Hack Your Brain with Polyphasic Sleep

Summary

In this video, Tris shares his experience with polyphasic sleep, a sleep pattern that involves multiple short sleep periods throughout the day. After learning about it in 2007 and a failed attempt with the Uberman schedule, Tris successfully adapted to a modified version called Everyman E2 during a two-month experiment in April 2020. He details the challenges, benefits, and societal adjustments needed for such a lifestyle change, ultimately leading to improved sleep quality and increased productivity.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker, Tris, experimented with polyphasic sleep in April 2020 and felt productive with the extra time gained.
• 💤 Polyphasic sleep is the hypothesis that multiple shorter sleeps throughout the day can reduce overall sleep time needed.
• 📈 Tris learned about polyphasic sleep in 2007 and first attempted the Uberman schedule, which involves 20-minute naps every four hours.
• 🌐 The speaker's video content, including the script and images, is available on GitHub under a public domain license.
• 🧠 The polyphasic hypothesis suggests that only REM sleep is essential for the brain, with deep sleep being less critical.
• 📊 Tris' personal stats showed approximately two hours of REM sleep per night, aligning with the Uberman schedule's设计理念.
• 🚫 The Uberman schedule has a difficult adaptation period, causing initial sleep deprivation and societal challenges.
• 🛌 Tris' history with sleep included light insomnia and the need for significant sleep, affecting his daily routine and productivity.
• 🔄 After a long weekend and research on polyphasic.net, Tris decided to try the Everyman E2 schedule as an alternative to Uberman.
• 🎯 The adaptation to the Everyman E2 schedule was easier for Tris than the Uberman, and he successfully integrated it into his work routine.
• 🌙 The experiment led to significant life changes for Tris, including curing his insomnia and adjusting his sleep schedule to an early bird pattern.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is the presenter's personal experience with polyphasic sleep, specifically the Everyman E2 schedule, and the effects it had on their life and productivity.

When did the presenter first learn about polyphasic sleep?

The presenter first learned about polyphasic sleep in 2007.

What is the polyphasic sleep hypothesis?

The polyphasic sleep hypothesis is the largely untested idea that sleeping more often during a 24-hour cycle results in needing less overall sleep than sleeping once, such as in a monophasic sleep pattern.

What is the Uberman sleep schedule?

The Uberman sleep schedule is a polyphasic sleep method where one takes a 20-minute nap every four hours with no other sleep, totaling only two hours of sleep per 24-hour period.

Why did the presenter choose to attempt polyphasic sleep again in April 2020?

The presenter chose to attempt polyphasic sleep again in April 2020 due to the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 lockdown, which provided a flexible work schedule and reduced social obligations, making it an ideal time for experimentation.

What were the presenter's initial experiences with the Everyman E2 sleep schedule?

The presenter found the Everyman E2 sleep schedule to be much more approachable than the Uberman schedule they had attempted in the past. They experienced tiredness initially but managed to adapt within two weeks.

How did the polyphasic sleep experiment affect the presenter's insomnia?

The polyphasic sleep experiment cured the presenter's insomnia, allowing them to fall asleep more easily and improving their overall sleep quality.

What advice does the presenter give to those interested in trying polyphasic sleep?

The presenter advises interested individuals to experiment quietly, choose a schedule that works well for them, use white noise while napping, and not to worry about productivity during the adaptation period.

How did the presenter structure their daily routine during the polyphasic sleep experiment?

The presenter structured their daily routine to include waking up at 0300, having their first nap at 0700, working until their second nap at 1300 during their lunch break, and adjusting their afternoon nap time as needed.

What were the presenter's feelings towards the end of the day on the polyphasic sleep schedule?

The presenter felt very tired at the end of the day, leading them to be eager to wind up social gatherings before 2200 and to be disciplined about logging off at bedtime.

How can viewers engage with the presenter and access additional content?

Viewers can engage with the presenter through Patreon for early, ad-free, and tracking-free videos, as well as access to a private section of the presenter's Discord server. They can also listen to the presenter's podcasts and check out the transcripts and source code on GitHub.