In attempting this plan, I would lighten my body's load by only charging up for a 6.5 hour slot. To be honest, I think that this plan had the theoretical planned out decently, except for the reason that I was unable to adapt to it. The reason is actually quite simple. In this format, (now that I have attempted it), I am not getting the necessary rest needed. I am still (this is normal) getting tons of energy during the normal (day awake) hours. Around 8:30, I begin to get my (I'm Tired) headache. After my nap at around 23:00 (11PM), I am fine and dandy. I normally eat my dinner here and feel great. My girlfriend has also commented that I am cognitive, sharp, and not in a fog during our conversations at this time (up till now). But as time gets closer to 01:00, I begin to yawn. This is when I came up with an idea to help fix this tiredness issue. Because, honestly, I am only getting 4.5 hours in this format. In extreme cases of diligence and patience for about 21 days, I believe that someone could adapt to this. But it would take some REM deprivation (more on that with next figure). So easy adaption is a NO for this idea, and I planned accordingly. What if I added a nap in-between my evening naps equally between them to help my through the evening? This would also give me 6 hours of sleep and help me make it through! :) So this is what I started around right before day 2. It looked like this:
Here I am getting 6 hours of sleep to help with my REM intake and I am sure (from previous experience, though I have no ZEO to test this) that I am getting ample amounts of DEEP sleep, since I normally get a chunk at the beginning of every nap, sleep, rest. So light sleep should be diminishing (approx 55% to probably around 45-50%) somewhat in a small amount. But here is my issue: Again, I am really tired in that very dark (and cold) time at night. This is what people have called the graveyard hours. No one stirs, very little interaction is really achievable at this time, and your lack of movement is detrimental to your state of tiredness. So I would wake up around 03:00 and not have any motivation to move. I would get the light on, but I would end up drifting back and forth into a sleep as i attempted to think about different things..... (sure, If I had a work out spot or something, this would give me something to do and help me stay warm). But even there, my motivation is completely shot. Once I start moving, I am fine and feel great.... but I have to get blood pumping to warm up my body and get circulation to my cold extremities. And my will is completely shot at this point. :( Lastly, I did some research with the 1.5-2 hours of normal time I am saving and found that someone mentioned that REM increases with each consecutive cycle.... DUH... I knew that, but it was helpful. In the current configuration above.... I am getting about 20 minutes per each cycle = 1.33 hours of REM..... If I compound a double cycle, I should get more.... So I studied some of my sleep charts, and I found that this is the case..... But I think I am going to increase my nap from 1.5 - 3.5 hours. This is because some of my sleep data really showed that it can take me 3.5 to finish my added REM cycle. Details are seen here:
Reminding you that Dark Green is DEEP sleep and light green is REM, from point to point it is 3.5 hours. Getting only 3 hours would chop my REM cycle. And as you can see, my REM more than doubled the second cycle. This is not always the case, but I am positive that my state of 3 naps will promote this to happen 90% of the time. :) So the next logical question is..... Where do I put this 3.5 hour nap..... Anyone want to take a guess???? I am going to put it at 04:30. This is my reasoning.... I am awake after my initial 21:30-23:00 (9-11PM). Yes I get tired, but when I am awake, it is easier to stay up.... But just to make it easier on time, I am going to change my previous nap to 2.5 hours later to 00:00-01:30. I am just hoping that it will give me that boost I need and that it is not late enough (ex 03:00) to force me to be dead weight. :) My new schedule will look like this:
Here is my logic.... My large nap will cut out that Graveyard shift of death for me.... I will be asleep when it really gets cold. I will wake up, then take a nap 5+ hours later at 13:30. This should be just the boost I need to make it 9 hours to midnight. Though I am sure i will feel tired (initially at midnight). That little boost should be enough to make it till 04:30 in the morning. There, I rest.
The first night (tonight) will be tough to do.... REALLY tough... I will be skipping a nap at 9:30 PM and taking it 2.5 hours later. But if I can wake up, make it to 4:30 and crash, I should be able to then repeat this for 2 more days. Then, hopefully, I should be able to fully adapt to this with no headaches and such... I have stayed healthy so far, so I am sure that I can make this without getting sick (Lord willing).
Now, lastly, I need to comment, that if this sticks, I will be shifting my 13:30 nap during school to 11:45 on Wednesdays and Fridays. This should not be an issue when this picks up and I may even counteract that by moving my Midnight nap earlier the preceding day. The only question is whether that 11:45 nap will be too close to the 3.5 hour block. Hence why I would move the midnight nap, to earlier, (to allow me not to be too rested to risk not falling asleep). O well... I have talked enough.... Lets just see if I can walk the walk now! :) Until next time...
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