will put a countdown timer for 30 minutes. I decided that I would go to bed at 1:00, 5:00, 9:00, 13:00, 17:00, 21:00. I intend to hold out, at least until Halloween … or die, depending on what comes first.
1 day
It’s been almost 36 hours since I slept through my last “normal” night. There is fatigue, decreased concentration and drowsiness, but they are not a serious problem. I estimate my working capacity, both mental and physical, about 50% of the norm. Therefore, the main work I was doing today was limited to a selection of articles for later reading and preparation of ingredients for eating. In the morning, after a break at 9:00 I was so cheerful that I recorded the planned podcast. But this is the last serious matter that was in my plans before Halloween. I deliberately suffered all the more or less important things, so now I have some kind of rest. Including, and from a dream:)
I received several letters from people who tried to sleep polyphasically, but none of them went through the adaptation in full (did not last more than a few days), so I take a cautious attitude to their advice
My main strategic task now is to undergo adaptation, in other words, to withstand this regime for several days (about 4-7), until the body is rebuilt. The main tactical task is to find employment for the current 3.5 hours, until the next pause, so as not to focus on fatigue. The publication of these reports also helps to solve this problem.
2 day
The second day was much harder than the previous one. But I’m holding on.
I feel in my mind and in attention, but my brain is too tired to think adequately. The heaviest periods of wakefulness are night (from 1:00 to 5:00). As a class at this time, cooking is well suited, reading on the contrary drives into a nap.
It helps my skill to wake up immediately on an alarm clock and immediately get up, which I already described in my blog. For myself, I decided that if I felt that I was close to falling from fatigue or drowsiness, I could try to introduce some extra 20 minutes of sleep somehow, so as not to spoil the experiment altogether.
There is practically no desire, Apparently the stomach is also reconstructed. From coffee, I immediately decided to refuse. Caffeine, of course, will help for a short period, but most likely prolong the adaptation period. In many reviews there are tips to refuse for the time of adaptation from meat and heavy food, but since I’m already vegan, I stick to my usual menu.
At one point I spent an hour and a half lying on the couch and watching Movement of other family members. I feel like a half-dead zombie.
3 day
It seems that the process of adaptation has moved from a dead center. I began to dream, which indicates the achievement of the REM sleep phase. If yesterday I evaluated my condition on 5 out of 10, today I am ready to put myself 7 points. I am no longer the zombie that was yesterday.
I am definitively inclined to the idea of increasing the number of overpots from 6 to 8 or even 10 for the time of adaptation, while leaving their duration as before. Last night, I arranged for myself two additional 20-minute breaks, and this probably allows me to keep up, get up every time with an alarm bell and continue the experiment. Let me remind you that my goal is not to deprive myself of sleep and rest, but only deprivation of the REM phase, and only until adaptation takes place.
At the moment, since the beginning of the experiment, I slept only 10 hours , Instead of the usual 80.
4 day
It seems that the turning point has been left behind. I feel a clear improvement in my condition. Last night, I added one additional 20-minute transfer at 3:00 am (between 1:00 and 5:00), and as a result, for the first time these days, I feel like I’m getting enough sleep. I am ready to assess my energy and clarity of mind on 8 out of 10.
The appetite began to return. I caught myself thinking that I feel an increased sensitivity to cold. It’s cold to work in a room with the usual temperature (I had to increase it from 20 to 22 degrees) and I’m freezing during a walk in the clothes habitual for this temperature. I hope this is a temporary phenomenon.
In principle, I am already able to function normally and it’s time to think about where to spend the time that was released.
I began to think about the naturalness of our usual monophasic regime. To these thoughts, I’m pushed by my 2-year-old son, who now lives in a mode very reminiscent of mine. It is possible that the monophasic model of sleep is not so natural.
5 day
Many people are interested in my motivation, which prompted me to this experiment. As I expected, many believe that this is a desire to increase one’s own efficiency. This is a good guess, but the real answer is banal curiosity.
It seems to me that people who are thinking of switching to polyphasic sleep, guided by the desire to increase their productivity, are less likely to successfully complete the adaptation period. Increasing productivity in the long run is a bad motivation for most people. If this is your only goal, then it is likely that you will spit and break after a few days of lack of sleep, in the absence of positive results. You will definitely find that exchanging undisturbed sleep for hard work is too much a sacrifice.
