Good Sleep, Good Learning, Good Life PDF

12/28/2015
Good sleep, good learning, good life
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Contents:Articles
Goodsleep,goodlearning,goodlife
DrPiotrWozniak
May2012
Ihaveforyearsbeeninterestedinsleepresearchduetomyprofessionalinvolvementinmemoryand
learning.Thisarticleattemptstoproduceasynthesisofwhatisknownaboutsleepwithaviewto
practicalapplications,esp.inpeoplewhoneedtopqualitysleepfortheirlearningorcreative
achievements.Neurophysiologyofsleepisanexplosivelygrowingbranchofscience.Manytheories
thatarecurrentlycontestedwillsoonbeforgottenasaresultofnewfindings.Consequently,thistext
islikelytogrowoldveryquickly(comparetheoldversionfromtheyear2000here).Still,somebasic
truthsaboutsleeparewellestablished,andpracticalconclusionscanbedrawnwiththebenefitto
humancreativityandintellectualaccomplishment.Inthistext,Iprovidesomelinkstoresearchpapers
andpopularscientificarticlesthatadvocatedisparateandcontradictorytheories.Pleaseconsultother
sourcestobecertainyoudonottogetaonesidedview!Thisarticleincludessomeindicationson
howtousefreerunningsleepinthetreatmentofinsomnia,advancedanddelayedphaseshift
syndromes,andsomeothersleepdisorders.Ifyourownexperiencecancontributetotheideas
presentedherein,Iwillgladlyhearfromyou(esp.inthecontextoflearningandcreativity).
Important!Forthenewestversionofthisarticle,seetheuptodateoriginalandthe
collaborativewikiversion.Thewikiversionisperiodicallycleanedupandexportedas"Good
sleep,goodlearning,goodlife."
Contents
1Foreword
1.1Notes
2Importanceofsleep
2.1Whyunderstandingsleepis
important?
2.2Whydowesleep?
2.2.1DiskandRAMmetaphor
2.3Badsleepkillsandcostsbillions
2.4Ifyoudonotsleep,youdie!
2.4.1Brain'sgarbagecollection
2.4.2Sleepprotection
2.4.3Anabolicsleep
2.4.4Whydowediewithout
sleep?
2.5Twocomponentsofsleep
2.5.1Circadiancomponent
2.5.2Homeostaticcomponent
2.5.3ClockandHourglass
https://www.supermemo.com/articles/sleep.htm
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metaphor
2.5.4Thefundamentaltheorem
ofgoodsleep
2.5.4.1Whengoodsleep
mightnotcome?
3Formulaforgoodsleep
3.1Freerunningsleep
3.2Shouldwefreerunoursleep?
3.2.1Argument1:Phaseshifts
3.2.2Argument2:Excessive
sleeping
3.2.3Freerunningsleepis
stressless
3.3Freerunningsleepalgorithm
3.3.1Cardinalmistakesinfree
runningsleep
3.3.2Sleeploggingtips
3.4Optimizingthetimingof
brainwork
3.4.1Circadiangraphand
brainwork
3.4.2Bestbrainworktime
3.4.3Balanced24hourcycle
3.5Sleepingagainstyournatural
rhythm
3.6Killthealarmclock!
3.6.1Alarmclockepidemic
3.6.2Insomniatrap
3.6.3WakeupthePresident
3.6.4Alarmclockmonsters
3.7Sleepinertia
3.7.1Whatissleepinertia?
3.7.2Doessleepinertiashowa
circadianrhythm?
3.7.3HowcanIrecoverfrom
sleepinertia?
3.7.4Cansleepimpairlearning?
3.7.5Whynapscausesleep
inertia?
