Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was a great day. I cooked a nice homemade breakfast, went grocery shopping at 3am, and overall had a fair amount of energy throughout. I wish each day could be like today, but hey, I'll take what I can get. I think switching away from high-carb breakfasts like cereal and moving to lean/high-protein breakfasts (like eggs) has certainly helped, as I no longer feel overwhelmingly tired shortly thereafter.
I suppose that's about it for now - we'll see if this trend continues! Updated vitals here.
November 30, 2015
November 29, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 15
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was pretty good. Once I woke up from my core nap, I got up quickly, but I noticed that I was waking up to my backup alarm (which sounds like a loud klaxon). Presumably I slept right through the first alarm, which has a slightly less obnoxious tone of chimes. To me, this simply underscored the necessity of having backups wherever possible throughout your regimen, not just your alarm clocks (although clearly they are very important).
One change I did make this morning was to prepare myself some scrambled eggs - except this time I'm trying to learn the technique of professional chefs. For my first time, I think it went pretty well, but more importantly, I didn't experience any carb crash or overwhelming sleepiness I usually get after having cereal for breakfast (and to a lesser extent, Soylent). Some individuals may not have a problem with this, but as I'm closer to the hypoglycemic end of things, reducing the carb counts for breakfast really helped avoid the early-morning sleepiness I usually am plagued with.
Otherwise, the rest of the day went very well. I did some great organizing around the house, prepared another batch of eggs (slightly differently to compare various approaches), and did another lesson of Tai Chi. I only really started to get tired when it was around nap time, or in one case halfway through watching a long movie, although a cup of coffee cleared that up nicely.
I should hope to have more days like this - if I could, this last stretch of adaptation would seem to go by much easier. Updated vitals here.
Today was pretty good. Once I woke up from my core nap, I got up quickly, but I noticed that I was waking up to my backup alarm (which sounds like a loud klaxon). Presumably I slept right through the first alarm, which has a slightly less obnoxious tone of chimes. To me, this simply underscored the necessity of having backups wherever possible throughout your regimen, not just your alarm clocks (although clearly they are very important).
One change I did make this morning was to prepare myself some scrambled eggs - except this time I'm trying to learn the technique of professional chefs. For my first time, I think it went pretty well, but more importantly, I didn't experience any carb crash or overwhelming sleepiness I usually get after having cereal for breakfast (and to a lesser extent, Soylent). Some individuals may not have a problem with this, but as I'm closer to the hypoglycemic end of things, reducing the carb counts for breakfast really helped avoid the early-morning sleepiness I usually am plagued with.
Otherwise, the rest of the day went very well. I did some great organizing around the house, prepared another batch of eggs (slightly differently to compare various approaches), and did another lesson of Tai Chi. I only really started to get tired when it was around nap time, or in one case halfway through watching a long movie, although a cup of coffee cleared that up nicely.
I should hope to have more days like this - if I could, this last stretch of adaptation would seem to go by much easier. Updated vitals here.
November 28, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 14
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
I seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties. Which, in this case, means that I incorrectly set my alarm (or more specifically, thought it was set when in fact it wasn't). I overslept my core by about 90 minutes, and while oversleeping is never good, it's not as bad as it could've been. Still, I'm kinda bummed, as I had otherwise been keeping to my schedule fairly well.
To confuse things further (because, you know, why not), I also completely missed my first scheduled nap. I'm not even really sure why, but I suppose I wasn't watching the clock as frequently as I should have, and didn't end up taking it till a bit over two hours past it's scheduled time.
Sigh. It's easy to get frustrated at myself for things like these, but I also realize that getting mad at myself is only going to want to make me quit, so I've resolved to simply make note of the reasons for each deviation, and try to implement a fix to avoid it in the future. Such as fixing the alarm clock's schedule and reminding myself to play closer attention to the clock. I can't expect perfection from myself, but I can expect perseverance, so that's what I'll focus on.
Updated vitals here.
I seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties. Which, in this case, means that I incorrectly set my alarm (or more specifically, thought it was set when in fact it wasn't). I overslept my core by about 90 minutes, and while oversleeping is never good, it's not as bad as it could've been. Still, I'm kinda bummed, as I had otherwise been keeping to my schedule fairly well.
To confuse things further (because, you know, why not), I also completely missed my first scheduled nap. I'm not even really sure why, but I suppose I wasn't watching the clock as frequently as I should have, and didn't end up taking it till a bit over two hours past it's scheduled time.
Sigh. It's easy to get frustrated at myself for things like these, but I also realize that getting mad at myself is only going to want to make me quit, so I've resolved to simply make note of the reasons for each deviation, and try to implement a fix to avoid it in the future. Such as fixing the alarm clock's schedule and reminding myself to play closer attention to the clock. I can't expect perfection from myself, but I can expect perseverance, so that's what I'll focus on.
Updated vitals here.
November 27, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 13
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was pretty good, although my body was definitely trying to get me to go to sleep in the morning. Thankfully, I was able to stave it off, and like prior times, it eventually went away by itself. It doesn't necessarily make it any easier, but knowing that it always resolves within a period of time helps to push through (as does walking in circles when you need to!). After the morning, though, things went pretty smoothly. During my second nap of the day, I woke up about one minute before my alarm went off, which is a good sign.
Updated vitals here.
Today was pretty good, although my body was definitely trying to get me to go to sleep in the morning. Thankfully, I was able to stave it off, and like prior times, it eventually went away by itself. It doesn't necessarily make it any easier, but knowing that it always resolves within a period of time helps to push through (as does walking in circles when you need to!). After the morning, though, things went pretty smoothly. During my second nap of the day, I woke up about one minute before my alarm went off, which is a good sign.
Updated vitals here.
November 26, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 12
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Happy Thanksgiving! Alas, it was a bit of a tougher day today. Not because I overslept, or some other big deviation from my schedule, but I noticed I was getting waves of tiredness during the early morning. Interestingly, they seemed to stop once the sun came up, though they returned in late afternoon/evening. I don't know that the sun had anything to do with it actually (perhaps increased ambient light), or it's just years of my monophasic routine encouraging sleep at night and wakefulness during the day. It could also be the stuffy nose I've had today - not enough to be full-blown sick, but enough to make me wonder if I might be fighting something small (which may also explain my increased tiredness).
At any rate, another day down, and hopefully one day closer to long term adaptation. Updated vitals here.
