Hi mogtm-ga,
Thanks for posting a very interesting question indeed.
You are correct. There are plenty of anecdotes and testimonials from
people who've been trying this sleep schedule on dozens of blogs and
newsgroups. However, very little research has been conducted on this
topic.
The most definitive research on Polyphasic sleep appears to be
available in the book "Why We Nap: Evolution, Chronobiology, and
Functions of Polyphasic and Ultrashort Sleep" by Claudio Stampi
(Hardcover: 279 pages Publisher: Birkhauser Boston 1992 ISBN:
0817634622). The Amazon.com link to this book is as follows:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0817634622/qid=1097509048/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-3168702-1109534?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Here are links to two scientific experiments aimed at understanding
polyphasic sleep behavior:
"The Effects of Short Daytime Naps for Five Consecutive Days" by
Mitsuo Hayashi, Hirokazu Fukushima and Tadao Hori
Department of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Integrated Arts and
Sciences, Hiroshima University.
http://www.sro.org/pdf/3276.pdf
"To sleep, or not to sleep that is the question" By Dr David
Stevenson, RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
http://www.raf.mod.uk/ifs/files/320015.pdf
Here are links to two organisations dedicated to research in sleep and
sleep disorders. Although, I was able to find little information on
Polyphasic Sleep on these links (apart from the Hiroshima University
experiment, mentioned above), you may find some information on these
sites sometime in the future:
Sleep Research Online
http://www.sro.org/
Subscription site: Official Publication of the Associated Professional
Sleep Societies, LLC (A joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep
Medicine and the Sleep Research Society)
http://www.journalsleep.org/
WikiPedia, the online encyclopedia has some interesting information on
Polyphasic Sleep:
"The theory is that while ordinary monophasic sleep consists of cycles
only one (quite late) cycle of which is REM sleep, after being
deprived of REM sleep during an adjustment period the brain will start
to enter the REM stage much quicker - with the result that each short
nap contains a large proportion of REM. Some theories of sleep suggest
that REM is largely responsible for the mental rejuvenation effects of
sleep - it has been documented that depriving animals of REM sleep
specifically leads to death in 3 to 8 weeks (that doesn't happen with
depriving animals of other specific sleep phases). Thus, since
polyphasic sleepers get, according to this theory, as much or more REM
sleep as monophasic sleepers, the claims that polyphasic sleepers
attain the same energy levels would make sense. There is little direct
evidence to support the theory, aside from anecdotal evidence, as not
enough research has been conducted on this topic. There have also been
reports of more frequent or enhanced lucid dreams while using this
technique. Concern has been expressed about the long-term effects of
suppressing the other sleep stages, although no long-term side effects
have been documented yet. Some negative effects may be unrelated to
this particular schedule, but to the general lack of sleep. It has
been shown that lack of sleep weakens the immune system, decreases the
amount of growth hormone produced and decreases the ability of the
body to metabolize sugar.
Several famous people are said to have used this method including
Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison. Other figures said to be
associated with polyphasic sleep experimentation include Buckminster
Fuller, Nikola Tesla, Napoleon, and Winston Churchill. This method was
also popularized on Seinfeld, where the character Cosmo Kramer
attempted to adapt to a polyphasic sleeping pattern."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphasic_sleep
The only mention to the direct ill-effects of polyphasic sleep I could
come across was at the following link:
Highly fragmented sleep, indeed ?polyphasic sleep? has been identified
as a possible circadian rhythm disruption in severe alcohol dependent
adults (Gillin and Drummond, 2000).
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/children/407-01pnl/grantapp.pdf
Additional Link:
Uberman's sleep schedule
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/4/15/103358/720
Search terms used in Google Search:
polyphasic
"polyphasic sleep"
"uberman's schedule"
"uberman sleep"
"sleep disorders"
"sleep research"
I hope you find this information useful! If you have any questions,
please don't hesitate to ask me. I'll be glad to offer further
assistance. Please request clarification if any of the links don't work for you.
Best regards,
bestsearcher-ga |
