It seems to be going a bit more smoothly now. I've got little trouble getting out of bed after waking up, which is a relief. My last nap was strange, but I think it went well. It was kind of like, lights out, then boom, time to get up. I was definitely asleep, just the seemingly instant jump 20 minutes into the future was disorienting.
Only two things kept today from being perfect. First, I was bowling, and the other team was taking forever, so I effectively skipped the 12PM nap. The best I could do when the time rolled around was rest my head and close my eyes between frames. It kind of helped, or at least I believed it did haha. Second, when I over a friends house I ended up delaying the 8PM nap by 45 minutes or so. I felt surprisingly okay after all this. Perhaps this is why I went out like a light during the 12AM nap.
I'm excited to see how I feel in the next few days. Although, I have a bad feeling I won't be able to follow it during the first few days of college, which should be right after I start to feel the perks from it.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Day 3
Hello.
So this morning I messed it up again. Doh. But not too bad. I was tired enough to take a nap by the evening. Now it's in the AM and already I feel like I've been doing this for several uninterrupted. Nothing much to report for today.
Not sleep related but oh well:
I spent most of the day screwing around with our new computer. A fair mental challenge, or at at least a challenge of patience. The main problem was Windoze XP doesn't support the spiffy new SATA hard disks. I don't know what is was, but it took me basically all day to find the right driver. However, in the process I learned two things. #1, 64 bit Windows is incompatible with damn near everything. My favorite example of this is a self extracting driver file for x64 systems that won't extract because it's a 32 bit application! Has the world gone mad!? I think so.
#2, I learned how to slipstream install Windows. Really cool.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how _to_slipstream_windows_xp_sp3_and_vista_sp1
What this allows you to do is take a Windows install disk, the latest service pack, and any extra updates/hotfixes/drivers (like the SATA one I needed) and mash em all together into one iso file you can burn to disk and use to install Windows quicker and easier. It even lets you enter the product key, among other things, before hand so you can pop in the disk and just let it install without any user input. This is especially useful if you don't have a floppy drive and can't do the F6 thing to install 3rd party drivers. Although, I actually did have a floppy after our Dell generously made a cable donation, muhaha.
Oooh, ahhh, special.
So this morning I messed it up again. Doh. But not too bad. I was tired enough to take a nap by the evening. Now it's in the AM and already I feel like I've been doing this for several uninterrupted. Nothing much to report for today.
Not sleep related but oh well:
I spent most of the day screwing around with our new computer. A fair mental challenge, or at at least a challenge of patience. The main problem was Windoze XP doesn't support the spiffy new SATA hard disks. I don't know what is was, but it took me basically all day to find the right driver. However, in the process I learned two things. #1, 64 bit Windows is incompatible with damn near everything. My favorite example of this is a self extracting driver file for x64 systems that won't extract because it's a 32 bit application! Has the world gone mad!? I think so.
#2, I learned how to slipstream install Windows. Really cool.
http://www.maximumpc.com/
What this allows you to do is take a Windows install disk, the latest service pack, and any extra updates/hotfixes/drivers (like the SATA one I needed) and mash em all together into one iso file you can burn to disk and use to install Windows quicker and easier. It even lets you enter the product key, among other things, before hand so you can pop in the disk and just let it install without any user input. This is especially useful if you don't have a floppy drive and can't do the F6 thing to install 3rd party drivers. Although, I actually did have a floppy after our Dell generously made a cable donation, muhaha.
Oooh, ahhh, special.I hope the quad core and 4GB of ram can handle DOOM cause that's the best game we have right now haha.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Days 1 - 2
This is actually spilling over into day three a little, but I wanted to update instead of putting it off another day.
The first day was a little rocky. I'm not sure what it was, lack of motivation probably, and just the fact that I didn't have a (good) reason to get up prevented me from doing so.
Oddly enough, day two was a breeze. Everything went perfectly. Like almost unnaturally perfect. All the naps were on time and only 20 minutes long. It was amazing how easy I woke up from them too. I just don't understand. =P As far as doing stuff goes I actually accomplished a good deal on day two as well. None of it was particularly taxing though.
Now today, day three, I took the 4AM no prob. Got up relatively quickly. I got something to eat and read some articles in New Scientist. I was about halfway through the third article when I realized I was nodding really bad. It was almost 6 so I stuck it out a bit longer and decided to throw in an extra nap between cycles. It worked wonderfully.
I lied down and was extremely comfortable, as well as drowsy. The next thing I remember is my mom bothering me about something. I reluctantly got out of bed and went over to the door. She had some kind of clothing for me. As she was explaining I hear the distinct sound of my alarm clock ringing (crowing actually, like a rooster, cause that's what it does haha) and I feel like I'm being sucked into my own head, only to actually wake up and realize it was all a dream!
Let me tell you, as far as I was concerned, it was real. I even noticed that I was wearing the same clothes I put on before going to sleep and that level of detail doesn't usually happen. Plus the nagging mother at the door thing is quite common. It was indistinguishable from the real thing, right up until the head sucking part that is. =P
So what does this mean? Could I really be having some REM after only two days? Last time it took me seven days to have a dream. A few minutes after I woke up I started writing this, and right now I feel a lot more awake than I did after the 4AM nap. Perhaps I'm still slightly conditioned from the first week of sleeping funny. Maybe two full nights of sleep aren't enough to be wiped clean. Unless I hit a wall soon, it's way easier this time around.
Also, I'd like to mention I now have some help from a bit of software I found. =) Although, I've been woken by my alarm clock most of the time.
http://www.timeleft.info/
TimeLeft is a bunch of little tools that do pretty much anything you can think of that's clock related. I wanted it for the "timer" function it has. Once the timer runs out you can have it play a music file. I've found a little Rage Against the Machine or Skid Row with the volume turned up loudly makes it easier to not fall back asleep.
You can always put on an artist you strongly dislike to better encourage you to get up and turn that crap off! There's also this online countdown timer, but it won't play a song of your choice.
http://timberfrog.com/countdown/
The first day was a little rocky. I'm not sure what it was, lack of motivation probably, and just the fact that I didn't have a (good) reason to get up prevented me from doing so.
Oddly enough, day two was a breeze. Everything went perfectly. Like almost unnaturally perfect. All the naps were on time and only 20 minutes long. It was amazing how easy I woke up from them too. I just don't understand. =P As far as doing stuff goes I actually accomplished a good deal on day two as well. None of it was particularly taxing though.
Now today, day three, I took the 4AM no prob. Got up relatively quickly. I got something to eat and read some articles in New Scientist. I was about halfway through the third article when I realized I was nodding really bad. It was almost 6 so I stuck it out a bit longer and decided to throw in an extra nap between cycles. It worked wonderfully.
I lied down and was extremely comfortable, as well as drowsy. The next thing I remember is my mom bothering me about something. I reluctantly got out of bed and went over to the door. She had some kind of clothing for me. As she was explaining I hear the distinct sound of my alarm clock ringing (crowing actually, like a rooster, cause that's what it does haha) and I feel like I'm being sucked into my own head, only to actually wake up and realize it was all a dream!
Let me tell you, as far as I was concerned, it was real. I even noticed that I was wearing the same clothes I put on before going to sleep and that level of detail doesn't usually happen. Plus the nagging mother at the door thing is quite common. It was indistinguishable from the real thing, right up until the head sucking part that is. =P
So what does this mean? Could I really be having some REM after only two days? Last time it took me seven days to have a dream. A few minutes after I woke up I started writing this, and right now I feel a lot more awake than I did after the 4AM nap. Perhaps I'm still slightly conditioned from the first week of sleeping funny. Maybe two full nights of sleep aren't enough to be wiped clean. Unless I hit a wall soon, it's way easier this time around.