Happy Thanksgiving! Alas, it was a bit of a tougher day today. Not because I overslept, or some other big deviation from my schedule, but I noticed I was getting waves of tiredness during the early morning. Interestingly, they seemed to stop once the sun came up, though they returned in late afternoon/evening. I don't know that the sun had anything to do with it actually (perhaps increased ambient light), or it's just years of my monophasic routine encouraging sleep at night and wakefulness during the day. It could also be the stuffy nose I've had today - not enough to be full-blown sick, but enough to make me wonder if I might be fighting something small (which may also explain my increased tiredness).
At any rate, another day down, and hopefully one day closer to long term adaptation. Updated vitals here.
November 25, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 11
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was actually pretty good - although getting up was a chore (as it always seems to be thus far). I was able to hit all of my naps at their scheduled times, and I wasn't nearly as tired as yesterday. I don't want to be premature, but could it be that I'm finally reaching the last stage of adaptation? Here's to hoping.
Updated vitals here.
Today was actually pretty good - although getting up was a chore (as it always seems to be thus far). I was able to hit all of my naps at their scheduled times, and I wasn't nearly as tired as yesterday. I don't want to be premature, but could it be that I'm finally reaching the last stage of adaptation? Here's to hoping.
Updated vitals here.
November 24, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 10
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
I did NOT want to get up today. My body was fighting every step of the way, and yet after I did my morning routine like shaving, measuring my vitals, etc, I was more or less feeling fine. Unfortunately, this did not persist for long, and I was counting down the time until my first nap of the day. That occasional tiredness dogged me at various times throughout the day, which was frustrating but not entirely unexpected.
I've heard various estimates thrown out, but for my purposes I'm waiting until I've been at Phase Three for a solid three weeks before I evaluate whether I'm making progress towards final adaptation or still struggling to adapt. I'm sure my various deviations thus far haven't helped, and by all accounts Everyman does indeed take longer than, say, Uberman to adapt to, for the convenience of a less severe adaptation period. All in all, though, I'm marking this as par for the course, and I'm still dedicated to making this work.
Considering that the supposedly "average" person sleeps 8 hours a day, by condensing my sleep to only 4 hours of highly efficient sleep, I gain an extra 25% of life. The implications of that are huge, especially if you consider that life is only truly meaningful when you're awake. As I haven't observed any significant illness or impairment thus far (other than the sleep dep expected during transition), I'm got plenty of motivation to see this thing through.
Updated vitals here.
I did NOT want to get up today. My body was fighting every step of the way, and yet after I did my morning routine like shaving, measuring my vitals, etc, I was more or less feeling fine. Unfortunately, this did not persist for long, and I was counting down the time until my first nap of the day. That occasional tiredness dogged me at various times throughout the day, which was frustrating but not entirely unexpected.
I've heard various estimates thrown out, but for my purposes I'm waiting until I've been at Phase Three for a solid three weeks before I evaluate whether I'm making progress towards final adaptation or still struggling to adapt. I'm sure my various deviations thus far haven't helped, and by all accounts Everyman does indeed take longer than, say, Uberman to adapt to, for the convenience of a less severe adaptation period. All in all, though, I'm marking this as par for the course, and I'm still dedicated to making this work.
Considering that the supposedly "average" person sleeps 8 hours a day, by condensing my sleep to only 4 hours of highly efficient sleep, I gain an extra 25% of life. The implications of that are huge, especially if you consider that life is only truly meaningful when you're awake. As I haven't observed any significant illness or impairment thus far (other than the sleep dep expected during transition), I'm got plenty of motivation to see this thing through.
Updated vitals here.
November 23, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 9
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was a good day. After making some adjustments to the alarm, I was able to get up right away and on time. I was also able to get to all of my naps pretty close to their start time as well, although my 2nd nap was pretty light in quality. Overall, the day went pretty smoothly, although I was fighting some pretty strong tiredness on the train ride home from work - wouldn't be surprised if that might be partly because the midday nap wasn't that heavy.
It's not easy so far, but I keep reminding myself that it'll be worth it in the long run, not to mention that I've been loving the extra free time and finding it much easier to fall asleep already! Just a little bit longer, and I should be home free. Fingers crossed, anyway.
Updated vitals here.
Today was a good day. After making some adjustments to the alarm, I was able to get up right away and on time. I was also able to get to all of my naps pretty close to their start time as well, although my 2nd nap was pretty light in quality. Overall, the day went pretty smoothly, although I was fighting some pretty strong tiredness on the train ride home from work - wouldn't be surprised if that might be partly because the midday nap wasn't that heavy.
It's not easy so far, but I keep reminding myself that it'll be worth it in the long run, not to mention that I've been loving the extra free time and finding it much easier to fall asleep already! Just a little bit longer, and I should be home free. Fingers crossed, anyway.
Updated vitals here.
November 22, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 8
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Mehhh. Today was a wash. I woke up about seven hours after I fell asleep. I can only surmise that I must have slept through my alarm - I don't recall ever turning it off, much less hearing it. To resolve that, I'm going to set the alarm song to be more annoying (I think it may have been too gentle), and set a backup alarm as well. This really puzzles me, and is quite frustrating, as I was looking forward to trying to get another good day in like yesterday. At least I'm learning about these issues now, so I can make plans to avoid their recurrence. Each one I learn feels like a setback, but perhaps that's the only way to really learn.
As for the rest of the day, I was able to maintain a fairly close nap schedule, and despite having an unusually long core nap, was still perfectly able to fall asleep for all my naps. That's one thing that has been improving quite a bit recently - naps are resulting in much deeper sleeps and I'm falling asleep more quickly. Hooray!
Updated vitals here.
Mehhh. Today was a wash. I woke up about seven hours after I fell asleep. I can only surmise that I must have slept through my alarm - I don't recall ever turning it off, much less hearing it. To resolve that, I'm going to set the alarm song to be more annoying (I think it may have been too gentle), and set a backup alarm as well. This really puzzles me, and is quite frustrating, as I was looking forward to trying to get another good day in like yesterday. At least I'm learning about these issues now, so I can make plans to avoid their recurrence. Each one I learn feels like a setback, but perhaps that's the only way to really learn.
As for the rest of the day, I was able to maintain a fairly close nap schedule, and despite having an unusually long core nap, was still perfectly able to fall asleep for all my naps. That's one thing that has been improving quite a bit recently - naps are resulting in much deeper sleeps and I'm falling asleep more quickly. Hooray!
Updated vitals here.
