Sometimes those 24 hours in a day just don’t seem like enough time to accomplish everything on our to-do lists. But if you were really able to add more hours to your day, would you?
Back in 2000, the Uberman’s Sleep Schedule created a buzz on the internet as a way to gain more waking hours in the day. Instead of sleeping in a single eight-hour block of time (or monophasic, as most people do), you stick to a strict schedule of six 20-to-25 minute naps every four hours.
The idea behind this polyphasic sleep schedule is that you train your body to enter REM sleep immediately, the most important phase, so that the cumulative three hours of shut eye you do get leave you feeling refreshed and mentally alert. The biggest selling point is that if you start this sleep method at age 20, you gain more than 11 years in the average lifespan!
Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and Napoleon are rumored to have been chronic nappers, and there are several blogs from individuals who have tried Uberman’s Sleep Schedule, including personal development guru Steve Pavlina. Many critics say you can’t switch the body’s natural tendency toward monophasic sleeping and warn that just napping could cause similar side effects to sleep deprivation. To date, there have been no scientific studies.
Obviously, the strict napping schedule makes it difficult for those with classes, meetings or a regular 9-to-5 job (unless you have a very understanding boss). One of the biggest complaints about the system? Boredom. With 22 hours in a day, there’s just not enough to do!
Click here to read the pros and cons about the Uberman’s Sleep Schedule from the blogger who first got people talking!
What do you think? Would you do it?
Jovie Baclayon is the editorial director for YSN.com and an expert in the experiences faced by emerging adults. To learn more, check out Jovie’s YSN portfolio and feel free to e-mail her! She blogs every Wednesday and Friday on Waste Time Wisely.