Also, I'd like to mention I now have some help from a bit of software I found. =) Although, I've been woken by my alarm clock most of the time.
http://www.timeleft.info/
TimeLeft is a bunch of little tools that do pretty much anything you can think of that's clock related. I wanted it for the "timer" function it has. Once the timer runs out you can have it play a music file. I've found a little Rage Against the Machine or Skid Row with the volume turned up loudly makes it easier to not fall back asleep.
You can always put on an artist you strongly dislike to better encourage you to get up and turn that crap off! There's also this online countdown timer, but it won't play a song of your choice.
http://timberfrog.com/countdown/
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Uberman 2.0
Well, first off, I'd like to announce I had a wonderful birthday! I juggled, made a pie, went bowling, traffic-coning, and played on the swings at 2AM.
Having said that, I'd also like to mention that it totally messed up the sleep schedule haha.
The last two nights I had a full 8 hours of sleep. So I'm sort of starting over. The only thing I gained from the first week or so is knowledge, which is in fact very valuable.
It wasn't a failure, I was simply unable to meet the requirements of nature, as Dr. J. would put it. ;)
Things I discovered:
So I guess I'm starting right now. I'll stay up until I'm tired enough to drop into sleep almost immediately.
As for goals, I'd like to get to the point where I feel the same at night as I do during the day. That is, able to do stuff that requires me to be above zombie level of functioning. Mmmm..brainsss.
Check out the new poll, eh? =)
Having said that, I'd also like to mention that it totally messed up the sleep schedule haha.
The last two nights I had a full 8 hours of sleep. So I'm sort of starting over. The only thing I gained from the first week or so is knowledge, which is in fact very valuable.
It wasn't a failure, I was simply unable to meet the requirements of nature, as Dr. J. would put it. ;)
Things I discovered:
- I need to be falling over tired to fall asleep quickly when I take a nap.
- I need to have something equal to a slap in the face to wake me up from these naps.
- I NEED to stay up after the naps, for at least two hours.
- The stricter I follow the schedule the better.
So I guess I'm starting right now. I'll stay up until I'm tired enough to drop into sleep almost immediately.
As for goals, I'd like to get to the point where I feel the same at night as I do during the day. That is, able to do stuff that requires me to be above zombie level of functioning. Mmmm..brainsss.
Check out the new poll, eh? =)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Days 8 - 10
I didn't die if that's what yall were thinking. =)
Just been running around having a good time without my parents around.
First, let's look at the results of the poll! Thanks to all six of you who voted haha. Nobody opposed the schedule. Maybe some people felt it was a bad idea but didn't want to vote. I don't really care what anyone thinks of it, if you think it's a bad idea I probably won't stop, I was just sorta curious to hear other opinions. :)
4 people said they would possibly try it.
2 people said they would not want to try it.
I understand it's not very practical to nap every four hours. In fact I'm finding that it goes against the normal flow of society in general. =P
If work/school or other time constraints is the reason you wouldn't like to try it, there's another (less extreme) polyphasic sleep schedule called the Everyman. It's major advantage over the Uberman is more flexible nap times. I'll probably make a post about in detail later.
So. I can't remember what happened in detail three days ago haha. But I believe everything was going swell, until Tuesday night. I ate a ton of pizza, which doesn't digest as easily as not greasy food. That, in addition to setting my alarm for PM when it was actually AM, made me totally mess up my naps. *face palm*
I realized that I need a lot more will power. It's also a pain to always be setting my alarm clock. Since I can't just create more will power for myself, I got a louder alarm haha. I'm actually using two countdown timers now, instead of my good 'ol alarm clock. One of them is an online script, which requires me to actually click on something to turn it off. Much harder than slapping a button without even getting up.
http://timberfrog.com/countdown/
Also, I found that I'm often not tired at the proposed nap times. So now what I'm doing is sleeping whenever I feel like I can fall asleep almost instantly. This does not include right after I wake up, because that would lead to continuous sleep. =P I think I'll try to stay up for at least two hours after each nap, regardless of how I feel. Eventually it should smooth out to a nap every four hours. (At least that's what I'm hoping for)
On a whim after waking up from a nap around 3AM, I decided wanted to try to juggle. +5 spontaneity. I actually made a lot of progress after only a day or two. I can almost do the basic three ball juggle. And today I drove down to Dick's and got some lacrosse balls to practice with, They're wonderful. ($1.99 each)
I'll come up with another poll eventually (hopefully tonight), right now I have a bunch of stuff to clean up before my parents get home. :P
Oh, by the way. I'm now old enough to buy cigarettes, porn, lottery tickets, go to strip clubs and all those other things I'm never going to do haha. =)
Just been running around having a good time without my parents around.
First, let's look at the results of the poll! Thanks to all six of you who voted haha. Nobody opposed the schedule. Maybe some people felt it was a bad idea but didn't want to vote. I don't really care what anyone thinks of it, if you think it's a bad idea I probably won't stop, I was just sorta curious to hear other opinions. :)
4 people said they would possibly try it.
2 people said they would not want to try it.
I understand it's not very practical to nap every four hours. In fact I'm finding that it goes against the normal flow of society in general. =P
If work/school or other time constraints is the reason you wouldn't like to try it, there's another (less extreme) polyphasic sleep schedule called the Everyman. It's major advantage over the Uberman is more flexible nap times. I'll probably make a post about in detail later.
So. I can't remember what happened in detail three days ago haha. But I believe everything was going swell, until Tuesday night. I ate a ton of pizza, which doesn't digest as easily as not greasy food. That, in addition to setting my alarm for PM when it was actually AM, made me totally mess up my naps. *face palm*
I realized that I need a lot more will power. It's also a pain to always be setting my alarm clock. Since I can't just create more will power for myself, I got a louder alarm haha. I'm actually using two countdown timers now, instead of my good 'ol alarm clock. One of them is an online script, which requires me to actually click on something to turn it off. Much harder than slapping a button without even getting up.
http://timberfrog.com/countdown/
Also, I found that I'm often not tired at the proposed nap times. So now what I'm doing is sleeping whenever I feel like I can fall asleep almost instantly. This does not include right after I wake up, because that would lead to continuous sleep. =P I think I'll try to stay up for at least two hours after each nap, regardless of how I feel. Eventually it should smooth out to a nap every four hours. (At least that's what I'm hoping for)
On a whim after waking up from a nap around 3AM, I decided wanted to try to juggle. +5 spontaneity. I actually made a lot of progress after only a day or two. I can almost do the basic three ball juggle. And today I drove down to Dick's and got some lacrosse balls to practice with, They're wonderful. ($1.99 each)
I'll come up with another poll eventually (hopefully tonight), right now I have a bunch of stuff to clean up before my parents get home. :P
Oh, by the way. I'm now old enough to buy cigarettes, porn, lottery tickets, go to strip clubs and all those other things I'm never going to do haha. =)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Day 7
Guess what!? Today I had a (brief) lucid dream during one of the naps! And dreams = REM. *grin* In addition, I didn't oversleep either. Even though from a normal perspective I accomplished nothing today, I feel like I've had a breakthrough.
