You are probably already familiar with the usual form of sleep schedules. Most proponents recognize the monophasic sleep cycle in which you get a deep sleep once per 24-hour period for about 7 to 9 hours of the night. For those who sleep at night and throw in a 30 to 90-minute power nap in the course of the day subscribe to the biphasic sleep pattern.
The third type of sleep involves sleeping several times in a single 24-hour period. Known as a polyphasic sleep schedule, it comes in two variants: the Uberman sleep schedule and the Everyman sleep schedule. A 20th-century psychologist, SJ Szymanski, coined the term while studying the fluctuations in human daily activities and behavior.
Uberman sleep consists of a series of 20-minute naps throughout the day or a total of 2 hours of sleep. Everyman, on the other hand, involves napping for three and a half hours, followed by three 20-minute naps. The polyphasic sleep cycle has both physical and mental benefits to sleepers.
Benefits of the Polyphasic sleep schedule
It increases mental clarity
Waking up with a clear mind gives you ample time to attend to the day’s tasks with ease because it provides a great feeling. Since polyphasic allows you to sleep several times during the day, you can attend to each task with a fresh mind. If you can embrace polyphasic sleep, the feeling of sleep deprivation would be a thing of the past.
Enhances time management skills
You need efficiency in your daily activities to improve your output and productivity. A polyphasic schedule enables you to attend to plan your day well, squeezing in as many tasks as possible without fear of burnout. Napping after several tasks means that each task receives a fresh approach.
Gives more hours of wakefulness
The shorter sleep-wake cycle of polyphasic sleepers translates to more hours of wakefulness and a shorter sleep time. You have more time awake to accomplish everything on your To-Do list and won’t have to carry forward any task. Essentially, you are living a backlog-free life.
Improves brain power and learning ability
Since polyphasic sleeping gives the brain more time to rest, it improves your brainpower and the ability to learn. Prominent artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla were able to produce great works as a result of their increased brain power acquired from polyphasic sleeping.
Contributes to the feeling of euphoria and happiness
Polyphasic sleep patterns also contribute to the feeling of euphoria and happiness. You still get a good night’s sleep in addition to several shorter periods of sleep, such as a 30-minute nap or a siesta. You won’t have to worry about certain health issues, such as obesity, especially if you are among the shift workers or those on a night shift.
The amount of sleep you get contributes greatly to the quality of your output as well as your mental health. Contact us if you need to know more about the polyphasic sleep cycle and avoid sleep disorders that result from a lack of enough sleep.
