PolyPhasic Sleep - Gradual Adjustment Method

So after my last attempt to adjust to the Dymaxion sleep cycle last year, I’ve decided to try again. This time, however, I have more available time, and I’m going to be trying a different method for adjustment.

Last time I jumped straight into the cycle because I had to be on a strict schedule due to college. This time, however, I have approximately two months before I’ll be on any kind of schedule other than my own so I’m going to try a slightly different method.

Yea, I should’ve started at the beginning of the Summer when I had more time. :tongue: Honestly, though, I wasn’t sure if I would be attempting PPS again, but something I read made me want to try it once more.

So I got to thinking about why it was so difficult to get acclimated before and I came up with the following: When one switches to a PolyPhasic Sleep cycle one is presented with two unique obstacles. The most obvious is sleep deprivation. When you start sleeping less it takes longer for the body to get used to lack of REM, and begin to adapt by increasing the amount of time you spend in REM sleep.

The other is less thought of, but it is equally taxing on a monophasic body: sleep segmentation. Going to sleep and waking up so many times a day for a body that is used to doing so just once each is confusing… initially. Both of these afflictions have their initial drawbacks, and should be equally considered.

I think I have found a solution that will make the transition less stressful on a person. It involves treating the issues using a gradual approach. A person will gradually alter his or her sleep pattern until he or she reaches the desired PPS variant.

Allow me to give an example. Obviously the Gradual Adjustment would be different for each variant, and given I will be aiming for the Dymaxion cycle once more I shall demonstrate a gradual approach to that variant.

First in words. The gradual adjustment will take place over the course of six weeks with the sixth week having the sleeper sleeping polyphasically at the final stage. The first three weeks involve acclimating the body to sleep segmentation. Segmentation is resolved first as the PolyPhasic cycles only work if the sleep is evenly distributed. The final three weeks finish the gradual adjustment of the sleeper by reducing the number of hours slept.

Week one is a biphasic week. The sleeper will sleep for eight hours, per normal, however he or she will sleep twice a day. It is important to have the hours equally spaced in order to ensure balance. This stipulation is required for all steps of the Gradual Adjustment process, not just the first or last.

Week two is triphasic. The sleeper will sleep for nine hours total with three sleep cycles. As you can see here, the sleeper will actually gain an hour of sleep assuming he or she slept for eight hours normally.

Week three follows the pattern and the sleeper will sleep for eight hours total with four sleep cycles. After this week sleeping multiple times a day should be easy for the sleeper. The sleeper will maintain four equally spaced sleep cycles for the duration of his or her PolyPhasic Sleeping style.

Week four. This is where it begins to get tough. The sleeper will reduce each of the cycles by thirty minutes and sleep only for an hour and a half, four times a day totaling six hours.

Week five. Once more the sleeper makes a reduction in sleeping time. Now he or she sleeps for only an hour, four times a day totaling four hours.

Week six. Finally the sleeper makes the final reduction and sleeps four times a day, thirty minutes at a time totaling two hours. This is the Dymaxion sleep cycle.

It is theorized that by this method it will be easier for a sleeper to acclimate to a PPS cycle than by changing immediately over. Obviously it has the drawback of taking place over the course of six weeks. This means that one needs a large period of time in which his or her schedule will be extremely flexible.

I will be testing this Gradual Adjustment cycle beginning yesterday. :razz: I will continue to post updates below regarding my progress with it, and would love to hear what others have to say about the idea.

Once more, as a recap:

Gradual Adjustment - Dymaxion Variant
Week ~[/color] Cycles [color=#e4ecee]~ Cycle Length
~ 1 [/color] 2 [color=#e4ecee] 4 Hours
~ 2 [/color] 3 [color=#e4ecee] 3 Hours
~ 3 [/color] 4 [color=#e4ecee] 2 Hours
~ 4 [/color] 4 [color=#e4ecee]~ 1.5 Hours
~ 5 [color=#e4ecee]~~~~~~~~[/color] 4 [/color] 1 Hour
~ 6 [color=#e4ecee]
4 [color=#e4ecee]~~~~~~~~~[/color] .5 Hours

Updates:

  1. Surprise Sleep Deprivation
  2. Something Strange is Happening

UPDATE ONE: Surprise Sleep Deprivation

Well the past couple days I’ve been feeling the effects of sleep deprivation. Turns out just cause you’re still sleeping eight hours a day that four hour cycle will leave you waking up very sleepy sometimes. Failed to see that coming. :ack:

A nice hot shower and a bite have been able to kick this in the butt. I recall, though, from previous experience that it was much, much worse when switching directly to the demanding Dymaxion cycle.

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UPDATE TWO: Something Strange is Happening

Or at least it was… I had to get up thirty minutes earlier than normal (for the current week) so that may have messed with my cycles… :grrr: I haven’t recalled a dream since… :sad:

Anyways, what WAS happening was I was starting to have HI very frequently as well as I even succeeded in a WILD. :happy: That happened, just like the sleep deprivation, far sooner than I expected it to.

Hopefully, I’ll re-sync everything up and start having more DR again… but I may get further out of sync today. I really hope I don’t.

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FINAL UPDATE: End of Attempt Number 2

Well, I’m not sure what happened. I was doing great, but today while trying to take my nap I had a terrible feeling that said to stop. It was probably just my mind messing with me, but I’ve decided that I’m going to stop my second attempt at PPS for now.

I don’t know when I’ll return to try again, but I feel I’ve made a lot of progress this time about. One thing I know for sure is that a whole week for each gradual cycle is too much. About five days, and maybe less would be more appropriate. It’s also possible that the exact amount of time might be variable for everyone.

Anyways, I’m stopping for now and returning to Monophasic.

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