So yeah. My main goal for today was not to oversleep. And I did it by the skin of my teeth. Today in the wee hours of the morning I felt tired and kept nodding off, but since I was sitting up I didn't actually fall asleep. I was watching some Death Note to stay awake until the next nap. I threw in an extra nap too, which was a little risky, but luckily I woke up after 20 minutes.
I must admit, I didn't feel so well today. Aside from the mental happiness of following the schedule. Physically I was a bum today, but that's alright, it's summer. =P
Also my parents are gone for the next few days, so that made me really happy. I guess did feel pretty good after all. I was tired though, at least in the morning.
The evening naps were the most exciting parts about today. They all went well. I was definitely sound asleep in the one. Feeling more fatigued than normal, I was wise to turn up my alarm. I needed it to wake me up from the sleep, not just tell me the 20 minutes were over. The last nap was the best of all because I had a coherent dream. What's more, I remember it, and I was even lucid for a moment! What fun! =) My body wanted to sleep more, but the alarm was able to wake me up again. After a few minutes I felt awake again and just to be random, I ordered a pizza and went to pick it up. (The road right after the mall and before the bridge on Lackawanna Avenue is closed by the way. *grumble* )
The Dream
Here's what happened. I remember being in my car having to back up. I wasn't really watching where I was going, and I just missed hitting a car. Then I just kept going in reverse, but even faster. I could see numerous cars on the road out the front window as I passed by the going backwards. How in the world haven't I hit anything? I thought to myself. Because you're dreaming of course! Cool! I'm surprised I didn't get nervous after becoming lucid because it's been while since it's happened. So to test it out, I decided I didn't want to go backwards anymore. The car started moving forwards down the street. I came up to a building and didn't really know what to do, so I just let the events play out. Nothing much happened, one minute I was outside the wall, the next I was on the other side. Should that have smashed? I thought. I looked at the other side of the building that was approaching and this time the car smashed through it splintering the wood and making a crashing noise. I was okay, even though I was standing on the roof of the car now, or maybe standing with my head out the sunroof. I tried to pass through the wall of the next building without damaging it. It worked! I passed though it easy, as if it turned into something viscous for the second I contacted it. I was psyched and for some reason I wanted to try and pull myself through the roof of the building head first. I tried but it didn't work. It felt like a blanket over my head. (Wasn't sleeping with a blanket btw) Then I woke up, or at least I thought I did. It could have been a false awakening. Looking back on it I can't tell for sure, but I know the 20 minutes weren't up at this point.
There was also a shorter non-lucid dream after that one. Basically I was over a friends house with my beloved laptop. I went away for awhile and when I came back my friend's mom came over to say hi. For some reason porn kept, subtly, popping up. Odd places like the menu bars of Firefox had tiny pornographic images on them. I tried to close the programs but there was always more. I had a feeling this was happening because of another person who had been near my computer when I left momentarily.
I would like to mention that I was watching The Matrix right before the last nap. Great movie. I forgot how similar being in the Matrix is to being in a lucid dream. Well I started to nod off when Neo was getting ready to go save Morpheus, that's when I realized it was time to take a nap. Perhaps the concept of questioning reality had helped me realize I was dreaming. My advice to people who want lucid dreams: watch The Matrix. =)
Results from Day 7
Adherence to schedule: 10/10 - Yay for me. I added two extra naps, but I'm not counting that against the schedule during adaptation. I shouldn't want any extra naps afterwards.
Mental awareness: 7/10 - Drove through Scranton after a nap, needed to take a detour, still got my pizza home safely. The rest of the day was pretty much mentally inactive haha.
Physical energy: 5/10 - Lazy day. I felt tired during the morning, but the fatigue wore off eventually. Still didn't do much of anything.
I don't even want to talk about Productivity today. =P
Comments: I would like to point out the inverse relationship between adherence and awareness/energy. In all honesty I didn't feel terrific today (aside from the fact I have the house to myself until Friday, whooo!). However, I do feel like I have made a lot of progress since I was able to go fully asleep very quickly as well as dream. Dreaming is the best thing because it means I got some valuable REM sleep. I'd also like to mention that I mostly slept on a couch upstairs. It's just about as comfortable as my bed, but I think it's better for napping since I connect the idea of prolonged sleep with my bed. Couches just seem to be better suited for a quick nap.
So yeah. My main goal for today was not to oversleep. And I did it by the skin of my teeth. Today in the wee hours of the morning I felt tired and kept nodding off, but since I was sitting up I didn't actually fall asleep. I was watching some Death Note to stay awake until the next nap. I threw in an extra nap too, which was a little risky, but luckily I woke up after 20 minutes.
I must admit, I didn't feel so well today. Aside from the mental happiness of following the schedule. Physically I was a bum today, but that's alright, it's summer. =P
Also my parents are gone for the next few days, so that made me really happy. I guess did feel pretty good after all. I was tired though, at least in the morning.
The evening naps were the most exciting parts about today. They all went well. I was definitely sound asleep in the one. Feeling more fatigued than normal, I was wise to turn up my alarm. I needed it to wake me up from the sleep, not just tell me the 20 minutes were over. The last nap was the best of all because I had a coherent dream. What's more, I remember it, and I was even lucid for a moment! What fun! =) My body wanted to sleep more, but the alarm was able to wake me up again. After a few minutes I felt awake again and just to be random, I ordered a pizza and went to pick it up. (The road right after the mall and before the bridge on Lackawanna Avenue is closed by the way. *grumble* )
The Dream
Here's what happened. I remember being in my car having to back up. I wasn't really watching where I was going, and I just missed hitting a car. Then I just kept going in reverse, but even faster. I could see numerous cars on the road out the front window as I passed by the going backwards. How in the world haven't I hit anything? I thought to myself. Because you're dreaming of course! Cool! I'm surprised I didn't get nervous after becoming lucid because it's been while since it's happened. So to test it out, I decided I didn't want to go backwards anymore. The car started moving forwards down the street. I came up to a building and didn't really know what to do, so I just let the events play out. Nothing much happened, one minute I was outside the wall, the next I was on the other side. Should that have smashed? I thought. I looked at the other side of the building that was approaching and this time the car smashed through it splintering the wood and making a crashing noise. I was okay, even though I was standing on the roof of the car now, or maybe standing with my head out the sunroof. I tried to pass through the wall of the next building without damaging it. It worked! I passed though it easy, as if it turned into something viscous for the second I contacted it. I was psyched and for some reason I wanted to try and pull myself through the roof of the building head first. I tried but it didn't work. It felt like a blanket over my head. (Wasn't sleeping with a blanket btw) Then I woke up, or at least I thought I did. It could have been a false awakening. Looking back on it I can't tell for sure, but I know the 20 minutes weren't up at this point.
There was also a shorter non-lucid dream after that one. Basically I was over a friends house with my beloved laptop. I went away for awhile and when I came back my friend's mom came over to say hi. For some reason porn kept, subtly, popping up. Odd places like the menu bars of Firefox had tiny pornographic images on them. I tried to close the programs but there was always more. I had a feeling this was happening because of another person who had been near my computer when I left momentarily.
I would like to mention that I was watching The Matrix right before the last nap. Great movie. I forgot how similar being in the Matrix is to being in a lucid dream. Well I started to nod off when Neo was getting ready to go save Morpheus, that's when I realized it was time to take a nap. Perhaps the concept of questioning reality had helped me realize I was dreaming. My advice to people who want lucid dreams: watch The Matrix. =)
Results from Day 7
Adherence to schedule: 10/10 - Yay for me. I added two extra naps, but I'm not counting that against the schedule during adaptation. I shouldn't want any extra naps afterwards.