November 21, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 7
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Well, today started out much better than yesterday. I was able to get up quickly and without issue. I got to practicing some Tai Chi lessons shortly after taking my vitals for the day, so I'm sure that helped keep me up, but I just felt less tired overall. The rest of the day also went well - I was able to get some good, quality naps, and didn't feel overly tired at all. In short, a great day for adaptation, and one I wish to keep repeating!
Updated vitals here.
Well, today started out much better than yesterday. I was able to get up quickly and without issue. I got to practicing some Tai Chi lessons shortly after taking my vitals for the day, so I'm sure that helped keep me up, but I just felt less tired overall. The rest of the day also went well - I was able to get some good, quality naps, and didn't feel overly tired at all. In short, a great day for adaptation, and one I wish to keep repeating!
Updated vitals here.
November 20, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 6
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
I think my mind is playing tricks on me. I got up once my alarm clock went off, laid in bed for a second to get my bearings, then got out of bed. When I eventually checked my phone to see what time it was, it read 3:26am, despite setting my alarm (and getting up) at 1am. I check some other clocks, but sure enough, it was 3:26. It would seem that my brief pause before getting out of bed was actually over two hours long! This highlights a temptation I had recognized before but not yet experienced till now - if you don't get out of bed immediately, you're liable to fall right back asleep (and not even notice it, apparently). My strategy now will be to stare at my phone from the second I turn it off till I leave the room, just to ensure there isn't any chance of sleepy chicanery wrecking my schedule.
Another thing I've observed is that when my sleep scheduled gets disrupted like this, it tends to snowball into other disruptions. Despite having over two hours of extra sleep, I was still feeling very tired an hour or two later, enough to where I found myself lurching up from a nap I caught myself in while sitting. Again, not helpful for adaptation purposes, so I've also made a new rule not to sit on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, when I'm feeling sleepy. It's just too cozy (apparently that can be a thing).
Otherwise, I had a good day, was alert and with it during work, and had a fantastic third nap which seemed to stretch on for one or two hours, despite my waking up after 17 minutes. The effect of time dilation is a funny thing to experience firsthand, especially when you see it go in both directions in the same day. The plan now is to implement the safeguards above, and make it through this last segment of adaptation - by golly, I'm going to push through this the best I can. Updated vitals here.
I think my mind is playing tricks on me. I got up once my alarm clock went off, laid in bed for a second to get my bearings, then got out of bed. When I eventually checked my phone to see what time it was, it read 3:26am, despite setting my alarm (and getting up) at 1am. I check some other clocks, but sure enough, it was 3:26. It would seem that my brief pause before getting out of bed was actually over two hours long! This highlights a temptation I had recognized before but not yet experienced till now - if you don't get out of bed immediately, you're liable to fall right back asleep (and not even notice it, apparently). My strategy now will be to stare at my phone from the second I turn it off till I leave the room, just to ensure there isn't any chance of sleepy chicanery wrecking my schedule.
Another thing I've observed is that when my sleep scheduled gets disrupted like this, it tends to snowball into other disruptions. Despite having over two hours of extra sleep, I was still feeling very tired an hour or two later, enough to where I found myself lurching up from a nap I caught myself in while sitting. Again, not helpful for adaptation purposes, so I've also made a new rule not to sit on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, when I'm feeling sleepy. It's just too cozy (apparently that can be a thing).
Otherwise, I had a good day, was alert and with it during work, and had a fantastic third nap which seemed to stretch on for one or two hours, despite my waking up after 17 minutes. The effect of time dilation is a funny thing to experience firsthand, especially when you see it go in both directions in the same day. The plan now is to implement the safeguards above, and make it through this last segment of adaptation - by golly, I'm going to push through this the best I can. Updated vitals here.
November 19, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 5
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
This morning was much easier than yesterday. While I still felt some latent tiredness along with an occasional yawn, I didn't feel nearly as out of it as I did before. The second nap of the day was a bit hard to fall asleep to for some reason, though I couldn't determine why. Overall, it seems that some progress is being made towards adapting to this final schedule, though there appears to be considerable distance to cover before I'd be comfortable calling myself adapted. All in all, today was just a "regular" (ha!) day, nothing too noteworthy really.
In other news, I've updated the comments setting here to allow for anonymous commenting, albeit with a CAPTCHA verification (I had turned it off previously due to spam posting). Let's see what happens this time.
Updated vitals here.
This morning was much easier than yesterday. While I still felt some latent tiredness along with an occasional yawn, I didn't feel nearly as out of it as I did before. The second nap of the day was a bit hard to fall asleep to for some reason, though I couldn't determine why. Overall, it seems that some progress is being made towards adapting to this final schedule, though there appears to be considerable distance to cover before I'd be comfortable calling myself adapted. All in all, today was just a "regular" (ha!) day, nothing too noteworthy really.
In other news, I've updated the comments setting here to allow for anonymous commenting, albeit with a CAPTCHA verification (I had turned it off previously due to spam posting). Let's see what happens this time.
Updated vitals here.
November 18, 2015
Everyday Phase Three: Day 4
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
This morning was pretty similar to yesterday's - rough. After being up for about an hour, I was hit with some pretty strong waves of tiredness. I remember reading somewhere that some choose to take an extra nap to help with the adaptation process. I decided to take a short nap (5 or 10 minutes), and woke up on time. However, my body latched onto that brief source of sleep and drew me back for more, resulting in my napping on-and-off for the next three hours or so.
Some things I learned: 1) Stand up! Move around, do exercise, anything to keep you moving. The more you do, the more awake you'll feel; conversely, the less you move, the more tired and sleepy you'll feel. 2) "Emergency Naps", like this one (as defined by an extra nap not normally part of your schedule), should be used exceedingly sparingly, or when faced with an unavoidable schedule conflict. If you do use it, however, take a full 20 minute nap if you have the time, and afterwards, get up and do something!
Otherwise, the day went pretty well otherwise. I really don't like setbacks like these, as I know it's not helping my adaptation any, but I still consider it progress, even if it's less progress than I would like. Updated vitals here.
This morning was pretty similar to yesterday's - rough. After being up for about an hour, I was hit with some pretty strong waves of tiredness. I remember reading somewhere that some choose to take an extra nap to help with the adaptation process. I decided to take a short nap (5 or 10 minutes), and woke up on time. However, my body latched onto that brief source of sleep and drew me back for more, resulting in my napping on-and-off for the next three hours or so.
