In 2009 at Joby Energy, JoeBen suggested I read Power Sleep (link below). Engineering Dir. John Greene addl'y cited employee productivity studies, w/sweet spot of 12 hrs of work for start-ups. I got into longer work days while there + polyphasic sleep, on that 15mo assignment.
Then I got into deeper health hacks.
Then, my body broke. Lol. That was 2011. Pushing everything to the max: work-outs, diet, meditation, schedule.... We're not invincible, even if we're mentored by a team of renowned experts. Balance is better for life. The Turtle wins over The Hare.
I actually largely went offline in 2011, where I was focusing on PR for work + my health for me, letting team manage work-flows. I ended up going through genetic testing 2011-18, and 2016 Q1 was when I started to SLEEP. I really like my 8 hours. I can sleep 7 once or twice a week, but my body craves the entire night of rest. Sleep + Intermittent Fasting is also how I control my genetic metabolic VLCADD. (My body is so much wiser than my brain; I had to consult with experts, learn the do's & don't's, and let my body tell me the truth.) The end result is that I feel healthier than when in college.
Polyphasic Sleep still holds a warm place in my heart. Before JoeBen, my family talked about it, as my grandfather had done it in the Army, and adopted mother wanted me to use it to be successful in the 90's. I adopted it working for JoeBen, and kept it up to 2016.
It's a little tricky, experimenting with Polyphasic Sleep now. I've noticed it negatively impacts my immune system. The last time I got sick was 2015, and I'm never getting sick again as long as I live. So sleep is good for immune repair.
Polyphasic Sleep though I think CAN be modified, per person.
One tip, is that you have to "do it in advance". I mean, you can't just jump into the schedule, neither set your alarm and trust you'll wake up. No. Instead, you start doing the schedule that you want, and it takes x days for your body and brain to get used to it.
The mini-naps are training your brain for REM sleep, which is why you can sleep less. You do the schedule first; you give your body what it needs first, then it gets used to the new schedule. (i.e. You cannot do it if you're sleep deprived, as your body/brain will win, and the schedule won't work. Put good things in, get good things out.)
I started upping my Vit C intake massively, and also bolster with Emergen-C. Vit D2 (NOT D3) is a helpful aid. My normal vitamin routine, does not help me with a Polyphasic Schedule. I need a little more, and it's more specialized. DLPA helps.
Set an alarm in advance. Do the 15 minute naps, Binaural Beats, or a Meditation. Start getting into the practice of these scheduled pauses, and when your body is ready, you'll notice the transition is more mild.
There are lots of schedules to choose from. Which one works for you?
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Sleep-Revolutionary-Prepares-Performance/dp/0060977604