Mental awareness: 7/10 - Drove through Scranton after a nap, needed to take a detour, still got my pizza home safely. The rest of the day was pretty much mentally inactive haha.
Physical energy: 5/10 - Lazy day. I felt tired during the morning, but the fatigue wore off eventually. Still didn't do much of anything.
I don't even want to talk about Productivity today. =P
Comments: I would like to point out the inverse relationship between adherence and awareness/energy. In all honesty I didn't feel terrific today (aside from the fact I have the house to myself until Friday, whooo!). However, I do feel like I have made a lot of progress since I was able to go fully asleep very quickly as well as dream. Dreaming is the best thing because it means I got some valuable REM sleep. I'd also like to mention that I mostly slept on a couch upstairs. It's just about as comfortable as my bed, but I think it's better for napping since I connect the idea of prolonged sleep with my bed. Couches just seem to be better suited for a quick nap.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Day 6
Today was alright. Didn't make any ground breaking progress, but I was able to perform normal people functions.
In a nutshell, today was pretty much like yesterday. Overslept a little in the morning, and the rest of the day was fantastic. =P
Today, however, was the first time I slept somewhere other than my house.
I was over a friend's house pretending to be a lumber jack and collecting wood to build a bonfire. I wasn't terribly helpful, but it was somewhat physically challenging. When 5:30 rolled around I went up to my car and took a nap in the back seat. As soon as it was over I went right back to work no problem.
The problem area is in the morning, the 5:30 AM and 9:30 AM naps. I think once I'm able to cut my sleep short during these naps I'll be fully adapted. Then maybe a day or two more and I'll start to feel the nice perks that are supposed to come with Uberman.
Kevin was thinking and suggested taking more frequent naps, as it seems it would help the adaptation without messing anything up. I had tried this once before and didn't seem to have any problems. Steve Pavlina also mentioned it once on his blog. I think that will be my secret weapon to finally rid myself of early morning NREM sleep.
I've found I have a bunch of stuff to do at night, but I'm often too drowsy to make a full hearted attempt at it. This leads to sitting around, which of course leads to boredom. Once I'm tired and bored all I want to think about is going to bed. Not so much to get rest, but just to do something. That's bad. I need to get into the mentality that sleep isn't normal at night, doing stuff is normal at night, just like it is during the day. Unfortunately, I can't go out anywhere at night, and (usually) most of my friends are asleep. I think I may try going for a walk outside if this lethargy hits again. My neighborhood is pretty calm so my chances of being raped/maimed are minimal.
Thanks for the comments Phil! =)
Results from Day 6
Adherence to schedule: 7/10 - Overslept once, but the other naps went normally. Even the one in my car was relaxing!
Mental awareness: 8/10 - I used a chainsaw and still have all my fingers.
Physical energy: 9/10 - Hauled some logs around. Went to church too, that was a workout. =P
Productivity: 9/10 - We had a great start on making the bonfire today! And I folded a bunch of paper cranes.
Comments: It's hard to tell if I'm actually asleep or not. I often feel like I'm somewhat conscious throughout the whole nap, though after a certain point my thoughts drift to the point of no return. Then, usually, I'll suddenly remember I'm napping again and that is often when I check the clock and realize it's time to get up. I'm definitely getting something out of it even if I don't go completely to sleep. Also, today after the car nap it felt like way more than 20 minutes had passed. Felt more like an hour.
In a nutshell, today was pretty much like yesterday. Overslept a little in the morning, and the rest of the day was fantastic. =P
Today, however, was the first time I slept somewhere other than my house.
I was over a friend's house pretending to be a lumber jack and collecting wood to build a bonfire. I wasn't terribly helpful, but it was somewhat physically challenging. When 5:30 rolled around I went up to my car and took a nap in the back seat. As soon as it was over I went right back to work no problem.
The problem area is in the morning, the 5:30 AM and 9:30 AM naps. I think once I'm able to cut my sleep short during these naps I'll be fully adapted. Then maybe a day or two more and I'll start to feel the nice perks that are supposed to come with Uberman.
Kevin was thinking and suggested taking more frequent naps, as it seems it would help the adaptation without messing anything up. I had tried this once before and didn't seem to have any problems. Steve Pavlina also mentioned it once on his blog. I think that will be my secret weapon to finally rid myself of early morning NREM sleep.
I've found I have a bunch of stuff to do at night, but I'm often too drowsy to make a full hearted attempt at it. This leads to sitting around, which of course leads to boredom. Once I'm tired and bored all I want to think about is going to bed. Not so much to get rest, but just to do something. That's bad. I need to get into the mentality that sleep isn't normal at night, doing stuff is normal at night, just like it is during the day. Unfortunately, I can't go out anywhere at night, and (usually) most of my friends are asleep. I think I may try going for a walk outside if this lethargy hits again. My neighborhood is pretty calm so my chances of being raped/maimed are minimal.
Thanks for the comments Phil! =)
Results from Day 6
Adherence to schedule: 7/10 - Overslept once, but the other naps went normally. Even the one in my car was relaxing!
Mental awareness: 8/10 - I used a chainsaw and still have all my fingers.
Physical energy: 9/10 - Hauled some logs around. Went to church too, that was a workout. =P
Productivity: 9/10 - We had a great start on making the bonfire today! And I folded a bunch of paper cranes.
Comments: It's hard to tell if I'm actually asleep or not. I often feel like I'm somewhat conscious throughout the whole nap, though after a certain point my thoughts drift to the point of no return. Then, usually, I'll suddenly remember I'm napping again and that is often when I check the clock and realize it's time to get up. I'm definitely getting something out of it even if I don't go completely to sleep. Also, today after the car nap it felt like way more than 20 minutes had passed. Felt more like an hour.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Day 5
Holy cow, I've been at this for five days already? O_o
9:30 AM is definitely my weak point. I overslept again. Only for an hour or so, but still. Next time around I'm going to make sure I get up. That means, alarm clock on loud, lights on, blinds open, maybe even some heavy metal playing if i have to.
On the upside, all of the afternoon naps went perfectly. I woke up quick and could remember what I was doing just before. They were all rather refreshing too. I woke up from the last one right before my alarm and felt relaxed. It's beginning to feel like they're longer than a mere twenty minutes.
During the last nap I'm not sure if i even went to sleep at all, but I still felt good getting up afterwards. I lied down and felt comfortable. After a minute or two I tried the counting technique that I often use. (explained below) I got to the high thirties before I stopped and my mind started wandering. I was aware of the thoughts, but couldn't control them, or really see much of anything. I also had control over my physical body, I could swallow willingly and move slightly, which usually isn't possible when you're asleep.
The Counting Technique
I probably read this on Dream Views or someplace. Basically what you do is, of course, count. Like counting sheep. I like to inhale slowly, and think of the number as I exhale, picturing it in my mind being drawn as clearly as possible. The slower you count the better, at least that's what I think. I usually only get to about 20 or 25 before I can't go anymore.
It's odd, but you seriously can't continue counting after a certain point because your thoughts start to wander so much. And a lot of times when one of my random thoughts subsides I'll remember the counting again and pickup where I left off. On one specific occasion I remember counting, ...18, 19, 20, random thought... 21 ...random thought. It's almost scary how hard it becomes to stay focused.
