Introduction to the Project

     The polyphasic sleep cycle is an alternative sleep cycle to the monophasic sleep cycle which most everyone follows.  A monophasic sleep cycle consists of 6-8 hours of sleep with 16-18 uninterrupted hours of wakefulness.   However, it has been proven through scientific study that as the waking hours go by, cognitive functioning declines; this is experienced by most people as the "afternoon slump".  To avoid this, we can take a 15-90 minute siesta nap to rejuvenate the mind and body; 4-6 hours of sleep and a nap constitutes the Biphasic sleep cycle.

     Though there are different forms of the polyphasic sleep cycle, they all consist of 3 or more periods of sleep throughout the day.  The most sensationalized of these is the Uberman Cycle in which it is said that by taking six 20-30-minute naps every four hours a person can reduce his/her time spent sleeping to 2-3 hours per day.  Calculated out, this would mean a gain of 10 extra waking years over the course of a lifetime!  Unfortunately it hasn't seemed to work out for anyone long-term.

     Through my research I have found that this is most likely because such short periods of sleep don't allow for the type of deep sleep needed to feel well-rested; obviously this indicates an unhealthy lack of sleep.  WebMD states that, "During the deep stages of NREM sleep, the body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bone and muscle, and appears to strengthen the immune system."  So clearly it's necessary to get to those deeper stages of NREM sleep to stay healthy.

     According to the article Can You Cheat Sleep?, "Human sleep comes in 90-minute cycles, comprising approximately 65 minutes of non-REM sleep, 20 minutes of REM, and another five minutes of a transitional non-REM. Most of us get four or five cycles each night. REM sleep is considered the most restful, and studies show that disruption of REM as opposed to the other cycles causes the worse sleep deprivation."

 WebMD can elaborate further:
"The period of NREM sleep is made up of stages 1-4. Each stage can last from 5 to 15 minutes. A completed cycle of sleep consists of a progression from stages 1-4 before REM sleep is attained, then the cycle starts over again.

• Stage 1: Polysomnography (sleep readings) shows a reduction in activity between wakefulness and stage 1 sleep. The eyes are closed during Stage 1 sleep. One can be awakened without difficulty, however, if aroused from this stage of sleep, a person may feel as if he or she has not slept. Stage 1 may last for five to 10 minutes. Many may notice the feeling of falling during this stage of sleep, which may cause a sudden muscle contraction (called hypnic myoclonia).
• Stage 2: This is a period of light sleep during which polysomnographic readings show intermittent peaks and valleys, or positive and negative waves. These waves indicate spontaneous periods of muscle tone mixed with periods of muscle relaxation. The heart rate slows and the body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter deep sleep.
• Stages 3 and 4: These are deep sleep stages, with stage 4 being more intense than Stage 3. These stages are known as slow-wave, or delta, sleep. If aroused from sleep during these stages, a person may feel disoriented for a few minutes."

     Following that train of logic, why shouldn't we be able to break those 4-5 cycles per night into 4-5 cycles spread throughout the day?  My thoughts are that as long as I allow myself 90 minutes to reach the necessary levels of sleep, I should be able to make the polyphasic cycle work for me.  My ultimate goal is to cut my sleep time down from 7-9 hours to a mere 4.5 hours by sleeping for three 90-minute portions.  If I can manage to feel rested after less time than 90 minutes (which seems possible according to the WebMD information) I can adjust the schedule to four 60-minute portions, leaving me with a total of only 4 hours a day.  I may be able to reduce that further, but I'm more concerned with staying healthy than sqeezing that extra 2 hours in.

     Because there are multiple ways of approaching this, I want to get a baseline reading for how my body works.  I have always had trouble sleeping, and without medication I wake up during the night and cannot fall asleep again. This makes me wonder if I shouldn't be forcing my body to sleep all night, and that maybe an alternative sleep cycle is the answer to my problems.  To determine my baseline I am going to start by going a week sleeping when I'm tired and getting up when I wake up (instead of forcing myself back to sleep).  This should give me some insight as to how to best approach changing my sleep cycle naturally.

Sources:
http://www.highexistence.com/alternate-sleep-cycles/  (the original inspiration)
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/aging-and-sleep
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/sleep-101
http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm