Alternative Sleep Cycles: 7-10 Hours Are Not Needed

9/06/2013 Health, knowledge, Science & Tech 5 comments

By:

Joe

Ma tino

The average person requires 7 -10 hours of sleep per night according to the National Sleep Foundation. But is it possi le that using different sleep cycles! "here the enefits of sleep are still achieved! "e can sleep less# $uch less# $ost of us are fa%iliar "ith "hat is called a monophasic sleep cycle. This cycle is used y %ost people as it&s "hat "e hear a out and learn the %ost. For so%e! this cycle is practical although inefficient. Fact is! there are ' other sleep cycles that can provide all the enefits of sleep! "hile sleeping %uch less. For %e! this is good ne"s as ( a% not a huge fan of sleeping for long periods of ti%e. )hy# *enerally there are etter things to do+ Not only that ut sleeping has al"ays een so%ething ( "ish ( could do "hen ( felt li,e it and not ecause (&% -supposed to.& if ( could spend less ti%e lying a"a,e at night trying to sleep! then great. So let&s learn a out polyphasic sleep cycles+ .nli,e monophasic! "here you sleep once a day!polyphasic cycles utili/e %ultiple naps. The Monophasic cycle consists of various stages of sleep "ith 01$ 2rapid eye %ove%ent3 eing the %ost i%portant. 4 person using a %onophasic cycle %ight go to ed at night 2around 115$3! sleep for 7 6 10 hours and then "a,e up in the %orning. 7f course if one "or,ed a night shift! ti%ing "ould e s"apped. *enerally! it ta,es the ody a out '8 6 78 %inutes to get into 01$ sleep "hich is the cycle responsi le for various rain and odily functions that are eneficial to health. 4lthough scientists don&t understand e9actly "hy "e need sleep! it has een recogni/ed! "hile o serving ani%als! that sleep is needed for survival. !ead

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The Byphasic cycle! also called the Siesta! is the %ost co%%on of polyphasic cycles as it can e vie"ed as the %ost practical for people. This cycle consists of one 8 6 : hour sleep and one ;0! :0 or <0 %inute nap per day. Total sleep ti%e is around 8.= 6 10 hours per day. (n regards to health! co%pared to the %onophasic cycle! there is no" enough scientific research to sho" that this cycle is not only etter for your health ut can also lead to etter %oods! a decrease in stress! an increase in your a ility to e altert as "ell as overall productivity. So%e research even states this cycle can %a,e you s%arter+ !ead mo e"

The Everyman cycle! first na%ed y 5uredo9y,! is a sleep schedule consisting of one =.8 hour core sleep and = 9 ;0 %inute naps spread out over the day. The cycle is designed to counteract the natural drops in our alertness as dictated y our >ircadian and .ltradian rhyth%s. 4 sa%ple schedule co%%only used "ith this cycle is sleeping < 6 1;:=0a%! a ':10a% nap! an ?:10a% nap! and a ;:'0p% nap. 4void having a %orning core sleep 2=a% 6 ::=0a%3 as during these ti%es it is unli,ely you "ill get quality slo" "ave sleep ecause your te%porary circadian 01$ pressure is high. !ead mo e.

The Dymaxion cycle is said to e the %ost difficult as it can only e successfully used y certain people. Those "ith the @1>; gene! also called -short sleepers!& generally only require a out ' hours of %onophasic sleep! "hich %a,es this cycle possi le for the%. This isn&t to say others can&t use it! it is si%ply unli,ely it "ill "or,. There is not enough ti%e spent in 01$ for %ost people so the cycle is tough to adapt to. The cycle consists of ' 9 =0 %inute sleeps throughout the day "hich totals only ; hours of sleep+ So%e have adAusted the cycle to reflect a pattern of one 1.8 hour sleep "ith ; 9 =0 %inute naps and one ;0 %inute nap.!ead mo e"

The Uberman cycle! again na%e y 5uredo9y,! is a sleep schedule consisting entirely of ;0 %inute naps totalling ; hours of sleep per day. 1ach nap is spaced equidistantly throughout the day. The classic %ethod is to ta,e : 9 ;0 %inute equidistant naps per day. 4lternatively! people can ta,e ? 9 ;0 %inute naps! also spaced equidistantly throughout the day! as the e9tra '0 %inutes each day can %a,e a ig difference. So%e report that %issing naps "hile on this schedule can result in feeling very drained and tired! so ,eeping to the schedule is i%portant. This of course %ight e difficult depending on your schedule! so ta,e that into consideration if you decide to give this a try. 7ne cool note for this cycle is that %any . er%an sleepers report e9periencing very vivid lucid drea%s. This cycle %ight e "orth a try for those e9peri%enting "ith lucid drea%ing. !ead mo e"

How will you sleep?

)hen ( first heard of the possi ility of different sleep cycles ( got e9cited. So for %e! ( a% definitely going to give one of these a try. 4s of no" ( "ill li,ely start e9peri%enting "ith the 1very%an cycle. 1ither "ay you go "hen it co%es to s"apping sleep cycles! it see%s the only one that requires very little adAust%ent of your ody is the Byphasic. 1ach of the others "ill li,ely require a ; "ee, period of integration efore you fully recogni/e the nature of the cycle. (f you decide to give the% a try! don&t e hasty in giving up+ Feeling li,e a /o% ie after the first fe" days is a possi ility! ut "ith the proper adAust%ent things could "or, out. Beep your current lifestyle in %ind efore choosing a different cycle. (s it going to e possi le for you to have naps throughout the day# @on&t e afraid to push your oundaries! ut re%e% er practicality. (t has een said that eating healthyCclean foods helps "ith the adAust%ent process. (t&s also reco%%ended that you get a good alar% and %a,e it your friend. )hen you first egin changing your cycle! you "ill need it to stay disciplined! so do your est to ,eep on trac, "ith your sleep and "a,e up ti%es. )hen you do sleep! try to e in a dar, setting. )hen you a"a,en! try to e9pose yourself to sunlight for a fe" %inutes. 0e%e% er! don&t give up right a"ay+ (f you have had e9periences "ith alternate sleep cycles! share the% elo". ( a% going to e logging! in great detail! a out %y e9perience "ith the 1very%an cycle. Sources: http:CC""".ninds.nih.govCdisordersC rainD asicsCunderstandingDsleep.ht%Edrea%i

ng http:CC""".%edicalne"stoday.co%CreleasesC17<??;.php http:CC""".polyphasicsociety.co%C