I like the counting technique because it's the perfect amount of mental activity to get me to sleep. It's enough to keep my mind off of complex thoughts that would otherwise keep me awake, but it's simple enough that eventually my subconscious takes over.
I believe the counting technique is actually a method used to achieve a wake initiated lucid dream (WILD). It puts me to sleep though. =P
After your body is physically asleep it enters something called sleep paralysis. I think it is hypothesized that SP is necessary so people don't act out their dreams. Anyways, if you use one of the WILD techniques to keep yourself mentally awake while you fall into sleep paralysis, some crazy shit starts to happen. :) This is often when people see flashing colors, or even somewhat defined images. The scariest part is the vibrations. It feels like something is wrong with you, though it's perfectly safe and in fact normal. It's been described as feeling vibrations, a rushing wind, a falling sensation, or electricity running through the body.
Well I totally got off track there, but I think the point I was trying to make is that I seem to have been completely conscious during my last nap, but didn't feel any of the SP stuff. I'm thinking it might not be enough time for my body to achieve that, or maybe it won't happen at all since I'm cutting out the early stages of sleep.
Results from Day 5
Adherence to schedule: 7/10 - Overslept once, but the other naps felt wonderful.
Mental awareness: 9/10 - Did a lot of driving today. Didn't crash.
Physical energy: 8/10 - I wasn't particularly tired, I just didn't do much physical activity today.
Productivity: 6/10 - Grad parties. =P Good thing I've got all the time in the world.
Comments: Tomorrow I'm shooting for a "perfect" day, where each of the six naps fully restore me like those of this evening.
9:30 AM is definitely my weak point. I overslept again. Only for an hour or so, but still. Next time around I'm going to make sure I get up. That means, alarm clock on loud, lights on, blinds open, maybe even some heavy metal playing if i have to.
On the upside, all of the afternoon naps went perfectly. I woke up quick and could remember what I was doing just before. They were all rather refreshing too. I woke up from the last one right before my alarm and felt relaxed. It's beginning to feel like they're longer than a mere twenty minutes.
During the last nap I'm not sure if i even went to sleep at all, but I still felt good getting up afterwards. I lied down and felt comfortable. After a minute or two I tried the counting technique that I often use. (explained below) I got to the high thirties before I stopped and my mind started wandering. I was aware of the thoughts, but couldn't control them, or really see much of anything. I also had control over my physical body, I could swallow willingly and move slightly, which usually isn't possible when you're asleep.
The Counting Technique
I probably read this on Dream Views or someplace. Basically what you do is, of course, count. Like counting sheep. I like to inhale slowly, and think of the number as I exhale, picturing it in my mind being drawn as clearly as possible. The slower you count the better, at least that's what I think. I usually only get to about 20 or 25 before I can't go anymore.
It's odd, but you seriously can't continue counting after a certain point because your thoughts start to wander so much. And a lot of times when one of my random thoughts subsides I'll remember the counting again and pickup where I left off. On one specific occasion I remember counting, ...18, 19, 20, random thought... 21 ...random thought. It's almost scary how hard it becomes to stay focused.
I like the counting technique because it's the perfect amount of mental activity to get me to sleep. It's enough to keep my mind off of complex thoughts that would otherwise keep me awake, but it's simple enough that eventually my subconscious takes over.
I believe the counting technique is actually a method used to achieve a wake initiated lucid dream (WILD). It puts me to sleep though. =P
After your body is physically asleep it enters something called sleep paralysis. I think it is hypothesized that SP is necessary so people don't act out their dreams. Anyways, if you use one of the WILD techniques to keep yourself mentally awake while you fall into sleep paralysis, some crazy shit starts to happen. :) This is often when people see flashing colors, or even somewhat defined images. The scariest part is the vibrations. It feels like something is wrong with you, though it's perfectly safe and in fact normal. It's been described as feeling vibrations, a rushing wind, a falling sensation, or electricity running through the body.
Well I totally got off track there, but I think the point I was trying to make is that I seem to have been completely conscious during my last nap, but didn't feel any of the SP stuff. I'm thinking it might not be enough time for my body to achieve that, or maybe it won't happen at all since I'm cutting out the early stages of sleep.
Results from Day 5
Adherence to schedule: 7/10 - Overslept once, but the other naps felt wonderful.
Mental awareness: 9/10 - Did a lot of driving today. Didn't crash.
Physical energy: 8/10 - I wasn't particularly tired, I just didn't do much physical activity today.
Productivity: 6/10 - Grad parties. =P Good thing I've got all the time in the world.
Comments: Tomorrow I'm shooting for a "perfect" day, where each of the six naps fully restore me like those of this evening.
Day 4
Well I'm not dead, or stupid after 96 hours so I think I'm going to be okay.
Funny thing happened during the first cycle. (1:30 AM) After the nap I was up and about doing stuff, and somehow the computer clock got turned back like 4 hours. I seriously have no idea how it happened, but it was confusing as heck looking at the clock and seeing 12:45 when it's actually almost 5:30. Not to mention my internal clock is messed up to begin with. Luckily I had my alarm which still read the proper time. I manually made the computer sync time and sure enough it changed to 5:30. Weird.
After that whole confusion I ended up sleeping though my 9:55 alarm until about 11:20. Doh.
I also ended up having to sleep at 2:30 PM instead of 1:30 cause Mom dragged me to a bunch of places. So my sense of time is practically gone now. I think I seriously need to get a watch in case my phone ever dies, otherwise I'm screwed.
The evening went much better than the morning though. I took the 5:30 PM nap right on time and felt really good afterwards. Couldn't remember any dreams from it, but I woke up feeling refreshed. 9:30 was basically the same.
That's one nice advantage to the naps versus a long block of sleep. It's really easy to wake up. Before I went crazy, it used to take me until the middle of the day to feel alert. That is, if I woke up on time, took a shower, and had something to eat. (I'm still surprised I survived some of the 1st period chem labs considering the mental stupor I typically had at 9 AM. O_o)
I'm excited to see what will unfold in the next few days. Once I'm able to take fully restorative naps all the time I think I'll work on sleeping in atypical places: library, car, out in the backyard, possibly right here on my desk. =) That ought to be fun/amusing.
Results from Day 4
Adherence to schedule: 6/10 - Meh, oversleeping plus the delayed nap. I feel pretty normal regardless.
Mental awareness: 8/10 - Good. I felt engaged in some conversations I had today.
Physical energy: 9/10 - Did a bunch of dumb things with my Mom, helped my Dad unclog a pipe, and I actually played some heavy DDR songs.
Productivity: 8/10 - Still didn't finish my book, but I did get a lot of reading done. Tonight it will be finished!
Comments: I think turning off the lights, closing the blinds, and leaving my computer screen on provides a good amount of light without blinding me through my eyelids. If it's too dark when I wake up, I want to go back to sleep. If it's too bright I can't get to sleep well. Considering getting a sleeping mask. =P
Funny thing happened during the first cycle. (1:30 AM) After the nap I was up and about doing stuff, and somehow the computer clock got turned back like 4 hours. I seriously have no idea how it happened, but it was confusing as heck looking at the clock and seeing 12:45 when it's actually almost 5:30. Not to mention my internal clock is messed up to begin with. Luckily I had my alarm which still read the proper time. I manually made the computer sync time and sure enough it changed to 5:30. Weird.
After that whole confusion I ended up sleeping though my 9:55 alarm until about 11:20. Doh.