Some things I learned: 1) Stand up! Move around, do exercise, anything to keep you moving. The more you do, the more awake you'll feel; conversely, the less you move, the more tired and sleepy you'll feel. 2) "Emergency Naps", like this one (as defined by an extra nap not normally part of your schedule), should be used exceedingly sparingly, or when faced with an unavoidable schedule conflict. If you do use it, however, take a full 20 minute nap if you have the time, and afterwards, get up and do something!
Otherwise, the day went pretty well otherwise. I really don't like setbacks like these, as I know it's not helping my adaptation any, but I still consider it progress, even if it's less progress than I would like. Updated vitals here.
November 17, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 3
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was pretty tiring. Thankfully, I didn't have any major slip ups like yesterday and accidentally fall alseep, but my body was definitely trying to. One of the things I began shortly after waking and taking my vitals were some Tai Chi classes by video (as I don't know many studios open at 2am). I've never taken that martial art before, and while I would prefer to return to Kenpo if I had my druthers, chronic pain in my feet (due to an injury with the Marine Corps quite some time ago) would likely limit any progress there. I'm finding Tai Chi very interesting, and the slow but focused movements are actually a great tool for keeping me awake and active while I go through adaptation.
I was tired at different points throughout the day, but work kept me pretty engaged, and the naps provided periodic, though not complete, refreshment. Near the very end of the day and during the train ride home, though, it was a struggle staying awake. However, I made it a point to focus on something, look out the window, anything but fall asleep, and in time it passed. It's not at all easy, but sometimes you just have to tell your body:
Updated vitals here.
Today was pretty tiring. Thankfully, I didn't have any major slip ups like yesterday and accidentally fall alseep, but my body was definitely trying to. One of the things I began shortly after waking and taking my vitals were some Tai Chi classes by video (as I don't know many studios open at 2am). I've never taken that martial art before, and while I would prefer to return to Kenpo if I had my druthers, chronic pain in my feet (due to an injury with the Marine Corps quite some time ago) would likely limit any progress there. I'm finding Tai Chi very interesting, and the slow but focused movements are actually a great tool for keeping me awake and active while I go through adaptation.
I was tired at different points throughout the day, but work kept me pretty engaged, and the naps provided periodic, though not complete, refreshment. Near the very end of the day and during the train ride home, though, it was a struggle staying awake. However, I made it a point to focus on something, look out the window, anything but fall asleep, and in time it passed. It's not at all easy, but sometimes you just have to tell your body:
Updated vitals here.
November 16, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 2
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
It was tough waking up today, but I was able to force myself to get out of bed on time. I wish it wasn't as much of a struggle; maybe I need one of these alarm clocks:
After I got up, I learned a few valuable lessons shortly afterwards. One, don't have cereal + fruit for your breakfast. On a normal schedule, cereal makes me fairly drowsy (due to the carb crash, presumably); during adaption, it nearly knocks me out. I tried staying moving around and staying busy, but I didn't even have the energy for that. I observed my second lesson after the first - if you're going to watch Netflix, don't lie down! Just several minutes after I plopped on the couch and tried to watch something to keep me occupied, I was fighting heavy eyelids, and lost to the Land of Nod shortly after.
Suffice it to say, the morning did not go as planned. The rest of the day, incidentally, went pretty well, and I was able to focus well at work, The naps weren't the best quality, but they served their purpose, and were enough to get me through the day. I tried to remind myself that even days like today can still be progress, as I think they were. I just have to make sure I don't forget my lessons learned the hard way. :)
Updated vitals here.
It was tough waking up today, but I was able to force myself to get out of bed on time. I wish it wasn't as much of a struggle; maybe I need one of these alarm clocks:
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| Simone Giertz |
Suffice it to say, the morning did not go as planned. The rest of the day, incidentally, went pretty well, and I was able to focus well at work, The naps weren't the best quality, but they served their purpose, and were enough to get me through the day. I tried to remind myself that even days like today can still be progress, as I think they were. I just have to make sure I don't forget my lessons learned the hard way. :)
Updated vitals here.
November 15, 2015
Everyman Phase Three: Day 1
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-1am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today officially begins Phase Three, and the last adjustment to my schedule (barring any new schedule conflicts or the like) - it feels great to have make it this far. While I'm technically at the same point schedule-wise as someone who's jumped in cold turkey, I also feel that I've performed a lot of the mental and biological retraining necessary to adopt a polyphasic schedule. My hope is that this last leg won't be nearly as rough as it would be for someone just starting out, and who jumped to the end-state Everyman schedule immediately.
As far as how I feel, I've been fine so far. The morning drowsiness wore off shortly after waking, and I tried to stay busy enough to keep boredom and sleep at bay. The first and third naps were great and deep, although the second one was fairly light. This may be because I wasn't able to really seal out the light in my bedroom, so I have may have to get to work hanging some light blocking shades and/or use a sleep mask.
The real test will come in the next few days, as my body reacts to the latest change in schedule. Updated vitals here
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| napchart.com/cttnd |
As far as how I feel, I've been fine so far. The morning drowsiness wore off shortly after waking, and I tried to stay busy enough to keep boredom and sleep at bay. The first and third naps were great and deep, although the second one was fairly light. This may be because I wasn't able to really seal out the light in my bedroom, so I have may have to get to work hanging some light blocking shades and/or use a sleep mask.
The real test will come in the next few days, as my body reacts to the latest change in schedule. Updated vitals here
November 14, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 27
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
So..... today was a wash. I adjusted my alarm to wake up a half hour later (since I was up a little later), only to realize much too late that I was adjusting my weekday alarm schedule, not my weekend alarm. Thus, the alarm didn't go off at all, and instead of waking up around 2:30am like I planned, I didn't fully get up until about 9:30am. In truth, I got up briefly at 6:30am, but after realizing my grievous error, I figured this day was shot and so went back to sleep.
In other news, I passed my exam today, and in hindsight, perhaps it wasn't too bad to be getting some extra sleep right before a test (and to help kick this cold). Not what I had planned, but I suppose that's life, and I'll have to get used to adjusting to random variations like these if I'm going to make this long term. I only took one nap today, but considering the huge amount of sleep I got, I figure I'm probably just getting back to normal.
I haven't changed my schedule, so tonight begins my venture into Phase Three and my final adaption into the standard Everyman sleep schedule. I wouldn't be surprised to have a bit of a bumpy beginning (considering my volatile past few days), but if I can make it through this week, I should be able to make it long term. Here's to hoping anyway - see you on the other side!