And I’m currently planning to brainstorm, which will be looking for ways to spend the night. I want to find a way to reduce or completely defeat night sleepiness, and not just find a way to ignore it.
6 day
Today was definitely the best day since the beginning of the experiment. Right now I can say that I feel exactly the same as it was in monophasic sleep mode (10 on a 10-point scale).
The speed of printing and the motor skills of the hands have almost returned to normal. It’s almost incredible that I’m able to feel as alert, attentive and energetic as usual, giving only 2-3 hours a day to sleep. It is a pity that I did not try polyphasic sleep 10 years ago.
And I also have changed the perception of time. Life ceased to be divided into day and night and turned into a single, continuous stream. At first it is very unusual, but every day I get used to it more and find more pluses in it.
7 day
Today I felt even better than yesterday. From the fog in my head there was no trace. Reflexes work in the same mode. Today, for the first time in the last week, I got behind the wheel of the car and did not feel any discomfort. It’s just amazing, considering that I have not slept more than 20 hours this whole week.
I continue to practice the 7th overdose at 3:00, when I feel most sleepy, but every time I feel less and less need for it. Today I started to set my countdown timer for 25 minutes, instead of 30. It seems to me that this will be better. 30 minutes is too long. I’m waking up to the alarm clock more often.
I’m going to continue the experiment for a week before drawing any conclusions and building long-term plans. I’m fed up with the daily reports, so now I’ll do them less often and only when I have some new, interesting information for you.
11th day
Since my experiment with polyphasic sleep is pretty successful, I decided to complicate my task in the last couple of days. It is interesting to me to better feel the limits of my capabilities.
I made my first trip since the beginning of the polyphase experiment. I did not have the opportunity to stick to my standard sleep schedule (every 4 hours), and I sometimes had to increase the sleep interval to 6+ hours or try to fuck in the car while my wife was driving. Overall, I was amazed at how well this works. I had no problems with sleeping in the car, or with a 6-hour break in my sleep.
Of course, car drowsiness is a half-measure. Of course, I’m able to sleep and sitting, but still lying in bed or on the couch, I rest much better. Nevertheless, it was enough for me to feel great until the next opportunity to sleep.
Now I have learned to fall asleep for 1-2 minutes, every time I go to bed. On average, I go to bed, fall asleep, sleep and dream, wake up and get up in 15 minutes. So it’s not long, even if you leave the company in the middle of a conversation.
In general, I realized that polyphase sleep is a very practical and very flexible tool. I am still impressed with how easily I have adapted to this trip.
18 day
Today is the 18th day of my experiment. Compared to last week, now I am able to conduct more tests, pay attention to the fine tuning of my sleep, and overall I am pleased with my progress.
I came to the conclusion that polyphasic sleep is much more flexible than it seemed to me initially. I completely refused to sleep on schedule. Now I let my body tell me about the need to take a nap, and this arrangement completely suits me. I feel good if I go to bed 6-7 times a day, not always at regular intervals. The intervals between sleeping usually are 5-6 hours in the afternoon and 2-4 hours at night. I freely change the time of sleep day by day. A clear schedule is not necessary.
The 12th day of my experiment was not very successful. I missed one day’s sleep and the breaks between daytime slices of sleep were more than 7 hours. And when I woke up at 22:30 after another dream, I decided not to get up at once, but to lie around a bit … I woke up at 4 am the next day. I could not believe my eyes that I had slept more than 6 hours in a row. Of course, then I went back to my usual polyphasic sleep schedule.
At first I was a little upset by this incident, but now, looking back, I’m even glad that it happened. This case helped me to understand more clearly the boundaries of my capabilities, in particular, that you should not skip one of the slumber.
20 day
On day 18 I experienced a conscious dream. And yesterday, just after midnight, I had another one. This dream was not as bright as the previous one, but I found it an important event, because Almost never experienced conscious dreams for two consecutive nights. If polyphasic sleep increases the frequency of lucid dreaming, then this will be a great bonus for me.