I also ended up having to sleep at 2:30 PM instead of 1:30 cause Mom dragged me to a bunch of places. So my sense of time is practically gone now. I think I seriously need to get a watch in case my phone ever dies, otherwise I'm screwed.
The evening went much better than the morning though. I took the 5:30 PM nap right on time and felt really good afterwards. Couldn't remember any dreams from it, but I woke up feeling refreshed. 9:30 was basically the same.
That's one nice advantage to the naps versus a long block of sleep. It's really easy to wake up. Before I went crazy, it used to take me until the middle of the day to feel alert. That is, if I woke up on time, took a shower, and had something to eat. (I'm still surprised I survived some of the 1st period chem labs considering the mental stupor I typically had at 9 AM. O_o)
I'm excited to see what will unfold in the next few days. Once I'm able to take fully restorative naps all the time I think I'll work on sleeping in atypical places: library, car, out in the backyard, possibly right here on my desk. =) That ought to be fun/amusing.
Results from Day 4
Adherence to schedule: 6/10 - Meh, oversleeping plus the delayed nap. I feel pretty normal regardless.
Mental awareness: 8/10 - Good. I felt engaged in some conversations I had today.
Physical energy: 9/10 - Did a bunch of dumb things with my Mom, helped my Dad unclog a pipe, and I actually played some heavy DDR songs.
Productivity: 8/10 - Still didn't finish my book, but I did get a lot of reading done. Tonight it will be finished!
Comments: I think turning off the lights, closing the blinds, and leaving my computer screen on provides a good amount of light without blinding me through my eyelids. If it's too dark when I wake up, I want to go back to sleep. If it's too bright I can't get to sleep well. Considering getting a sleeping mask. =P
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Day 3
Hello yall.
It's going pretty well. The naps are starting to feel different. Not necessarily the way they're supposed to feel, but different nonetheless. Probably a step in the right direction.
I think I'm starting to get some REM during the naps. I've been seeing some colors and flashes of light while asleep, and during the 9:30 AM cycle I distinctly remember being inside a truck with someone. I wouldn't call it a full blown dream, but it's a start. Exciting huh?
I thought so. That is, until I woke up and felt like crap haha. It was drowsiness at it's worst. The kind that makes you feel all confused and disoriented, like waking up from anesthesia. Somehow I managed to haul myself out of bed despite the zombification. I've been reading through Steve Pavlina's sleep logs again and this caught my attention. (Happened to be day 3 for him too)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/polyphasic-sleep-log-day-3/
He was thinking about taking more naps of the same length. The idea makes sense, you would still be depriving yourself of REM sleep if the naps were short. I thought it was a good idea, (I was also very tired) so I decided to try it. I stuck an extra nap right in the middle of two cycle at 11:30 AM. It seemed to help a good deal, even if it was just a mental thing. Far less drowsiness upon awakening.
I got hit with the same drowsiness after the 5:30 PM nap and tried the extra nap technique again. I woke up easy and quick from the second nap. Had enough energy to play DDR and then write this. :)
No superhuman benefits yet. Other than the ability to eat my own weight in food everyday. =P
The thing is, I really don't feel much worse than usual. (And I usually feel decent, for the record)
Thanks to everyone who took the poll!
Results from Day 3
Adherence to schedule: 9/10 - Didn't oversleep, but I kinda lied around in bed doing nothing for a few minutes. I also added the two extra naps, but I'm not counting that against me.
Mental awareness: 7/10 - Good with the exception of right after those two naps.
Physical energy: 7/10 - Got some decent exercise thanks to Dance Dance Revolution. Wasn't feeling up to running with the ol' XC team though. :( Maybe next week.
Productivity: 6/10 - Didn't finish my book, but I learned how to fold a paper crane. =) I'm not going to worry about productivity too much until the adaptation is over though.
Comments: I found out that I really like listening to classical music at night. It's especially nice while reading too. Another thing I noticed is that I'm losing the ability to sense what time of day it is. I guess it's an understandable side effect of napping so often.
It's going pretty well. The naps are starting to feel different. Not necessarily the way they're supposed to feel, but different nonetheless. Probably a step in the right direction.
I think I'm starting to get some REM during the naps. I've been seeing some colors and flashes of light while asleep, and during the 9:30 AM cycle I distinctly remember being inside a truck with someone. I wouldn't call it a full blown dream, but it's a start. Exciting huh?
I thought so. That is, until I woke up and felt like crap haha. It was drowsiness at it's worst. The kind that makes you feel all confused and disoriented, like waking up from anesthesia. Somehow I managed to haul myself out of bed despite the zombification. I've been reading through Steve Pavlina's sleep logs again and this caught my attention. (Happened to be day 3 for him too)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/polyphasic-sleep-log-day-3/
He was thinking about taking more naps of the same length. The idea makes sense, you would still be depriving yourself of REM sleep if the naps were short. I thought it was a good idea, (I was also very tired) so I decided to try it. I stuck an extra nap right in the middle of two cycle at 11:30 AM. It seemed to help a good deal, even if it was just a mental thing. Far less drowsiness upon awakening.
I got hit with the same drowsiness after the 5:30 PM nap and tried the extra nap technique again. I woke up easy and quick from the second nap. Had enough energy to play DDR and then write this. :)
No superhuman benefits yet. Other than the ability to eat my own weight in food everyday. =P
The thing is, I really don't feel much worse than usual. (And I usually feel decent, for the record)
Thanks to everyone who took the poll!
Results from Day 3
Adherence to schedule: 9/10 - Didn't oversleep, but I kinda lied around in bed doing nothing for a few minutes. I also added the two extra naps, but I'm not counting that against me.
Mental awareness: 7/10 - Good with the exception of right after those two naps.
Physical energy: 7/10 - Got some decent exercise thanks to Dance Dance Revolution. Wasn't feeling up to running with the ol' XC team though. :( Maybe next week.
Productivity: 6/10 - Didn't finish my book, but I learned how to fold a paper crane. =) I'm not going to worry about productivity too much until the adaptation is over though.
Comments: I found out that I really like listening to classical music at night. It's especially nice while reading too. Another thing I noticed is that I'm losing the ability to sense what time of day it is. I guess it's an understandable side effect of napping so often.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Day 2
Edit: I added a poll to a.) get an idea how many people (if any) are reading this, and b.) get some other people's opinions. I know you probably only have sixteen waking hours in the day, but I'd really appreciate it if you took two seconds and checked it out! Much thanks! =)
Today was more challenging for sure, but I still don't feel like the walking dead.
All the AM naps went well except 9:30. I had bowling at 10, I figured Chris could drive and I'd sleep in the car. He had work after bowling though, so I ended up driving. :P I managed to get a tiny bit of sleep in just before 9:30. My motor skills and awareness were pretty good I think. (Seeing as how I'm still alive.)
My first spot of real confusion as to the time of day happened! :)
After the 1:30 nap I still felt like I was asleep, and didn't physically get out of bed. Big mistake. I must have nodded off eventually, possibly a few times. I woke up for good just before 6 o'clock the way I should have, but I think it might just be a lucky coincidence.
Sometime between these naps I hear my Mom coming down the stairs, thinking, "What in God's name is she doing in the basement at this hour?" She asked me if I wanted to eat, I said sure automatically they was I always do. It seriously took me a few minutes to realize that it was the middle of the afternoon and not early morning. Oi.