Updated vitals here - unfortunately I wasn't able to get my vitals at the usual time, so they might be less than useful.
So..... today was a wash. I adjusted my alarm to wake up a half hour later (since I was up a little later), only to realize much too late that I was adjusting my weekday alarm schedule, not my weekend alarm. Thus, the alarm didn't go off at all, and instead of waking up around 2:30am like I planned, I didn't fully get up until about 9:30am. In truth, I got up briefly at 6:30am, but after realizing my grievous error, I figured this day was shot and so went back to sleep.
In other news, I passed my exam today, and in hindsight, perhaps it wasn't too bad to be getting some extra sleep right before a test (and to help kick this cold). Not what I had planned, but I suppose that's life, and I'll have to get used to adjusting to random variations like these if I'm going to make this long term. I only took one nap today, but considering the huge amount of sleep I got, I figure I'm probably just getting back to normal.
I haven't changed my schedule, so tonight begins my venture into Phase Three and my final adaption into the standard Everyman sleep schedule. I wouldn't be surprised to have a bit of a bumpy beginning (considering my volatile past few days), but if I can make it through this week, I should be able to make it long term. Here's to hoping anyway - see you on the other side!
Updated vitals here - unfortunately I wasn't able to get my vitals at the usual time, so they might be less than useful.
November 13, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 26
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Last night's sleep was pretty good, and although I still got up tired, it passed for the most part 15 minutes later. I continue to be amazed at how sustainable this whole polyphasic thing has been so far - even after two colds, schedule interrupts and just life in general. I haven't found it nearly as difficult as I anticipated, though it wouldn't be fair to call it easy either.
I think I achieved an actual, full sleep at each nap today. I didn't necessarily dream in each one, but each one I got up feeling pretty refreshed. That's pretty good progress to me, and represents the end-state I'd like to achieve long term. Other than that, today was pretty good; just felt like a "regular" day - although I admit my definition of regular has changed considerably recently!
Like I mentioned yesterday, I'll be switching to Phase Three tomorrow night, so tonight's the last regular day of Phase Two. I'm definitely glad I took a phased approach to this project, as I beliebe it's made progress much more sustainable, but I'm happy to be moving on to the final phase and getting started on my final leg of adaptation. Here's to progress! Updated vitals here.
Last night's sleep was pretty good, and although I still got up tired, it passed for the most part 15 minutes later. I continue to be amazed at how sustainable this whole polyphasic thing has been so far - even after two colds, schedule interrupts and just life in general. I haven't found it nearly as difficult as I anticipated, though it wouldn't be fair to call it easy either.
I think I achieved an actual, full sleep at each nap today. I didn't necessarily dream in each one, but each one I got up feeling pretty refreshed. That's pretty good progress to me, and represents the end-state I'd like to achieve long term. Other than that, today was pretty good; just felt like a "regular" day - although I admit my definition of regular has changed considerably recently!
Like I mentioned yesterday, I'll be switching to Phase Three tomorrow night, so tonight's the last regular day of Phase Two. I'm definitely glad I took a phased approach to this project, as I beliebe it's made progress much more sustainable, but I'm happy to be moving on to the final phase and getting started on my final leg of adaptation. Here's to progress! Updated vitals here.
November 12, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 25
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Today was much better - my cold symptoms are definitely starting to subside now. I have a dry cough (presumably from my residual post-nasal drip) and some heaviness in my chest, but otherwise things are going much better. Magical, even, like Cinderella turning into a beautiful sloth.
Going back to the 4 hour schedule did result in some tiredness this morning, but that wasn't terribly surprising. My naps were again pretty light, which was annoying but I believe a side-effect of the cold itself disrupting my sleep. I'm fairly certain I would have had a great third nap if I wasn't coughing every two minutes when I tried to lie down.
Otherwise, though, I think I'm making pretty good progress overall. I have an exam on Saturday afternoon, so to avoid taking it at the very beginning of a new segment, I'm going to begin my next segment (and finally graduate to Phase Three!) that Saturday night instead of Friday like I normally would. This will also give my body another day to compensate for the monkey wrench this annoying cold tossed into my plans, but it's also taught me some important lessons on how to properly adjust one's sleep schedule when sick.
New set of vitals updated here - I find it rather interesting to see the spike in blood pressure and resting heart rate that my cold gave me. I know that sickness in general is known to cause this, but I find it fascinating to watch (and measure!) it happening to my own body. Quite a nifty and well-designed machine our bodies are.
Today was much better - my cold symptoms are definitely starting to subside now. I have a dry cough (presumably from my residual post-nasal drip) and some heaviness in my chest, but otherwise things are going much better. Magical, even, like Cinderella turning into a beautiful sloth.
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| Jen Lewis / BuzzFeed / Disney |
Otherwise, though, I think I'm making pretty good progress overall. I have an exam on Saturday afternoon, so to avoid taking it at the very beginning of a new segment, I'm going to begin my next segment (and finally graduate to Phase Three!) that Saturday night instead of Friday like I normally would. This will also give my body another day to compensate for the monkey wrench this annoying cold tossed into my plans, but it's also taught me some important lessons on how to properly adjust one's sleep schedule when sick.
New set of vitals updated here - I find it rather interesting to see the spike in blood pressure and resting heart rate that my cold gave me. I know that sickness in general is known to cause this, but I find it fascinating to watch (and measure!) it happening to my own body. Quite a nifty and well-designed machine our bodies are.
November 11, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 24
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Having a cold stinks. It doesn't help when you're in the middle of transition, either. Some suggest that you should quit entirely if you get sick during adaptation, but I've worked hard to get where I am. Unless I become seriously sick (which I haven't), I'm inclined to take a middle-ground approach. Therefore, I adjusted my core sleep to last a little longer than usual to get a bit more sleep. Interestingly, my body got up naturally shortly after 4 hours of sleep, a good sign that adaptation has taken hold. I went back to sleep, but felt ready to get up after another hour or so.
Another site mentions studies (without citing them, unfortunately) indicating that the restorative effects of sleep is primarily a function of the brain, not the rest of the body. Sleep deprivation reliably results in cognitive impairment, but cellular function continues throughout the rest of the body unabated. If that were truly the case, it would seem to explain how polyphasers can continue their sleep schedules long-term without experiencing a host of physically-damaging effects. As long as you're getting enough quality sleep for your cognitive function, it would seem that the body is perfectly fine with such a sleep schedule. I would love to see those studies cited, though.
