Okay, it’s not Needs No Sleep...

[mithriltabby]

Polyphasic sleep is apparently a way to train your body to sleep efficiently— getting straight to the important patterns without all that lazing around. Game-wise, I think it’s a significant discount on the points because polyphasic sleepers have both a social stigma and a metabolic penalty if they miss their naps. An article on it at lifehack.org says good to know, do not implement it yet, and I’m inclined to agree.

But it would give me a chance to do more reading, or take up an MMORPG...

Update: The dangers of hacking sleep.

Comments

[random-girl.livejournal.com]

From what I studied in school 10 years ago, the only way you drop into REM immediatley upon sleeping is to go into sleep debt. Polyphasic sleepers are ALWAYS in sleep debt, on top of the fact they have to nap at specific times in order to get the benefits of the sleep habit. Current studies indicate that even a mild sleep debt starts affecting motor skills, such as stopping a car suddenly when driving, and more significant sleep debt (as which is likely to occur over time using this system, even as purely as suggested), starts the process of 'microsleep' where you fall asleep every time you blink your eyes (for a second)...this seriously impairs driving and is a big reason people fall asleep behind the wheel.

[cmccurry.livejournal.com]

When I was in Fort Leonard Wood, I got to talking to the man that ran the computer lab. He claimed to do this on a regular basis, but didn't use the term. Personally, I prefer normal sleep.

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

This sounds a lot like what Edison was reputed to do- little sleep, but a lot of catnaps through the day.

Now, if we could develop devices to induce this cycle, we'd have something like the "sleepsets" of Niven's Known Space series, which compressed a full night's sleep into two hours.

I could live with a device like that, since I regularly get six hours of sleep a night anyway.

lifehack.org

[trogula.livejournal.com]

Interesting site. Thanks for the link.

What is wrong with sleep?

[racerxmachina.livejournal.com]

(bear in mind that I can sleep 14 hours at a go, and used to be in the same sunspots as the cats when I was a kid)
Sleep is a beautiful part of life, and I'm sorry to see that some people feel that we should work to do away with it. The Russians used to say that the morning was wiser than the evening, and I think the saying has to do with putting a few hours of personal time and rest between you and your problems.
In reading lifehack, I realize that much of it has to do with tuning yourself for working efficiently, but I believe that we as humans cheat ourselves when we do away with the little built-in blessings that keep us sane and functional.

Re: What is wrong with sleep?

[mithriltabby]

Needs No Sleep is actually weregamer’s fantasy; I find it moderately tempting, but if I had the character points to spend, I’d just put them in sufficient Wealth that I didn’t need a day job.

Re: What is wrong with sleep?

[racerxmachina.livejournal.com]

Hear hear... 'sides, what better lifehack can one come up with than Rich and Bone Idle?