Comment author: johlstei 12 July 2013 01:45:34PM *  6 points [-]

Another thing that happened when I tried this was that no alarm could phase me. Every alarm I tried, including one that required typing my computer password, I would figure out how to turn it off in my sleep. I'm sure I could have continued escalating into solving np complete problems before it stopped, but I gave up soon afterward. I pretty much woke up exclusively from other being physically waking me. I even answered the phone while asleep once, no idea what I said.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 27 July 2013 01:50:13PM 3 points [-]

Very good points. Thought I've written a stupid slew on tricks for this sort of thing, my favorite but-I-can-overcome-any-alarm hack is the one I (in one of many moments of silliness) called the Boomstick method: Deeply ingrain a habit of doing some set of activities immediately upon waking. For instance, for a solid month and/or numerous short naps or pseudo-naps, respond to an alarm by leaping up, doing ten jumping jacks, running to the bathroom, slashing water on your face and then reciting a [something]. Then stay awake for a good period of time, and do wakeful things for the first while. You can, in fact, get your body to read a) the alarm as a signal to start that routine, and b) that routine as a signal to flip all the hormones etc. to "I'm awake" position. It's tough to develop, but overall works like a charm.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 12 July 2013 05:04:34PM 5 points [-]

Permanent link for Steve Pavlina on how to fall asleep quickly.

Here's a method I've found for dealing with my occasional insomnia-- I can slow down my heartbeat. I become aware of my heartbeat (pay attention to inner chest area-- trying it now while I'm sitting at the computer, I found it helped to start by using my fingers to feel my pulse at my throat), observe the rhythm, then imagine a slightly slower rhythm, which my heart then follows.

I realize this involves some sub-skills. I don't know how common they are, or how hard they are to acquire for people who don't have them.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 27 July 2013 01:46:44PM 0 points [-]

Oo, nifty info, thanks!

I too seemed to retain my ability to fall asleep quickly, no matter what schedule I'm on. But then again, maybe that's because a) I've trained myself so thoroughly to nap and/or b) if I can't sleep pretty quickly, I just get up, no longer having the patience to lay in bed. ;)

Comment author: Risto_Saarelma 13 July 2013 02:37:36PM 2 points [-]

He just coined the name.

She. And the idea that this is actually something you can get out and train yourself to do wasn't really out there before, even though stuff like Dymaxion sleep had been documented.

Because if you are suffering from insomnia the last thing you want to do is reduce your daily sleep to potentially 0 minutes since you can reasonably expect to not be getting any sleep from those naps.

Your expectance to get some sleep in will probably go up even with most insomnias once you start building up enough sleep deprivation. And there are middle and terminal insomnias that have you able to fall asleep but unable to stay asleep the whole night.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 27 July 2013 01:44:44PM 2 points [-]

Thank you for the "she". ;) Also, I agree that simply taking data from willing polyphasers means a higher likelihood of your baseline being abnormal for one reason or another, the presence of already-screwy sleep definitely among them. However, the research has gotta start somewhere, and I'm thrilled that voluntary groups are starting to form -- it's a great step, and LW are just about the perfect people to be on it IMO. <3

(I did "just name it", but before I started writing about it in '00, there was no data other than Dr. Fuller's, which was really only recorded / disseminated in a tiiiiiiny Time Magazine blurb in the 80's; and Dr. Stampi's work on naps generally, which is excellent but limited and doesn't discuss polyphasic sleep as a lifestyle. I didn't know this at the time -- I thought I was just writing my experiences with something that surely other people had written more about elsewhere...which I mention to excuse the rather slipshod quality of my early work. It's why I tried so hard to improve the book and to make my site more comprehensive later...I hope I've made up for some of the early lapses.)

Thanks!

Comment author: zslastman 15 July 2013 11:24:55AM 0 points [-]

I feel I should point out that mindfulness meditation is not something you want to be doing if you're trying to get to sleep. For many people, myself included, doing it before bed can ruin a night's sleep. You want to do something like autogenics if you're trying to nod off, although if you can't, mindfulness meditation might help mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 27 July 2013 01:39:35PM 2 points [-]

I agree with you -- I even tried to develop a variant on MM that would be more conducive to allowing sleep to happen if it could, while still being a useful state to just chill in if it couldn't: http://www.puredoxyk.com/index.php/2008/09/29/cant-fall-asleep-for-a-nap-try-this/

Maybe I hit that balance, maybe I didn't; but I do think that the point is well made that MM itself isn't necessarily the best thing for this purpose.

Comment author: Jonathan_Graehl 16 July 2013 05:06:30AM 1 point [-]

I thought this was quite damning. It's been in circulation for a long time (since 2010?) without any refutation.

That said, it is clear that there's a tension between (mental) sleep efficiency and sleep debt. Unfortunately, it's easy to demonstrate all kinds of mental impairment from undersleeping.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 27 July 2013 01:36:55PM 3 points [-]

Actually, I wrote a refutation of it years ago. It's more vitriolic than I'd write if it were today (but then again, today I'd just say that my book contains the refutations for most of this in much more polished form), but it did get answered.

Here's the refutation: http://www.puredoxyk.com/index.php/index.php/about-polyphasic-sleep/an-attack-on-polyphasic-sleep/

And a follow-up discussion I thought was pretty helpful at the time: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/polyphasic/_R4-kdZbpJI

Comment author: malcolmocean 11 July 2013 05:57:22PM 0 points [-]

If I were in the study, I would pay to be in the 12 naps group (I realize this would be bad data wise). Sleep dep sucks, and taking extra naps can be such a relief.

So I'd bet that for both physiological and psychological reasons, the 12 naps group would be much more likely to succeed, and to enjoy it.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 27 July 2013 01:32:17PM 0 points [-]

Of course, 12 naps means twice the opportunities to oversleep...

I'm fascinated by the idea of using extra naps during adaptation, since it is a natural response to want them, and the people I've known who took them deliberately didn't find them harmful (unless they overslept, which is a definite risk if one is already exhausted). I never allowed for them myself.

Comment author: Puredoxyk 02 March 2013 05:31:19PM 1 point [-]

"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." -L. Wittgenstein

(Apologies if this quote has been in a previous month -- I'm a new user to LW -- but I had to include it since a) pretty brevity and b) so perfect for the Internets!)

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