Naps were pretty variable in sleep quality today, as my cold symptoms were still pretty strong, but it still felt good to be maintaining the schedule anyway. Around halfway through the day, I started to feel like I was finally starting to get better. I've been drinking tea like a drunk frat boy at a college party, and generally doing everything I can to kick this as fast as I can. Tonight I plan on returning to my regular 4-hour core nap schedule; I don't want to vary from my plan for too long. Time to stay the course! Updated vitals here.
Having a cold stinks. It doesn't help when you're in the middle of transition, either. Some suggest that you should quit entirely if you get sick during adaptation, but I've worked hard to get where I am. Unless I become seriously sick (which I haven't), I'm inclined to take a middle-ground approach. Therefore, I adjusted my core sleep to last a little longer than usual to get a bit more sleep. Interestingly, my body got up naturally shortly after 4 hours of sleep, a good sign that adaptation has taken hold. I went back to sleep, but felt ready to get up after another hour or so.
Another site mentions studies (without citing them, unfortunately) indicating that the restorative effects of sleep is primarily a function of the brain, not the rest of the body. Sleep deprivation reliably results in cognitive impairment, but cellular function continues throughout the rest of the body unabated. If that were truly the case, it would seem to explain how polyphasers can continue their sleep schedules long-term without experiencing a host of physically-damaging effects. As long as you're getting enough quality sleep for your cognitive function, it would seem that the body is perfectly fine with such a sleep schedule. I would love to see those studies cited, though.
Naps were pretty variable in sleep quality today, as my cold symptoms were still pretty strong, but it still felt good to be maintaining the schedule anyway. Around halfway through the day, I started to feel like I was finally starting to get better. I've been drinking tea like a drunk frat boy at a college party, and generally doing everything I can to kick this as fast as I can. Tonight I plan on returning to my regular 4-hour core nap schedule; I don't want to vary from my plan for too long. Time to stay the course! Updated vitals here.
November 10, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 23
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
It was a bit tough getting up, but once I did, I was fairly alert within ten minutes. This lasted for a good bit of time, though drowsiness came on strongly afterwards. Today I felt cold symptoms pretty strongly - runny nose, general tiredness/foggyness, and achiness. I'm hoping that it's not too bad, but I'm trying to take every measure to get over it quickly - lots of tea, nettipot, zinc, etc. I may have to adjust my sleep schedule temporarily, so for tonight I'm going to sleep a bit longer than normal, just to help kick this cold. I'm hoping that a day or two of extra sleep won't ruin my progress thus far.
As for the naps, they were pretty good. My first and third naps were solid, but my second (midday) one was a bit lighter. Updated vitals here.
It was a bit tough getting up, but once I did, I was fairly alert within ten minutes. This lasted for a good bit of time, though drowsiness came on strongly afterwards. Today I felt cold symptoms pretty strongly - runny nose, general tiredness/foggyness, and achiness. I'm hoping that it's not too bad, but I'm trying to take every measure to get over it quickly - lots of tea, nettipot, zinc, etc. I may have to adjust my sleep schedule temporarily, so for tonight I'm going to sleep a bit longer than normal, just to help kick this cold. I'm hoping that a day or two of extra sleep won't ruin my progress thus far.
As for the naps, they were pretty good. My first and third naps were solid, but my second (midday) one was a bit lighter. Updated vitals here.
November 9, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 22
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
I got up from my core nap pretty quickly today, and although I expected to feel tired and/or out of it given my completely off-the-book weekend schedule, I was moving around and getting things done without problem or hesitation. Only when it started to get near my first nap did I notice I was yawning more, but all things considered, that's not bad at all.
I got some sleep in the first nap, but I started to feel a bit funky as the morning went on - think I may have a sore throat. The noontime nap was nice enough, but I didn't sleep that heavily at all. However, my concentration and focus remained fairly steady, which I was pleased to discover. By the time I went for my evening nap at home, I was ready to sleep but not excessively tired. Nonetheless, I had a good nap, and made it to bed just fine. All in all, a pretty good day. As always, I've updated my vitals here.
I got up from my core nap pretty quickly today, and although I expected to feel tired and/or out of it given my completely off-the-book weekend schedule, I was moving around and getting things done without problem or hesitation. Only when it started to get near my first nap did I notice I was yawning more, but all things considered, that's not bad at all.
I got some sleep in the first nap, but I started to feel a bit funky as the morning went on - think I may have a sore throat. The noontime nap was nice enough, but I didn't sleep that heavily at all. However, my concentration and focus remained fairly steady, which I was pleased to discover. By the time I went for my evening nap at home, I was ready to sleep but not excessively tired. Nonetheless, I had a good nap, and made it to bed just fine. All in all, a pretty good day. As always, I've updated my vitals here.
November 8, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 21
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Well, today was a pretty mixed bag too. First, I didn't get to sleep until around 2am or so, so I shifted my core sleep to wake up at 6am to compensate. After a long night with friends at the ball, however, I woke up feeling pretty woozy, so I decided to sleep a bit longer. That helped considerably, and since I slept in I didn't take my morning nap. My second nap was a rather short 10-minutes in the car, as I had to begin a long drive and wanted to get something in. I was surprised that I got some light dreaming in, something about hard-carved etchings on two woodworking pieces being different and trying to figure out why (I never said my dreams made sense). At long last, my third nap was finally at the right time and length, and it was great to be back on schedule again. I'm not sure how this will affect my adaptation this week, but I should be able to look forward to a much more consistent week. Well, here's to hoping anyway! Vitals updated here.
Well, today was a pretty mixed bag too. First, I didn't get to sleep until around 2am or so, so I shifted my core sleep to wake up at 6am to compensate. After a long night with friends at the ball, however, I woke up feeling pretty woozy, so I decided to sleep a bit longer. That helped considerably, and since I slept in I didn't take my morning nap. My second nap was a rather short 10-minutes in the car, as I had to begin a long drive and wanted to get something in. I was surprised that I got some light dreaming in, something about hard-carved etchings on two woodworking pieces being different and trying to figure out why (I never said my dreams made sense). At long last, my third nap was finally at the right time and length, and it was great to be back on schedule again. I'm not sure how this will affect my adaptation this week, but I should be able to look forward to a much more consistent week. Well, here's to hoping anyway! Vitals updated here.
