Most of us think that there is only one way to sleep: We go to bed at night for an interval of 6 to 8 hours, then we get up and stay awake for about 16 hours. When night comes we repeat the process again. This cycle is called "single phase sleep" and it is only 1 of the 5 sleep cycles that have been practiced throughout history by humans. The other 4 ways of sleeping are called "polyphasic cycles" due to the multiple times you have to take a nap throughout the day.
You will wonder how all this is possible and if it is really good for your health. The science behind the theory explains that the most important thing in each cycle is the REM sleep phase. Roughly stated, it is in this phase where our brain really rests and recovers.
If we are governed by a single-phase cycle (as is my case and probably yours) it takes 45 to 75 minutes each night to reach the REM phase. However, if we switch to a polyphasic sleep cycle, our body you will enter the REM phase immediately without having to wait those 45-75 minutes that you mentioned before.
As a consequence, our brain manages to rest and recover for practically 100% of the time it remains asleep. Below I will try to explain each of the 4 known polyphasic forms of sleep:
It consists of small naps of 20-30 minutes every 4 hours. In total there are 6 naps a day with a total count of daily sleeping time of 2 to 3 hours.
People who practice this cycle maintain that it is one of the most efficient. Provides a high level of energy upon waking and also favors the appearance of lucid dreams. In return, it has a very strict schedule that, in case of not complying with it, will make us feel terribly tired and low on energy..
The first time I was aware of this cycle was reading Steve Pavlina. This blogger was practicing the Uberman cycle for 5 months. During all that time, he narrated all his experiences daily on his blog. He finally made the decision to return to monophasic sleep for the sole reason of coinciding with the cycle of his wife and children..
If you have no problems with English and are curious about Pavlina's experience, you can read her articles on polyphasic sleep on her blog..
It consists of a long nap accompanied by 3 short naps throughout the day. There can be two variations:
A) 1 long nap of 3 hours + 3 short naps of 20 minutes - Daily sleep time: 4 hours
B) 1 long nap of 1.5 hours + 4/5 short naps of 20 minutes - Daily sleep time: 3-4 hours
The Everyman cycle is easier to program than the Uberman cycle since it provides greater flexibility in the times of our naps and also allows us to "skip" a nap when it is impossible for us to take it..
It consists of 30 minute naps every 6 hours. It is the most extreme cycle of all since it only provides 2 hours of sleep a day.
This cycle is the easiest to understand. It is simply a matter of sleeping 4-5 hours at night and then napping after eating for 1.5-2 hours to recover from the lack of nighttime sleep.. Many of us, especially during exam time, unconsciously practice the biphasic cycle.
No one will miss that with the working hours we have it is almost impossible to practice polyphasic cycles. Most of the testimonials I've read come from self-employed, retirees, or freelancers. If you also have family charges, things get complicated. People who practice polyphasic cycles seek to have more hours a day to perform the tasks at hand and be more productive. I have to admit that I am somewhat curious about practicing any of these cycles but so far it has been impossible for me.
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