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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Bi-Phasic Sleep: Update

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A mere 5 months ago, I talked about how it would be neat-o to try a bi-phasic sleep schedule. Then I found out that it was not that easy to adhere to such a schedule, since there were times when my body did not feel like napping.

Between April and Aug, my body started adapting to the bi-phasic sleep schedule. I used to sleep 7hrs at nights, but now it is down to somewhere between 5 and 6hrs. As I mentioned before, sometimes I would skip naps because my body just didn't feel sleepy. But even as I thought less about it, I began to nap more and more consistently. At first I would take 20min. naps, but the naps became longer and longer, until eventually I took 45min. naps, and now, sometimes, I even nod off for the whole 90min. I usually take my naps about an hour after the market closes. I don't even know when I started to nap consistently.
When I wake up from my naps, sometimes I feel a bit groggy, but after a few minutes walking around and taking in some fresh air, I feel fine and actually refreshed and energetic. The naps that I take do not feel like 45min. or 90min. long. It feels like I only slept for about 10 or 15min. or so.
How do I know that I am now on a bi-phasic sleep schedule? Because yesterday something funny happened. I skipped my regular nap for the second day in a row, and in the afternoon, I felt this urge to nap. It was a weird sensation, sort of like the subconscious pressuring me. And of course, I felt really zoned out, I couldn't think straight and found it hard to focus on anything. All I kept thinking about was "I think I need to take a nap." Eventually, in the early evening, I took a 25min. nap. When I woke up, it was not a feeling of being refreshed, but more a sense of relief.

So nowadays, I just nod off in the afternoon and no longer try to time the duration of my naps, but instead, just let my body decide when it's had enough resting time.

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