The Extremes of Sleep are Still Apparently My Bag
Once again — and I'm sure this will deeply shock everyone — I'm waaaay behind on the polyphasic-related email I've been receiving, so if I owe you an email, it's totally my fault…again.
In my own defense, I'm adjusting to a crazy hard job during an utterly crazy time at the company; I have a lot of responsibility and a lot to prove; and I have to move across the country in, like, a month. So add moving and traveling 800 miles every couple weeks to apartment-hunt to 80-hour weeks with nights and weekends and, well, that's me.
Seriously, I have neglected to email my mom more than once. Don't feel shunned. ;)
However, it's fascinating to me that I'm now living the exact pseudo-monophasic modern Western sleep schedule that I've railed about for years. I stay up too late; I get 4-6 hours most nights; sometimes 7; some weekend day if I can I'll sleep 9 or 10 and feel groggy but oddly refreshed afterwards. I'm exquisitely dependent on a good dose of daily caffeine; I'm starting to have to fight gravitating towards energy drinks.
I *am* that professional nerd. And I am the worst sleeper ever; and for the moment, I really can't avoid it.
The only reason this isn't upsetting in the extreme is that I've determined, for sure, that my job will be cool about letting me get a nap in. There's still the commute and other details to iron out, but that's promising enough that I'm willing to use it as an excuse to not panic. I may just be too busy, and too out-and-about-with-no-car, to pull off Uberman; I've accepted that. But Everyman 3 — one of the great loves of my life — looks very darn likely again in the near future.
THANK. GOODNESS. I hate sleeping and I hate being tired, and I've been doing more of both the last few months than I ever did while I was polyphasic. Ew ew ew. …Still, it is a heck of an experiential opportunity, to try the typical, horrible (I-M-increasingly-justified-O) sleep schedule that the typical overworked slob in my socioeconomic arena keeps…I suspect I'll be glad to have learned this, later on.
Before I go, I want to say thank you to everyone who's been emailing me — there have been quite a lot lately! — I do enjoy your stories, questions and comments, even when I can't get back to you promptly. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill me in.
PD
4 comments
Say no to energy drinks! Avoid that canned speed! Here's hoping your schedule normalizes before your adrenals burn up. ;-)
Hi PD,
I first read about your Uberman schedule back in October of 09, but only recently decided to try it. Today is Tuesday and I started last Thursday, but the way I am doing it is different. I stayed up for 3 days straight. No naps, just coffee and my mind. I am trying to get onto a regular schedule now, but the sleep deprivation symptoms make this hard. Sometimes I lay down for a nap and just lay there wishing I could fall asleep. Sometimes I sleep through my alarm, but then have someone wake me up. My friends and family know what I am doing so I have people watching out for me. Any advice?
Well yes, the sleep deprivation symptoms do make it hard; a lot has to be done to compensate for that — lists of things to do, lots of extra alarms, etc. Tons of things, many of which are described here or elsewhere nearby. ;) It’s normal not to be able to sleep for some naps while you’re sleep-deprived; and IMO you may have made it worse by staying up for three days first: that sleep-deprives you without having the benefit of starting to train your body to nap regularly. (That’s just my opinion; others think that sleep-depriving yourself extra up-front helps.) Either way, the only way through it is to get on a regular schedule (polyphasic or otherwise) that gets you the rest you need. Best of luck!!
HEAR HEAR. Also, my pee was unnaturally yellow for two days. ;)