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Uberman's Sleep Schedule

Azmin Taraporewala
Ever heard of Uberman's sleep schedule? Well, this form of sleep schedule would sound uncanny a practice to delve further into; it involves taking 20 minute naps every 4 hours.
How far is sleep important to you? This would be a million dollar question, if posed to utterly sleep-deprived souls. They would have volumes to narrate if they were given a chance to describe how essential sleep is, how they endure their waking hours without sleep and how they crave and seldom manage to snatch a wink!
What if there is a schedule that brings about changes in our very 'old and faithful' eight-hour good nights' sleep? Sounds too preposterous an idea? Well, then you have to be introduced to a sleep-less concept called Uberman's sleep schedule.

What is Uberman's Sleep Schedule?

This sleep schedule, also called the everyman sleep schedule, is an evident and normal sleep pattern that is adhered to by certain animal species.
The Uberman's sleep schedule suggests this pattern be followed by humans as well. Instead of conforming to the eight-hour essential sleep during the night hours, one could resort to having 20 to 30 minute naps during day and night. This pattern of sleeping is the cousin variant of polyphasic sleep.
The concept of polyphasic sleeping was addressed by Dr. Claudio Stampi. He forwarded situations where people had to go on a perpetual short nap pattern, thus regarding the plummeting levels of the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Stampi was intrigued to observe how people who are a part of competitions that require them to stay up for long hours can sustain the entire day and have their required REM sleep. Astronauts and certain army troops are taught to sustain with this sleep pattern.
Thus, Stampi proposed the idea of completing ones sleep schedule in short chunks; however, you could take 6 sessions of 20 to 30 minute naps throughout the day. The concept that was suggested by Stampi is not completely novel.
Though not pronounced on paper in the ancient times, this concept finally found solace in Stampi's words and proposals and thus even before he spelled his 'sleep' approach, the greatest and the most influential geniuses have proved their perspectives and made a mark in their respective fields without garnering the required sleep.
Polyphasic sleeping consists of stage 5 REM. The user literally gets transported into the stage 5 REM comprising deep sleep pattern for 20 to 30 minutes. The biggest breakthrough advantage of Uberman's polyphasic sleep schedule is the extra time that you gain on hand by chopping of the initial REM stages. When you take 6 naps of 20 to 30 minutes each, you average only two to two and half hours of sleep every day, due to navigating directly into the deep sleep 5th REM mode.
In the first few sessions of practicing this pattern, it may cause the individual to feel extremely grumpy, sleepy and having difficulties in concentrating on tasks at hand.

Is Uberman's Sleep Schedule Dangerous?

The Uberman's sleep schedule is not dangerous if practiced for a brief period.
An anecdotal fact is that people who have tried this sleep pattern have had excess of time on hand which have escalated their hunger pangs! This, indeed, is an ironic situation where the REM stages plummet; however, the hunger pangs amplify themselves to the core.
Maybe, you could invest that spare time in working out and making the best of the exercise routines, making the best of the time gained.
Bear this in mind: If the polyphasic sleep schedule is adhered to, for a long time, it can have devastating effects on your health. Long-term effects of practicing this schedule include a negative impact on emotional health that can sustain scars, also result in sleep disorders. After all, we agree to, and acknowledge the importance of sleep, don't we!