#13 Polyphasic Sleep - Does it Work? Can you really Hack Sleep?

Can you improve productivity by adopting a polyphasic sleep schedule?
It's a tempting idea. All over the internet you'll find recommendations for alternative recipes for sleep... the Uberman, Everyman, Dymaxion.. Short doses of sleep were allegedly good enough for Leonardo de Vinci, so how about for the rest of us?
Here I talk about the rationale for polyphasic sleep, and what the latest (2021) research says about its impacts. This is particularly relevant for me, since I'm embarking on a rowing adventure this summer which will involve embracing a polyphasic sleep/row schedule... I talk about how to cope with this sort of challenge.
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My name is Dr Sophie Bostock and I'm a scientist turned Sleep Evangelist. My goal is to help individuals, teams and organisations to improve their happiness and performance by understanding how to make the most of their sleep.
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[@kurtcleary6794]

Night shifts have little in common with polyphasic sleeping. Polyphasic proponents say that their core sleep i.e a large chuck of three or four and a half hours, needs to be at night.

[@dream_weaver6207]

This is the first video I watched about this topic that isn't just anecdotal evidence or "science doesn't know yet"

[@Cloppa2000]

So what about a slightly shorter sleep and a siesta?
If we need 8hrs sleep a night, would we need 6hrs and a 2hr nap or does any research suggest we could need less at say 6hrs and a 1hr nap?

[@FreddyAtton]

I suspect that monophasic sleep pattern is a relatively NEW sleep pattern for humans.
Why is a bi-Phasic sleep pattern more natural for a hunter-gatherer (pre-agriculture) society (i.e. tribe)?
- Because they didn't have 4 things:
1) light bulbs
2) clocks (they didn't even have the word "hour")
3) houses to protect from predators
4) beds to sleep in
"Why did we stop sleeping that way?"
- Because now we have:
1) light bulbs
2) clocks (and the word "hour")
3) houses
4) beds, blankets and pillows
Also, primitive tribes didn't need as much sleep because they didn't consume poison every day (sugar & salt / processed food). They also didn't eat meat every day (which requires more sleep time).
Also, primitive tribes didn't need as much sleep because they didn't eat 3 to 6 times per day - because they didn't have:
a) refrigerators
b) restaurants
c) grocery stores
The proper way to study natural human sleep patterns is to observe primitive tribes that still exist today.

[@snm8183]

yea and the average life span of human in the past used to be 45; they also had a lower IQ than humans in modern day. What you said might be correct and I wonder if peeing on the street would help our urinary system cause apparently those hunter gathers didnt have a place called toilet.

[@remioz9111]

Le risque avec le sommeil polyphasique c'est d'être en plein décalage horaire, comme en jet lag

[@mindlessperson2982]

I see you are good sport, so I figured a response would just yield benefits.

[@brocknspectre1221]

I’ve been doing the Every Man 2 cycle for over two years. I feel generally healthy, athletic, energetic and focused. Am I an exception?

[@mindlessperson2982]

Nope

[@mohammadrezakamyab821]

Was that easy to do ?

[@mindlessperson2982]

@@mohammadrezakamyab821
Yeah you should just get through the first month or so which isn't critical but more difficult than it may seem

[@mohammadrezakamyab821]

@@mindlessperson2982 i really wanna use polyphasic sleep for about a year, I know that you are not good person to ask! But if you've tried it can you help me ?

[@mindlessperson2982]

@@mohammadrezakamyab821
Yep look up everyman 2. The first source that pops up should be good

[@Manuelslayor]

Cicadian rythsm are not the same in everyone. Ever wondered why there are nightowls? They have a different type of rhythm. It was evolutionary beneficial for some to be naturally awake at night. They are also on average smarter than their daybird countparts.........maybe the night where you can't see needed them to relay more on their smarts. Anyways the point is that most people who sleep in polyphasic sleep are nightowls. It might in fact not be beter than sleeping once for a long time after you rhythm but those people are forced by society to sleep outside of theyre rhythm anyways. So polyphasic might joust be beter for them.
Im not saying its imposible to work for daybirds but all the people i know it works for are nightowls. I personally can not sleep more than 5-6h because then i will feel like not having slept at all. During the day im constantly tired and nearly falling asleep but in the end im unable to properly sleep at night. My cognitiv abilities will be limited severly and reaction times can reach seconds If i sleep more than 8h. To a point where i walk in to things. I see it, i know i will walk in to it but the brain joust does not send the signal to stop. Like im a joust a passenger in my own body. It can create a cycle which can make me sleep for 16 - 18h a day. I sleep to much so im tired. I sleep some more and get even more tired......and the cycle goes on.
Im now doing polyphasic sleep for around 8 years. Never started intentionally i joust wanted more free time and the only thing i could cut on my schedule was sleep. Though im not that consistent anymore as i know have a physically demanding job and often sleep 6 instead of the usual 3-4 i did before. When i have holidays where im joust at home i don't do polyphasic sleep and my sleep patern slowly shifts to sleeping at 04:00 and waking at 11:00 to 12:00 it allways hapens....this is my natural rhythm its way beter than polyphasic and i dont feel tired if i sleep longer than 6h but outside of holidays i wake up at 05:00 because im not a fan of starving and need to go to work. And polyphasic joust works beter in that case

[@syltmackaalexandus4998]

I wanna do the uberman sleep schedule bc need more time to study

[@dzigizord6567]

there areexactly 0 people who succeeded following uberman

[@Ksteel_Made_It]

@@dzigizord6567not true

[@Ksteel_Made_It]

@@dzigizord6567Leonardo Da Vinci

[@Subfightr]

2 hrs of rowing and 2 hrs of eating poop .. no thanks

[@Cloppa2000]

Oh man.. I read this b4 watching and thought wtf is this gonna be about! 🤣🤣

[@Subfightr]

@@Cloppa2000 lmao I have no idea what I was talking about, but now it makes me want to rewatch the video lol

[@Cloppa2000]

@@Subfightr 🤣

[@user-bp8hd9xj8k]

awesome video!

[@fanoroughdiamond]

U😊