Well to start of, I was browsing the internet some time ago and I came across something known as Polyphasic Sleep.
What is Polyphasic Sleep?
Basically it is a way of sleeping that gets you straight into the REM phase, skipping all other phases. It involves taking 20-30 minute naps during the day so that your sleep only consists of REM. You can find more information on it as well as a visual representation to give you the right idea about what I’m talking about here.
It takes quite some time to get used to the sleeping schedules, I can guess that it varies depending on the amount of naps that you take. The whole idea of Polyphasic sleep got me thinking, what would it be like to WILD whilst on one of those sleep schedules with your body fully adjusted to the changes. I can imagine that you would get plenty of LD by using WILD because it would be so much easier.
Do you think it might have some health risks? I mean the other sleep stages are seemingly useless, but you never know for sure how it can affect you in the long run.
I apologise in advance for any mistakes that are in this thread, but it is kind of late and I’m too tired to go over it and fix it. I’m going to sleep, hope I get a LD
It would be worth a try if you have enough time on your hands to allow the naps and to adjust to the polyphasic sleeping pattern. There don’t seem to be any real scientific worries about this pattern, but I am a bit sceptical: Why do we have the other sleep stages if we only need REM? Maybe this topic would be interesting for you to read.
Thats pretty much what I was thinking, what is the point of the other sleep stages if we only need REM. That is why im concerned that there may be long term health risks if those stages are skipped, that is why I won’t attempt the Uberman
I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but notice several glaring errors in the article written by the guy that discusses the methods of polyphasic sleep. While true that sleep stages were discovered in 1937, rem wasn’t known as distinct until 1953. The author then states that REM sleep is the only important stage, which is completely incorrect. The leading hypothesis for rem is memory compression, and the mind deciding to keep or “throw out” memories it believes to be important or trivial. Stage 3 deep sleep is biologicaly focused on restorative functions. People with a lack of sleep have been proven to heal exterior wounds more slowly, produce less growth hormone in adolescent years, and are at an almost double risk for cardiac disease. Personally, I think the guys article was poorly researched. I also believe it would be unhealthy for a person on a regular circadian clock to alter sleep patterns so dramatically. In order to actually get the restorative qualities of sleep, halfway through total sleep you need to have peek melatonin concentration and minimum core body temperature, or else sleep is literally unproductive. In short, going into a polyphasic schedule would probably feel like hell. As evidence, your only going to go straight to rem, even in a nap, if your purely and utterly exhausted.
Edit: does anyone else think polyphasic sleep is an ironic name? The desired goal is to have only the rem phase, but the name means “many phases”
I agree with myechta. REM alone is not sufficient for a healthy life. Stage 2 and 3 are pretty vital for restoration and regeneration of the body. If I remember right, some biologists have done experiments with mice, who died after not getting sleep for 2 weeks. Sleep is therefore vital. And, since REM does not provide regeneration (only memory sorting and some relaxation) you would get serious health issues if you would start practising this sleep schedule for a prolonged time period.
