Miya Pearson
Polyphasic sleep is a sleep pattern that involves sleeping multiple times throughout the day and night, with each period lasting for a few hours or as short as 20 minutes. While most people follow a monophasic sleep pattern, which involves sleeping once per day, polyphasic sleep has gained interest among those who want to maximise their waking hours. However, there is little scientific evidence supporting the benefits of polyphasic sleep, and it may lead to the same health risks as sleep deprivation, such as negatively impacting mood, memory, and decision-making abilities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Polyphasic sleep involves breaking traditional sleep schedules into multiple shorter periods. |
| History | The term polyphasic sleep was first used in the early 20th century by psychologist J. S. Szymanski. |
| Common Practice | Polyphasic sleep is common among animals and is believed to be the ancestral sleep state for mammals. |
| Humans | Most people follow a monophasic sleep pattern, sleeping once per day. |
| Humans | Many people sleep twice per day in a biphasic sleep pattern, usually with one long period of sleep at night and a nap in the afternoon. |
| Humans | Polyphasic sleep is less common and involves sleeping more than twice per day. |
| Humans | Polyphasic sleep may be beneficial in situations where the alternative is not sleeping at all, such as during travel across multiple time zones or for those with irregular work schedules. |
| Humans | Polyphasic sleep schedules may increase productivity by maximizing waking hours, but there is little evidence of physical or mental health benefits. |
| Humans | Polyphasic sleep schedules that reduce overall sleep time can lead to the same health risks as other forms of sleep deprivation. |
| Humans | Polyphasic sleep may be difficult to sustain and can negatively impact mood, memory, and decision-making abilities. |
| Humans | It is recommended to consult a physician or healthcare professional before adopting a polyphasic sleep schedule to monitor any potential health impacts. |
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What You'll Learn
Potential benefits
While there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting the benefits of polyphasic sleep, some anecdotal reports suggest that it may lead to greater productivity, alertness, and ability to learn and retain information.
Polyphasic sleep involves multiple short sleep episodes across a 24-hour period, providing the opportunity for increased working hours and productivity for those who can only sleep a few hours per night. This type of sleep schedule may be beneficial for individuals with irregular work schedules or those who travel across multiple time zones.
Additionally, polyphasic sleep can help manage limited sleep, such as for solo sailors before a race or for students cramming for exams. Napping during periods of sleep deprivation can reduce the feeling of drowsiness caused by sleep pressure.
Some people naturally follow a polyphasic sleep pattern, including babies until they are about three months old and individuals with certain conditions like dementia. While polyphasic sleep may not be inherently safe or beneficial for everyone, it can meet the needs of those with irregular sleep patterns or those who cannot follow a regular sleep schedule.
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Risks and side effects
Polyphasic sleep is a way of breaking up your sleep into multiple sessions over 24 hours. It involves sleeping multiple times throughout the day and night, with each session lasting a few hours or just 20 minutes. While it may be appealing to those who want to maximise their waking hours, there are several risks and side effects associated with polyphasic sleep.
Firstly, polyphasic sleep schedules can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which has negative impacts on both physical and mental health. Adults should receive at least seven hours of sleep per night, and none of the common polyphasic schedules come close to this recommended minimum. Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of depression, especially among young women. It can also cause disruptions in the circadian rhythm, which regulates various physiological processes and behaviours, including sleep.
Secondly, research suggests that polyphasic sleep can negatively impact mood, memory, and decision-making abilities. It has been associated with poorer academic performance, even when students slept the same number of hours. This may be due to the irregular sleep schedule interfering with the body's natural sleep-wake cycles and circadian rhythms.
Additionally, polyphasic sleep schedules are unlikely to be sustainable over an extended period. They can be challenging to maintain due to their intensity and the need for strict adherence to nap times. For example, the Uberman sleep cycle, an extreme form of polyphasic sleep, requires multiple 20-minute naps throughout the day, spaced about four hours apart. This level of discipline may not be feasible for most individuals in the long term.
Furthermore, there is little scientific evidence to support the safety or effectiveness of polyphasic sleep. While some claim that they can thrive mentally and physically off as little as 2 to 3 hours of sleep per day, these assertions are not supported by research. There is also no evidence that the body will functionally adapt to an extremely limited amount of sleep. Therefore, polyphasic sleep schedules that severely limit sleep can potentially lead to serious health consequences.
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Who uses it
Polyphasic sleep is a practice that involves sleeping in multiple short periods over 24 hours instead of one large block of sleep. While polyphasic sleep is uncommon in humans, it is the norm for many mammals.