November 7, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 20
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-2am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Well, today begins the venture into the next segment: a four hour core sleep. It started off well enough, had my first nap (which was great), but I made the grave mistake of staying laying down on the couch because it was warm and comfy. Yeah... I woke up a couple hours later. :/ I was surprisingly refreshed (I figured I might be groggy, as I usually feel when I oversleep), but I felt great for the afternoon. In retrospect, perhaps the extra sleep wasn't too bad, as I was forced to skip my third nap entirely due to attending a ball in the evening and some friends showing up unexpectedly. However, my sleep schedule was thrown off pretty bad - not only did I skip my third nap, but I didn't end up getting to sleep until around 2am. Not the best way to start off a new segment.
Figuring out how to modify my schedule for social functions and unexpected events may prove to be the biggest long-term challenge to this sleep schedule, but at the end of the day it's not terribly different than a monophasic sleeper who was simply watchful of their sleep hours. If you drastically change your sleep schedule by a few hours, you're going to feel those effects regardless of your sleeping patterns. Learning to adapt, then, is key to your best performance, but I suppose that's nothing new :)
Today's vitals are uploaded.
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| napchart.com/ul5hq |
Figuring out how to modify my schedule for social functions and unexpected events may prove to be the biggest long-term challenge to this sleep schedule, but at the end of the day it's not terribly different than a monophasic sleeper who was simply watchful of their sleep hours. If you drastically change your sleep schedule by a few hours, you're going to feel those effects regardless of your sleeping patterns. Learning to adapt, then, is key to your best performance, but I suppose that's nothing new :)
Today's vitals are uploaded.
November 6, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 19
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-3am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Finally, I think I got three good naps today. Unfortunately, they weren't at the right times - my second and third naps had a pretty big offset. Nonetheless, I seem to recall going under and waking up at least somewhat refreshed after each one, which is pretty big progress for me. The question that remains to be seen now is whether I can do this repeatedly, or if this was just a fluke.
Vitals updated here.
Finally, I think I got three good naps today. Unfortunately, they weren't at the right times - my second and third naps had a pretty big offset. Nonetheless, I seem to recall going under and waking up at least somewhat refreshed after each one, which is pretty big progress for me. The question that remains to be seen now is whether I can do this repeatedly, or if this was just a fluke.
Vitals updated here.
November 5, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 18
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-3am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
The mornings are always the hardest, it seems. Once I make it to work, I'm usually fine the rest of the day. Despite feeling occasionally waves of tiredness, it's been quite doable. I didn't have the best nap quality for the first two naps, which seems to be more common for me thus far. The third nap was great, but I woke with some lingering tiredness, which I reason was caused by the comparatively poor first/second naps (plus the fact that my timing for naps this week has been all over the board).
In other news, tomorrow begins the penultimate segment - just four hours for a core nap. I'm curious to see what it will be like, but I have a feeling it'll be like this segment was - rough for the first four days, then tapering off the last three. I have a feeling I'm going to need that Big List of Things To Do now more than ever, if only to help keep me occupied and on track.
Today's vitals are uploaded.
The mornings are always the hardest, it seems. Once I make it to work, I'm usually fine the rest of the day. Despite feeling occasionally waves of tiredness, it's been quite doable. I didn't have the best nap quality for the first two naps, which seems to be more common for me thus far. The third nap was great, but I woke with some lingering tiredness, which I reason was caused by the comparatively poor first/second naps (plus the fact that my timing for naps this week has been all over the board).
In other news, tomorrow begins the penultimate segment - just four hours for a core nap. I'm curious to see what it will be like, but I have a feeling it'll be like this segment was - rough for the first four days, then tapering off the last three. I have a feeling I'm going to need that Big List of Things To Do now more than ever, if only to help keep me occupied and on track.
Today's vitals are uploaded.
November 4, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 17
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-3am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
My schedule has been messed around a lot recently, mainly because various events at work (like important meetings) have overlapped with my scheduled nap times. Thus, while I always take my three naps - I never miss them entirely - it's been hard to stay consistent. Consistency, I'm told, is vitally important during adaptation, if only to give the brain times it can reliable expect to take naps.
This morning, I felt pretty out of it. Tired, drowsy, hard to concentrate, you name it. The effects of sleep dep seem strongest shortly after waking. However, they usually fade after an hour or two, and after I've had my first nap, I'm usually functioning pretty well. Incidentally, I usually feel my best in the afternoon and evening, though there can be a bit of drowsiness after meals. Although it started a bit rough, today was pretty good overall.
I'm starting to wonder if a week might be a good length of time for doing a phasic adaptation. Once the body has reacted and adjusted to the hour offset, another one comes along, which would seem to keep progress moving towards full Everyman while keeping the side effects manageable. Some have the opportunity to take several days for themselves, and if I could, I would probably have used a condensed adaption period. However, I feel the phasic approach is generating results for me without interrupting my ability to get things done at work, which I gather would be the case if I tried to switch cold turkey. So, we shall see.
Today's vitals are uploaded.
My schedule has been messed around a lot recently, mainly because various events at work (like important meetings) have overlapped with my scheduled nap times. Thus, while I always take my three naps - I never miss them entirely - it's been hard to stay consistent. Consistency, I'm told, is vitally important during adaptation, if only to give the brain times it can reliable expect to take naps.
This morning, I felt pretty out of it. Tired, drowsy, hard to concentrate, you name it. The effects of sleep dep seem strongest shortly after waking. However, they usually fade after an hour or two, and after I've had my first nap, I'm usually functioning pretty well. Incidentally, I usually feel my best in the afternoon and evening, though there can be a bit of drowsiness after meals. Although it started a bit rough, today was pretty good overall.
I'm starting to wonder if a week might be a good length of time for doing a phasic adaptation. Once the body has reacted and adjusted to the hour offset, another one comes along, which would seem to keep progress moving towards full Everyman while keeping the side effects manageable. Some have the opportunity to take several days for themselves, and if I could, I would probably have used a condensed adaption period. However, I feel the phasic approach is generating results for me without interrupting my ability to get things done at work, which I gather would be the case if I tried to switch cold turkey. So, we shall see.
Today's vitals are uploaded.
November 3, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 16
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-3am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
I still find it funny that I'm waking up at 3am. Typically, that would only rarely happen in cases of really bad insomnia, or more commonly because of the Marine Corps, for any number of reasons. One of my favorites was waking up at o'dark thirty so we could march over to the armory... just to wait outside for three hours until they actually opened to issue us weapons. Yut.
