Sleep Control
Control oversleeping
Naturally, oversleeping is a problem that occurs in almost everyone's adjustment to polyphasic sleep; even Steve Pavlina's. Here are some ways of reducing the possibility of oversleep.
No drugs: This means caffeine and alcohol specifically. Caffeine has been found to make it difficult to nap, but if you miss a nap, you fall asleep sometime later for a long time (probably at night). Alcohol has also been found to interfere with the napping schedule.
Good habits: Get out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off. Be good at getting up. At night, try sleeping on your back with the light on. Have good energy management habits.
Alarm devices: What will you use to wake you up? Some use MP3 files with the right length of sound. Others prefer an alarm clock on the other side of the room. One that works well for some is a stereo that comes on at a certain time. All have their advantages and disadvantages. Pick whatever combination works best for you; you may want two devices, one set normally, and another to wake you up a bit later in case you oversleep.
Sleeping with the light on: Many suggest that this helps them, especially if they have a sleep mask, so they get a sudden influx (inlux?) of light while sleeping.
Failure is feedback: If you fail, you've just eliminated another option that didn't succeed. Work out what you did wrong, and try again. But remember, as the old Texan saying goes, if the mule kicks you again, you didn't learn anything.
Napping Help
For a good nap, you need to work on being able to:
- Fall asleep quickly
- Wake up easily
- Staying awake when necessary
Nap soundtracks
- MP3 Nap timer: Placebo has created a number of MP3 files to help you time your naps
Bed replacements
Your bed takes up lots of room. Some polyphasic types who only nap are getting rid of their beds in favour of other napping furniture.- Mats
- Futons
Miscellaneous
- Sleep tracking applications (free downloads):
- SleepTracker (Beta), from Placebo
- SleepChart
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