Polyphasic sleep is used by people who want to increase their waking hours, either out of necessity or curiosity. Soldiers, for example, may follow a polyphasic sleep pattern out of necessity. Those with irregular work schedules or unusual jobs, such as long-distance sailors, may also adopt this sleeping pattern. Some people are simply curious about different ways to rest and want to experiment with alternative sleeping schedules. Polyphasic sleep is also popular among people looking to “hack” their sleep and increase productivity.
Polyphasic sleep has been of interest to researchers and scientists as well. Claudio Stampi studied the systematic timing of short naps as a means of ensuring optimal performance in situations where extreme sleep deprivation is inevitable. Professor David Dinges of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine led research on sleep schedules that combined various amounts of "anchor sleep" with daily naps. The Italian Air Force also conducted experiments with polyphasic sleep schedules for their pilots.
Polyphasic sleep has also been a topic of interest for some historical figures. Buckminster Fuller, for instance, reportedly maintained a polyphasic sleep schedule consisting of 30-minute naps every six hours for two years.
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How it works
Polyphasic sleep is a sleep pattern that involves breaking up sleep into multiple shorter periods throughout the day and night. This is in contrast to the monophasic sleep pattern, where sleep occurs in one long stretch at night, which is the most common sleep pattern among humans and other primates. Polyphasic sleep is common among other mammals and was the typical sleep pattern in many historical societies before industrialization.
Polyphasic sleep schedules can vary, with some involving a long sleep period of around three to four hours, accompanied by several short naps throughout the day. For example, the Everyman schedule consists of one 3-hour block of sleep per night and three 20-minute naps throughout the day. The Triphasic schedule is another variation, which includes a longer sleep at night, usually of around 3 hours, and two shorter naps of 90 minutes each during the day.
The Uberman schedule is an extreme form of polyphasic sleep, consisting of multiple 20-minute naps throughout the day, spaced about four hours apart. This schedule is highly disciplined and requires strict adherence to nap times.
Polyphasic sleep is often adopted by those who want to increase their waking hours or productivity, or by those with irregular work schedules. However, there is limited scientific evidence supporting the benefits of polyphasic sleep. Research suggests that polyphasic sleep can negatively impact mood, memory, and decision-making abilities, and it may lead to the same health risks as sleep deprivation if overall sleep time is reduced.
If you are considering a polyphasic sleep schedule, it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional and ensure that your sleep schedule does not reduce your total number of hours of sleep.
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Scientific evidence
Polyphasic sleep involves sleeping multiple times throughout the day and night, with short bursts of sleep distributed across a 24-hour period. While polyphasic sleep may provide the opportunity for greater productivity due to increased working hours, there is little evidence that it is associated with physical or mental health benefits. In fact, polyphasic sleep schedules that severely limit sleep can lead to the same health risks as other forms of sleep deprivation, including negative impacts on mood, memory, and decision-making abilities.
Some people adopt polyphasic sleep out of necessity, such as those with irregular work schedules, and there are a few popular polyphasic sleep schedules that have been developed. For example, the Everyman schedule consists of one 3-hour block of sleep per night with three 20-minute naps throughout the day, totaling 4 hours of sleep per day. However, none of the common polyphasic schedules come close to the recommended minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night for adults, and they are unlikely to be sustainable for an extended period of time.
While there is some anecdotal evidence and personal reports from followers of polyphasic sleep schedules, there is a lack of credible evidence supporting claims of benefits. Polyphasic sleep may be beneficial in situations where the alternative is not sleeping at all, such as for solo sailors during a race or in other extreme conditions. However, it is important to note that striving to adopt a schedule that significantly reduces sleep and fragments it into multiple episodes throughout the day is not recommended due to potential health and safety consequences.
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Frequently asked questions
Polyphasic sleep is a sleep pattern where sleep is split into several shorter periods throughout the day and night. This usually means more than two periods of sleep in a 24-hour cycle.
Polyphasic sleep provides the opportunity for greater productivity by increasing the number of waking hours. It may be beneficial for those with irregular work schedules or those who travel across multiple time zones. It can also be useful in situations where getting the recommended amount of sleep is not possible.
Polyphasic sleep schedules that reduce overall sleep can lead to similar health risks as sleep deprivation, including negative impacts on mood, memory, and decision-making abilities. There is also no evidence that the body will adapt to extremely limited sleep. Polyphasic sleep is not widely recommended due to its potential health impacts and intensity.
If you want to explore polyphasic sleep, it is recommended to do so under the supervision of a physician to monitor your health. Start with a schedule that does not limit your total number of sleep hours, such as the Everyman schedule, which includes a longer sleep period of 3-4 hours along with 2-3 shorter naps during the day.