So anyways, falling asleep is becoming a lot easier. Probably due to the deprivation mostly, but as long as it works. Waking up doesn't seem to be a problem either, I actually woke up before a few alarms. Staying up after the first few minutes of being awake is where the challenge is. I think I'll start sleeping with the light on starting at today's 9:30 PM nap. If i still can't get myself up and about I might try a little caffeine before the nap.
9:30 PM
Last nap was good. I don't think I'm getting much if any REM sleep yet, but the naps are refreshing. And leaving the lights on worked really well, 3 minutes ago my eyes were closed. :)
Hopefully that REM sleep is right around the corner. All this free time to do stuff is nice, but it'll be all the more useful when I can concentrate on something other than not falling asleep!
Results from Day 2
Adherence to schedule: 6/10 - 9:30 AM nap was cut short cause of bowling. Then there was the time between 1:30 and 5:30 which I can't seem to remember. *face palm*
Mental awareness: 8/10 - I drove this morning (right after trying to sleep) down to South Side, then to Taylor, and home no problem. I even did some quick math in my head! It was rather surprising.
Physical energy: 7/10 - Satisfactory. Bowling doesn't require a whole lot.
Adding a new category to keep myself motivated. After all, what's the point if I spend the extra six hours doing nothing?
Productivity: 5/10 - I read some more of the Parable of the Sower. I think I'll set a goal to finish it tomorrow.
Comments: Getting up after I'm awake is crucial. I'll continue to sleep with the light on, especially during the next night or two. Keeping your mind off sleeping isn't necessary but makes it a whole lot easier. There were times when I was fully occupied with something and I felt absolutely normal, and that's even before I'm adapted. The mind truly is the weakest part of the body.
Today was more challenging for sure, but I still don't feel like the walking dead.
All the AM naps went well except 9:30. I had bowling at 10, I figured Chris could drive and I'd sleep in the car. He had work after bowling though, so I ended up driving. :P I managed to get a tiny bit of sleep in just before 9:30. My motor skills and awareness were pretty good I think. (Seeing as how I'm still alive.)
My first spot of real confusion as to the time of day happened! :)
After the 1:30 nap I still felt like I was asleep, and didn't physically get out of bed. Big mistake. I must have nodded off eventually, possibly a few times. I woke up for good just before 6 o'clock the way I should have, but I think it might just be a lucky coincidence.
Sometime between these naps I hear my Mom coming down the stairs, thinking, "What in God's name is she doing in the basement at this hour?" She asked me if I wanted to eat, I said sure automatically they was I always do. It seriously took me a few minutes to realize that it was the middle of the afternoon and not early morning. Oi.
So anyways, falling asleep is becoming a lot easier. Probably due to the deprivation mostly, but as long as it works. Waking up doesn't seem to be a problem either, I actually woke up before a few alarms. Staying up after the first few minutes of being awake is where the challenge is. I think I'll start sleeping with the light on starting at today's 9:30 PM nap. If i still can't get myself up and about I might try a little caffeine before the nap.
9:30 PM
Last nap was good. I don't think I'm getting much if any REM sleep yet, but the naps are refreshing. And leaving the lights on worked really well, 3 minutes ago my eyes were closed. :)
Hopefully that REM sleep is right around the corner. All this free time to do stuff is nice, but it'll be all the more useful when I can concentrate on something other than not falling asleep!
Results from Day 2
Adherence to schedule: 6/10 - 9:30 AM nap was cut short cause of bowling. Then there was the time between 1:30 and 5:30 which I can't seem to remember. *face palm*
Mental awareness: 8/10 - I drove this morning (right after trying to sleep) down to South Side, then to Taylor, and home no problem. I even did some quick math in my head! It was rather surprising.
Physical energy: 7/10 - Satisfactory. Bowling doesn't require a whole lot.
Adding a new category to keep myself motivated. After all, what's the point if I spend the extra six hours doing nothing?
Productivity: 5/10 - I read some more of the Parable of the Sower. I think I'll set a goal to finish it tomorrow.
Comments: Getting up after I'm awake is crucial. I'll continue to sleep with the light on, especially during the next night or two. Keeping your mind off sleeping isn't necessary but makes it a whole lot easier. There were times when I was fully occupied with something and I felt absolutely normal, and that's even before I'm adapted. The mind truly is the weakest part of the body.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Day 1
Today is the first day of the Uberman. Or rather, my adaptation to it.
I decided to sleep at 1:30, 5:30, and 9:30 since that actually fits my college schedule barring any changes. I'll probably have to go back to monophasic for the first week or so of college until things enter a routine. But that's not until late August, right now I need to concentrate on this.
AM
1:30
I lied down for my nap but couldn't get to sleep, no prob.
5:30
I think I may have gotten to sleep for a few minutes of NREM. Not exactly refreshing, but who cares.
9:30
Same thing basically. I just felt a little crummier when I woke up.
Went for a quick bike ride. It was nice but tiring. =P
I've found that I'm eating a lot already haha.
PM
1:30
Didn't really sleep. Lying down was nice though.
5:30
No sleep again, it was too loud in the house. It's getting harder to get up after the alarm. =P
Played volleyball/ultimate/beat people at Golden Park! Wasn't at my physical best, but it was much needed exercise after sitting here all through the AM. I kind of wish 9:30 rolled around while I was out so I could try sleeping in the grass, it seemed comfy. :)
9:30
It was still surprisingly noisy in the house, but I think I actually sleep some. It was also pretty easy to wake up. (???)
Day 1 complete!? Sure why not.
It sounds like day two is when your body really hits a wall, so I believe the worst is yet to come. Tomorrow I also have bowling at 10AM. I think I'll ask Chris to drive and try to sleep on the way down. If it's too difficult I can either bump back the nap times before they get ingrained into my head, or just say to hell with it, bowling's only once a week anyways.
Results from Day 1
Adherence to schedule: 10/10 - Didn't miss/postpone any naps or oversleep.
Mental awareness: 6/10 - Not bad considering I haven't had any real sleep in about forty hours. I have been particularly slow with mental math today.
Physical energy: 7/10 - It was surprisingly high for how little sleep I got I did get tired more quickly than normal at Golden Park, but I also haven't gotten any exercise lately.
Comments: I think my extreme excitement about starting this project helped to stave off some effects of the sleep deprivation.
Well, I'm hungry again. So that's all for now. Tomorrow ought to be interesting.
I decided to sleep at 1:30, 5:30, and 9:30 since that actually fits my college schedule barring any changes. I'll probably have to go back to monophasic for the first week or so of college until things enter a routine. But that's not until late August, right now I need to concentrate on this.
AM
1:30
I lied down for my nap but couldn't get to sleep, no prob.
5:30
I think I may have gotten to sleep for a few minutes of NREM. Not exactly refreshing, but who cares.
9:30
Same thing basically. I just felt a little crummier when I woke up.
Went for a quick bike ride. It was nice but tiring. =P
I've found that I'm eating a lot already haha.
PM
1:30
Didn't really sleep. Lying down was nice though.
5:30
No sleep again, it was too loud in the house. It's getting harder to get up after the alarm. =P
Played volleyball/ultimate/beat people at Golden Park! Wasn't at my physical best, but it was much needed exercise after sitting here all through the AM. I kind of wish 9:30 rolled around while I was out so I could try sleeping in the grass, it seemed comfy. :)
9:30
It was still surprisingly noisy in the house, but I think I actually sleep some. It was also pretty easy to wake up. (???)
Day 1 complete!? Sure why not.