Interestingly, I found myself waking up shortly before my alarm went off, which I suppose is progress, though originally I thought I slept way too late. Still pretty tired in the morning, though playing some video games cleared that up and help me focus. First two naps were pretty light and not terribly restorative - I'm not sure if I slept at all - but the third one was great. It reminded me how powerfully invigorating one solid nap can be while being polyphasic, as I got up feeling great and probably the best I felt all day. Presumably, this is hopefully what I can look forward to once my body starts getting consistent, solid naps each time, but I understand that's a work in progress. The main reason I started this polyphasic project was because I had difficulty getting good sleep, so I'm not at all surprised my naps are still rough at this point.
In other news, my body fat dropped to 12.8% in today's vitals. That seems like a pretty big swing from yesterday's 13.2%, so I'm chalking that up to measurement variance (or a highly unusual variable fat storage mechanism), but either way, it's a good lesson to not worry about a sole figure - trends are the more indicative measurement.
I still find it funny that I'm waking up at 3am. Typically, that would only rarely happen in cases of really bad insomnia, or more commonly because of the Marine Corps, for any number of reasons. One of my favorites was waking up at o'dark thirty so we could march over to the armory... just to wait outside for three hours until they actually opened to issue us weapons. Yut.
Interestingly, I found myself waking up shortly before my alarm went off, which I suppose is progress, though originally I thought I slept way too late. Still pretty tired in the morning, though playing some video games cleared that up and help me focus. First two naps were pretty light and not terribly restorative - I'm not sure if I slept at all - but the third one was great. It reminded me how powerfully invigorating one solid nap can be while being polyphasic, as I got up feeling great and probably the best I felt all day. Presumably, this is hopefully what I can look forward to once my body starts getting consistent, solid naps each time, but I understand that's a work in progress. The main reason I started this polyphasic project was because I had difficulty getting good sleep, so I'm not at all surprised my naps are still rough at this point.
In other news, my body fat dropped to 12.8% in today's vitals. That seems like a pretty big swing from yesterday's 13.2%, so I'm chalking that up to measurement variance (or a highly unusual variable fat storage mechanism), but either way, it's a good lesson to not worry about a sole figure - trends are the more indicative measurement.
November 2, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 15
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-3am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
"Can we go back to sleep now? Can we? Can we?" If my brain had it's own speech bubble, that's what it would be saying right now. Getting out of bed was annoying, but not impossible. Staying awake and busy, however, proved to be much more difficult. Yawning, tiredness - yep, the beginning stages of sleep dep are kicking in. I expected this sooner or later - I'm actually surprised I made it this far before it really kicked in - but now comes the willpower and dedication.
Had a great first nap, but my second and third naps were considerably lighter and less restorative. This may be because work has gotten much more hectic recently, which has prevented me from being able to take naps at my scheduled time, or probably because of the increased stress. Thankfully, I don't expect it to stay this way forever, and I might not notice nearly as much if I wasn't adjusting my sleep schedule at the same time. Such is life, but it's still workable, and every time I successfully combat my mind's resistance to change, I know I'm making progress. In this case, the goal is well worth the short-term discomfort.
I've updated my vitals, but I'm noticing my body fat percentage has surpassed 13%. This could be a temporary spike, but generally I never want to go beyond the twelves if I can help it. As has been my custom for some time, I've been drinking Soylent for my breakfast and lunch, but I notice I've been drinking it much more consistently. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I notice I haven't struggled as much to maintain a healthy weight (I often lose weight too quickly if I'm not careful) - but I wonder if the carbs in Soylent are higher than what I really need, or if I'm drinking more than I need. Alternatively, this could entirely be a temporary effect of adaptation as well. Either way, it's too early to draw definitive conclusions, but it's a reminder to try and work out more and see where that number goes.
"Can we go back to sleep now? Can we? Can we?" If my brain had it's own speech bubble, that's what it would be saying right now. Getting out of bed was annoying, but not impossible. Staying awake and busy, however, proved to be much more difficult. Yawning, tiredness - yep, the beginning stages of sleep dep are kicking in. I expected this sooner or later - I'm actually surprised I made it this far before it really kicked in - but now comes the willpower and dedication.
Had a great first nap, but my second and third naps were considerably lighter and less restorative. This may be because work has gotten much more hectic recently, which has prevented me from being able to take naps at my scheduled time, or probably because of the increased stress. Thankfully, I don't expect it to stay this way forever, and I might not notice nearly as much if I wasn't adjusting my sleep schedule at the same time. Such is life, but it's still workable, and every time I successfully combat my mind's resistance to change, I know I'm making progress. In this case, the goal is well worth the short-term discomfort.
I've updated my vitals, but I'm noticing my body fat percentage has surpassed 13%. This could be a temporary spike, but generally I never want to go beyond the twelves if I can help it. As has been my custom for some time, I've been drinking Soylent for my breakfast and lunch, but I notice I've been drinking it much more consistently. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I notice I haven't struggled as much to maintain a healthy weight (I often lose weight too quickly if I'm not careful) - but I wonder if the carbs in Soylent are higher than what I really need, or if I'm drinking more than I need. Alternatively, this could entirely be a temporary effect of adaptation as well. Either way, it's too early to draw definitive conclusions, but it's a reminder to try and work out more and see where that number goes.
November 1, 2015
Everyman Phase Two: Day 14
Current Schedule: Core Sleep: 10pm-3am Naps: 6:00-6:20am, 11:20-11:40am, 5:40-6pm.
Blugh, getting up today was not easy. I still forced myself to get up, but my body put up much more of a fight. After I started moving around, it was easier to stay up, but only by a little. Thankfully, after my first nap I was pretty much back to normal, though I found myself entering periods of drowsiness at times. Overall, I'd say the second/third naps were on the heavier side, and on my third nap I woke up naturally two minutes before the alarm went off. This is very encouraging to me, as it represents my mind "getting with the program," if only slightly at this point. Progress is progress though - I'll take it! Vitals here as usual.
Blugh, getting up today was not easy. I still forced myself to get up, but my body put up much more of a fight. After I started moving around, it was easier to stay up, but only by a little. Thankfully, after my first nap I was pretty much back to normal, though I found myself entering periods of drowsiness at times. Overall, I'd say the second/third naps were on the heavier side, and on my third nap I woke up naturally two minutes before the alarm went off. This is very encouraging to me, as it represents my mind "getting with the program," if only slightly at this point. Progress is progress though - I'll take it! Vitals here as usual.
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