Since my life now does not have pronounced sleep breaks, I experiment with the modes of operation. I found the most suitable for my main job period from 2:00 to 10:00. I like to use this time for a number of reasons. The silence in the house, the general relaxation, the absence of hunger, the absence of phone calls, but most importantly – by 10 am, when homemen wake up, I have already done all the work planned for the day and ready to spend time with my family.
I found the optimal time for work, I’m going to experiment with the routine of the rest, everyday activities. To plan physical exercises, entertainment, reading / education, meditation, family leisure, etc. I had so much extra time that I had to decide what to spend it on.
21 days
The third week of this amazing experiment came to an end. During this time, I noticed the following changes.
In food I am less attracted to any cooked or processed foods. About 70% of my diet now consists of raw fruits, vegetables and nuts, in all their diversity (I recall that I vegan since 1997.)
I resumed my sport and had already recovered after the interruption associated with adaptation.
I state an increase in mindfulness and vigor, in comparison with the monophasic past. It seems to me that I have increased depth, clarity and speed of thought. The process of decision-making has undergone changes. Now I make decisions very quickly, practically without analyzing them. The correct decision goes out without the participation of my verbal system. It’s like an intensified intuition many times.
22 day
One of the most important (and extremely unexpected) events that happened to me during the practice of polyphasic sleep was a change in the perception of the passage of time, during my drowsiness. Now, after waking up, I feel that much more time has passed than the clock shows. Almost every time, waking up, I’m sure (for the physical sensations) that I slept for at least 1-2 hours. My dream is deeper and stronger than ever before. I dream very rich and bright dreams.
I feel that time flows much more slowly than it really is. In combination with the fact that I am awake 21-22 hours a day, the illusion of stretching time in a dream, gives me the feeling that the day is stretched almost twice. Incidentally, I also almost lost the intuitive sense of the day.
For me it turns into a far-off, almost mystical experience. I was well accustomed to the sense of the passage of time, and suddenly this feeling suddenly left me. Time for me has become thick and viscous.
24 day
The feeling that time flows very slowly, which I mentioned in the previous report, continues. I’m amazed at how long this weekend lasted and how much had happened.
To measure the number of days does not seem to me actual. Technically, the day ends and a new one begins when the clock beats midnight. But, since the night sleep that separates our days has remained for me in the past, a string of days has turned for me into a single, continuous time continuum. The specific date or day of the week lost its former importance. Now I assess the course of time from the point of view of the order in which I performed various tasks, working on my projects. Snap to the date or time, for me it’s pointless. Therefore, I can not answer what I did on Wednesday or Thursday, but I can tell you in what order I solved the problems.
External signals such as sunrise, watches showing 12:00 or sleeping to sleep, no longer carry for Me important information. Now I listen more to my internal signals. If I feel tired, then I understand that it’s time for sleep, I take a break to take a nap, and then I return to the interrupted business and continue them from the place where I stopped. As if my internal clock is no longer synchronized with external clock. I observe external signals only as a passive witness.
30 day
Today came the 31st day of my experiment. 30 полных суток, проведенных в режиме полифазного сна, позади.
Прошедшая неделя отличалась своей стабильностью. Период адаптации был довольно сумбурным, но сейчас я чувствую себя максимально комфортно. Я нашел для себя удобный и разумный режим, и он практически не нуждается в дальнейшей настройке. Меня радует ощущение замедленного течения времени и весь набор преимуществ, который дает мой текущий стиль жизни.
Для оценки всего эксперимента в целом, лучше всего подходит фраза «это работает восхитительно». Первая неделя была самой трудной, поскольку происходила физическая настройка, во время второй и третьей недели настраивалась психика. Сейчас я не чувствую ничего, кроме удовольствия.
60 день
Я не могу поверить, что прошло всего 60 дней. По моим ощущениям, прошло не меньше 120 дней.
Да, я по-прежнему сплю полифазно. И да, я по-прежнему жив. Что касается моей вменяемости, то я слышал мнение, что она была утрачена задолго до начала этого эксперимента, поэтому, читать дальше или нет, решайте сами.
Вероятно, самым популярным вопросом, заданным мне за последние 30 дней, был: «Почему у меня получилось адаптироваться к полифазному сну, в то время как многим это не удалось?»
Я смог выделить некоторые отличия, давшие мне преимущество: Гибкость рабочего и жизненного графика, развитая привычка вставать в 5 утра, отсутствие привязанности к кофе, многолетнее веганство, повышенная мотивация в виде тысяч читателей, следящих за ходом эксперимента, прокачанные навыки самодисциплины, привычка чувствовать себя чудаком, богатый опыт в саморазвитии… (Все эти пункты подробно раскрыты в полной версии отчета).
90 день
На 90 день, уже кажется странным называть это экспериментом, поскольку полифазный сон стал частью моей жизни.
Физически и эмоционально я чувствую себя превосходно. Я чрезвычайно счастлив. Это больше походит на физическое ощущение, как будто мой организм стал вырабатывать больше эндорфинов. Иногда меня посещают ужасные мысли о том, что я могу взорваться от переполняющей меня энергии.
Сейчас трудно сказать, буду ли я продолжать спать полифазно всю жизнь, вернусь к монофазному сну, или попробую что-то другое. Я буду придерживаться своего текущего режима, пока у меня не появится веская причина переключиться на что-то другое.
120 день
На этой неделе я попробовал внести некоторые корректировки в свой режим полифазного сна. Я почувствовал, что уже достиг определенной стабильности и могу себе позволить небольшой эксперимент. Я решил, что раз уж я так привык к текущему шаблону дня, то не будет большого риска, если я на пару дней попробую что-то еще. И это оказалось правильным предположением.
Я попробовал: Пропуск сна, пропуск сна с помощью кофе, сон без будильника, 30 минутный сон, 30 минутный сон каждые 6 часов и некоторые другие отклонения от базовой схемы.
Большинство из этих экспериментов не увенчались успехом, однако они дали мне почувствовать границы собственных возможностей. Так или иначе, я вернулся к базовой модели Uberman (6 х 20 мин)
Возвращение к монофазному сну
После примерно 5 ½ месяцев, прожитых в режиме полифазного сна, я решил вернуться обратно к монофазному. Я принял это решение около 10 дней назад, и к текущему моменту уже успел попрощаться с полифазным сном.
Прежде всего, должен отметить, что у меня не было никаких веских причин для этого шага. Я легко мог бы продолжать жить в полифазном режиме и дальше. Как я уже неоднократно отмечал в своих отчетах, я нахожу в полифазном режиме много положительных моментов.
Также, хочу подчеркнуть, что мое решение о прекращении эксперимента не связано со здоровьем. За время жизни в полифазном режиме я ни разу не болел, даже простудой.
Основная причина, по которой я решил возвращаться, в том, что остальной мир вокруг меня, монофазный. Если бы достаточное количество окружающих меня людей жили в полифазном режиме, я, скорее всего, остался бы здесь.
Другой проблемой была необходимость часто отвлекаться на сон, в среднем, раз в 4 часа. Конечно, я мог немного растянуть время между двумя пересыпами, но потом мне требовалось восполнить это время. Учитывая, что я всегда любил работать по 5-6 часов без перерыва, меня это немного раздражает. Мне не нравится дробить все мои работы на 3.5-часовые блоки, и меня сильно напрягает, что дневной сон постоянно вытаскивает меня из состояния потока.
Еще одной проблемой оказались семейные отношения. Как не крути, а супруги должны спать вместе, в одной кровати. Детям же не нравилось, когда во время просмотра фильма, папа просил сделать получасовой антракт и удалялся вздремнуть.
Каждый этот фактор в отдельности довольно незначительный, но вкупе они привели меня к решению вернуться к монофазному сну. В полифазном сне были вещи, который мне очень нравились, но были и такие, которые сильно раздражали. Даже сейчас, когда я снова вернулся к монофазному режиму, я не могу точно сказать, чего было больше. Я также не могу утверждать, что никогда не вернусь к полифазному режиму в будущем, при благоприятном стечении обстоятельств. Сейчас, при моей текущей жизни, я нахожу монофазный режим более удобным для себя. Так что, отныне я снова готов к спячке 🙂