It sounds like day two is when your body really hits a wall, so I believe the worst is yet to come. Tomorrow I also have bowling at 10AM. I think I'll ask Chris to drive and try to sleep on the way down. If it's too difficult I can either bump back the nap times before they get ingrained into my head, or just say to hell with it, bowling's only once a week anyways.
Results from Day 1
Adherence to schedule: 10/10 - Didn't miss/postpone any naps or oversleep.
Mental awareness: 6/10 - Not bad considering I haven't had any real sleep in about forty hours. I have been particularly slow with mental math today.
Physical energy: 7/10 - It was surprisingly high for how little sleep I got I did get tired more quickly than normal at Golden Park, but I also haven't gotten any exercise lately.
Comments: I think my extreme excitement about starting this project helped to stave off some effects of the sleep deprivation.
Well, I'm hungry again. So that's all for now. Tomorrow ought to be interesting.
Monday, July 28, 2008
100 Things to Do
I had heard someone made a list of things to do while they were in between naps and it seemed like a really good idea.
If anyone can think of something cool to do/read leave a comment and I'll add it. Doubt I'll actually come up with a hundred different things, but it made a good title. ;-)
If anyone can think of something cool to do/read leave a comment and I'll add it. Doubt I'll actually come up with a hundred different things, but it made a good title. ;-)
- Finish Parable of the Sower
Answer PotS questions on forum. Hah..pots.- Finish Harry Potter 5
- Read HP 6
- Read HP 7
- Read Angels and Demons
- Read The DaVinci Code (DaVinci was said to have used polyphasic sleeping himself btw!)
- Read Catcher in the Rye
- Beat FFVII
- Learn to juggle (or at least work on it)
- Fix my speakers
- Organize music folders
- Learn some new songs for the guitar
- Finish learning songs I half know
- Make an Uberman page on Squidoo
- Get some light exercise
- Finish C++ programming book
- Look for more free ways to promote website
- Organize adwords campaigns
- Read a random wikipedia article
- Learn more about electronics
- Rubik's Cube!
- Clean room
- Record dreams on DreamViews
- DDR
- Record VHS tapes and burn to DVD
- Visit StevePavlina.com
- Write thank you notes
- Finish The Four Hour Work Week
- Laundry
What is the Uberman?
The Uberman is not Superman's German twin, it's an alternative sleep schedule. A typical sleep schedule would be your 8 hours asleep, 16 hours awake method. This is often called monophasic sleep since it's done all at once. The Uberman is a polyphasic sleep schedule, meaning one rests in several phases. In my opinion it's a fancy way of saying, "I take naps."
How many naps?
The Uberman involves taking a twenty minute nap every four hours. In a twenty-four hour period that's six naps totaling a mere two hours of sleep. Crazy huh?
How can this possibly work?
Sleep can be divided into five stages. The first four, where there is no rapid eye movement, are grouped by the term NREM. The fifth stage, or REM stage, is where the body gets it's valuable REM sleep.
http://www.dreamviews.com/sleepstages.php
Using the Uberman schedule effectively eliminates NREM sleep. The body is conditioned to "cut to the chase" and enter REM sleep extraordinarily fast.
What about the other stages?
Well to be honest with you, I don't know. =P Certainly the first four stages aren't useless. However, it also seems that they aren't necessary either. Necessary for survival that is. I have a feeling the body will have a much more difficult time repairing itself physically while on the Uberman. That is, things like sore muscles and sickness will linger around longer than normal. As far as I know, polyphasic sleep has never been studied scientifically, so who knows what will happen?
Why in God's name would anyone want to do this?
Curiosity. At least for me. Then there's the obvious benefit of being up and about for twenty-two hours a day. Interestingly, people on the Uberman are reported to get slightly more REM sleep than those who sleep monophasically. (Again, at the expense of zero NREM sleep.) Having the additional REM sleep, people have said to feel an overall better sense of well being.
Additionally, some people have reported that they have incredibly vivid, and often lucid, dreams during the naps. One journal I read said that the Uberman had effectively cured the person of several sleep disorders she had, such has night terrors and sleep walking.
The downside.
It's just plain weird! I'm prepared to be looked at like a weirdo though. =)
Naps must be taken every four hours, on the dot. It sounds like delaying a nap even an hour is very bad. Oversleeping and missing naps are big no-nos.
The long terms effects are unknown.
The adaptation phase will suck.
Boredom could set in if you plan to watch television for 22 hours a day.
I wouldn't particularly call this a con, but you need to a eat a lot more since you're awake a lot more.
So I think I'm just about ready to start it. I would like to make a list of things to do before I go into serious sleep deprivation though. That should be the next post.
Additional links:
A personal experience, and tips about Uberman
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/4/15/103358/720
Info about polyphasic sleeping in general
Uh oh: "...the medical establishment, including sleep specialists, do not recommend this technique."
http://www.sleepdex.org/polyphasic.htm
How many naps?
The Uberman involves taking a twenty minute nap every four hours. In a twenty-four hour period that's six naps totaling a mere two hours of sleep. Crazy huh?
How can this possibly work?
Sleep can be divided into five stages. The first four, where there is no rapid eye movement, are grouped by the term NREM. The fifth stage, or REM stage, is where the body gets it's valuable REM sleep.
http://www.dreamviews.com/sleepstages.php
Using the Uberman schedule effectively eliminates NREM sleep. The body is conditioned to "cut to the chase" and enter REM sleep extraordinarily fast.
What about the other stages?
Well to be honest with you, I don't know. =P Certainly the first four stages aren't useless. However, it also seems that they aren't necessary either. Necessary for survival that is. I have a feeling the body will have a much more difficult time repairing itself physically while on the Uberman. That is, things like sore muscles and sickness will linger around longer than normal. As far as I know, polyphasic sleep has never been studied scientifically, so who knows what will happen?
Why in God's name would anyone want to do this?
Curiosity. At least for me. Then there's the obvious benefit of being up and about for twenty-two hours a day. Interestingly, people on the Uberman are reported to get slightly more REM sleep than those who sleep monophasically. (Again, at the expense of zero NREM sleep.) Having the additional REM sleep, people have said to feel an overall better sense of well being.
Additionally, some people have reported that they have incredibly vivid, and often lucid, dreams during the naps. One journal I read said that the Uberman had effectively cured the person of several sleep disorders she had, such has night terrors and sleep walking.
The downside.
It's just plain weird! I'm prepared to be looked at like a weirdo though. =)
Naps must be taken every four hours, on the dot. It sounds like delaying a nap even an hour is very bad. Oversleeping and missing naps are big no-nos.
The long terms effects are unknown.
The adaptation phase will suck.
Boredom could set in if you plan to watch television for 22 hours a day.
I wouldn't particularly call this a con, but you need to a eat a lot more since you're awake a lot more.
So I think I'm just about ready to start it. I would like to make a list of things to do before I go into serious sleep deprivation though. That should be the next post.
Additional links:
A personal experience, and tips about Uberman
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/4/15/103358/720
Info about polyphasic sleeping in general
Uh oh: "...the medical establishment, including sleep specialists, do not recommend this technique."
http://www.sleepdex.org/polyphasic.htm
Purpose
This blog was created to document my experience with the Uberman sleep schedule.
Each day I will record how well I adhered to the schedule as well as any thoughts, feelings, or possibly angry bouts of dementia I may experience.
Each day I will record how well I adhered to the schedule as well as any thoughts, feelings, or possibly angry bouts of dementia I may experience.
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