What works for me? (Did you ask?)
The efficacy of Everyman has yet to be fully proven, but I am getting closer to an accurate picture of just how few people Uberman is really a rational option for.
I don’t think I’ll be adopting full Uberman anytime soon (reasons below), but I am back up to speed with my former schedule, which is something of a relief. (I think I’ve also managed to cut my core time from 3 hours to between 1 and 2, but I should keep it up a few more days to be sure.)
The accumulating sleep-debt, if it is a fact and not just a fluke, I will handle with a weekly sleep-in, which theoretically ought to be a painless fix and also provide something of the escapist comfort which is part of what I happen to need from sleep at this point in my life. Doing these experiments is teaching me a lot, not just about what I can and can’t do, but about what I *want* to do and why — what constitutes a “schedule that works for me”, in other words. Turns out it’s tempting for *everyone* to sleep less, but it’s not always a worthwhile trade-off, depending on one’s feelings, circumstances and priorities.
Based on that, I’ve made additions to my list of things to consider in determining what kind of sleep-schedule really works, because I didn’t think about these things when I started this series of experiments, and they’ve turned out to contain vital parts of the answer:
- Do I like to sleep?
- Do I use my sleep time to emotionally regenerate or reset?
- Do I have access to constant physical and/or social activity?
- Do I use extra sleep to reward myself?
…Many of my answers to these questions are different than they were six years ago, and ironically I have Uberman to thank for it. When I started Uberman I had a very warped schedule and lots of sleeping problems, as a result of which I hated sleep, gained nothing from it really, and considered having to do it a punishment. Uberman fixed my schedule problems with a whip and chair, and in the intervening years I’ve come to like sleep, and to rely on it occasionally as “reset time”. I also don’t have the same constant stream of activity going on around me as I did then.
I wouldn’t consider the answers to these supplementary questions the ultimate determiners of one’s ideal sleep-schedule, but they definitely should be taken into consideration. Uberman is an extreme sleeping schedule and is probably going to solve the problems and meet the needs of a very small part of the population … which is another reason that researching Everyman has proved to be such a vital piece of the puzzle.
Well, naptime again…I do love being up late at night, and being the 5 a.m. early-bird too. ;)
-PD
17 devoted students of Roshi accepted this page in 0.283 seconds without moving, or saying a word.
Hi,
Really great to read about your articles on polyphasic sleep. good work, congrats !!
I remember havin read in many places that the brain has “deep sleep cycles of about 45 minutes”. In such a case, wouldnt it be a nice idea to have a polyphasic routine with a 45 minute sleep time every 6 hours or so ???
No, i am No authority on anything, am a tinkerer and a college senior.
Would like ur feeds on above b4 starting a Uberman schedule
Regards and respects for d wrk u do !!
Arun.
Hey Arun — great name, by the way — is that pronounced like the American “Aaron”?
I’ve never known anybody to use a 45-minute nap successfully, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. In fact, I think there’s somebody in the Google Polyphasic Group also contemplating it. If you try it, be sure to let us know how it goes!
Thanks for your comments!
-PD
Hey Puredoxyk!
I was also interested if you heard about success storys with people who did a 4x 30min schedule? I’ve failed the normal uberman twice due to oversleeping discouraging, but this was before i found all your writeups..i only knew about the kushin5 article :)
now I know some people made it!
hmm, as I could not find success storys from people doing 4x 30min..i’m not sure if I won’t try the normal one..I really really want to make it this time! and only have 12 more days to sort of ajust..
really apreciate a reply from the uberman-man :)
Hmm, well, I hate to disappoint you, but no, among all the stories I’ve heard, there isn’t one where 4 x 30 worked out. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but here’s why I think it’s unlikely:
Uberman is not about “getting two hours’ sleep per day”. It’s about getting a rejuvenating nap every four hours. For some, that nap is 30 minutes; for others, it’s 15 or even less; 20 is the “norm” and so I/we tell people to start there and don’t mess with it until you’re adjusted. But if you’re sleeping on just naps, then four hours is how often you need them — that’s pretty much set in stone, inasfar as I’ve never seen anyone make it work otherwise.
The length of the nap, in other words, doesn’t make the time you can go between naps longer. If you want to go longer between naps, you’ll need to add a core-nap (like I eventually did, because I couldn’t get naps every four hours due to work/kid). Adding a 90-minute core nap seems to make going five hours between naps (average; I’ve seen people keep some naps at four and move the distance between two of them to six, and as far as I know that was sustainable) possible. A three-hour core, which is what I get, lets me go six hours between naps comfortably. You also gain some flexibility from the core nap to move your naps around (in my case, by as much as an hour) if you need to.
FYI though, even adding a core-nap doesn’t make not-oversleeping any easier at first. That takes preparation, routine, and discipline, but once you get it down, it’s really easy to maintain (IMO).
Best o’ luck!
PD
I’m considering trying two two hour core naps… 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm. This schedule seems like it would work well since it doesn’t really mess with normal working hours.
Do you know anyone who has tried this?
Thanks… your site is awesome. Lots of great info.