6.02.2007

List: Things I Could Do If I Slept Polyphasically

So I’ve been all psyched up about polyphasic sleeping (Oh, and don’t be mistaken: this is not an invitation to tell me how awful or dangerous or stupid an idea it is. Thanks in advance). I may try the biphasic thing first, but in either case I would be awake for a significant period at night. Biphasic I would sleep probably 5:30-7:00 am and pm. This seems to be easiest. Polyphasic would be a half hour nap at 6:30 and 12:30 am and pm, and that’s a little more difficult to deal with, but would probably be better. Again, either way, I’d be up a great deal of the night, and the idea of basically creating free time between 1 and 6 am is so appealing I can hardly stand it. Therefore:

List: Things I Could Do If I Slept Polyphasically (that is, things I could accomplish at night and take out of my daily routine, thus freeing up time during the daylight hours):

  1. Study Chinese like a maniac
  2. Laundry
  3. Run/Work out
  4. Study for meetings, etc. (English and Chinese)
  5. Clean
  6. Write
  7. (I’d even mow the lawn if I didn’t think the neighbors would set my house afire)
  8. Catch up on emails (and other necessary correspondences)
  9. Wii
  10. Finishing my Italian and Turkish language programs (now moving into non-necessary items, those “hey I’d do this if I had more time” type things)
  11. Start sketching again (blah)
  12. Read more recreational books
  13. Brush up on Russian
  14. Find more stuff to do with my time

So, what it boils down to is this: since I’ll probably become biphasic if anything, since it’s a little hard to ask my peers to let me sleep for a half hour in the middle of the day or right when evening service starts. So say I sleep like I said above: two 90 min naps every 12 hours. That means I’m sleeping 21 hours a week. People, that means (Depending on your current sleep habits) you’re gaining at least 21 hours a week (assuming you only sleep six hours a night; I’m closer to seven, so in my case it’d be 28 hours). Think of what you could do with an extra 28 hours a week, or an extra four hours each day.

Also, the simple idea is this (for those of you that won’t read the above link. Check out the other links at the bottom of that article. Steve Pavlina’s blog is excellent): if you use a cell phone for a three hour phone call, you’re bordering on the entire life of the battery, meaning you’ll have to charge it longer before it’s fully ready to go. OR, you can charge it every 45 mins or something, meaning it’s ready to go much quicker. Same is true with us: the longer we’re awake, the longer the brain takes to repair, reboot, defrag, organize and rest. If we sleep at more frequent intervals, we don’t need to hibernate before reaching REM sleep and getting the same healthy benefits of slumber. (Again, this is not a request for calling up the relative insanity of this idea. I know… I’m gonna do it.) Also check out Randy Gardner… wiki him or something.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm.. interesting. I wonder if my boss would let me take naps mid-day????

Anonymous said...

what got you thinking about polyphasic sleeping?
and look--HERE is a comment! hehe...and as far as 'themes'--don't feel obligated to have a 'theme' for a blog--that's the whole point! by the way, this post-nica guy and his wife is moving to Arizona in July...take care--J.

Horse N. Buggy said...

This is a really awful, dangerous, stupid idea.

Affable Olive said...

Haha! I just wanna know if it works cuz I'm tempted to try it, at least till I finish my schooling. Four extra hours. That's a whole extra lesson a day in school. The potential!!

Mr. Linty said...

I'm down to 6 a night and I feel much better than 8, but for different reasons than those behind polyphasing.

I'm hoping to start the polyphasic around mid-summer. Kind of nice, too, since the nights are much cooler than the days.