3.7.6Longsleepandsleep
inertia
3.8Healtheffectsofshiftworkand
jetlag
3.8.1Properlydesignedshift
work
3.9Excessivesleeping
4Sleephabits
4.1Bodyclock
4.2Componentsofsleepinphase
disorders
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4.3Larkowlmisconception
4.4ChartingsleepwithSleepChart
4.4.1SleepChartinSuperMemo
4.4.2Sleeptimelinein
SleepChart
4.4.3Sleepandlearning
timelineinSuperMemo
4.4.4Circadiangraph
4.4.4.1Sleepinitiation
4.4.4.2Sleep
maintenance
4.4.4.3Optimizing
bedtime
4.4.4.4Example1:
Unstablecircadiancycle
4.4.4.5Example2:Stable
circadiancycle
4.4.4.6Phaseshift
disorders
4.524hoursleepcycle
4.5.1Perfect24hourcycle
4.5.2Sleepandstress
4.5.3Monophasicsleep
4.6Preferencefornightsleep
4.7Biphasicnatureofhumansleep
4.7.1Biphasiclearning
4.7.2Biphasicsleep
periodogram
4.7.3Biphasiclearningand
sleep
4.7.4Biphasicgraphsin
SuperMemo
4.7.5Monophasicsleepwith
biphasiclearning
4.7.6Biphasiccircadiangraph
4.7.7Twocomponentsof
biphasicsleeppropensity
4.7.8Biphasicperformancein
sleepdeprivation
4.7.9Summary:Nappingis
good!
4.8Segmentedsleep
4.8.1Interpretationof
segmentedsleep
4.8.2Segmentedsleepand
Borbelymodel
4.8.3Segmentedsleepandtwo
componentmodel
4.8.4Examplesofsegmented
sleep
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4.8.4.1Example:
Prematurebedtime
4.8.4.2Example:
Nocturnalawakening
causedbystress
4.8.4.3Example:Intense
exercise
4.8.5Applicationofsegmented
sleep
4.9DelayedSleepPhaseSyndrome
(DSPS)
4.9.1DSPSinteenagers
4.9.2SolutiontotheDSPS
problem
4.9.3IsDSPSadisease?
4.9.4AsynchronousDSPS
4.9.4.1Combatingphase
shift
4.9.4.2Resynchronizing
thecycle
4.9.4.3Sociallifein
DSPS
4.9.4.4DSPS:genesor
lifestyle?
4.9.4.5Chronotherapy
anditsperils
4.9.5SynchronousDSPS
4.9.628hourdayschedule
4.9.6.128hourdayin
DSPS
4.9.6.1.1
Conventional
scheduleinsevere
DSPS
4.9.6.1.228hour
scheduleinsevere
DSPS
4.9.6.1.3Free
runningsleepin
severeDSPS
4.9.7CuringDSPSand
insomnia
4.9.7.1Solutionfor
insomnia,DSPSandN
24
4.9.7.2DSPSand
lifestyle
4.9.7.3Implausible
solutions
4.9.7.4Plausible
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solutions
4.9.7.5Thealgorithm
4.9.7.6Outcome:
Balanced24hsleepcycle!
4.9.7.7Summary
4.10AdvancedSleepPhaseSyndrome
(ASPS)
4.10.1Genesandlifestylein
ASPS
4.10.2Example1:ASPSand
substanceabuse
4.10.3Example2:
Overmedicationanddaytime
drowsiness
4.11Phaseshiftgraph
4.12Correlatesofsleepphase
syndromes
4.13Babysleep
4.13.1Howtomakebabies
sleepwell?
4.13.2Sleepingthroughoutthe
night
4.13.3Developmentofa
healthycircadiancycle
4.13.4Cosleepingasa
circadiansolution
4.13.5Besttimingforfeeding
4.13.6Child'sownbed
4.13.7Whataboutthemom?
4.13.8Whybabiessleepso
much?
4.13.9Conclusion:Perfect
formulaforbabysleep
4.14Insomnia
4.14.1Insomniavs.electricity
4.14.2Howtofallasleepfaster?
4.14.3Phaseshiftbased
insomnia
4.15Hypersomnia
4.16Sleepapnea
5Napping
5.1Nappingisgood
5.1.1Nappingandevolution
5.1.2Napsandbrainpower
5.1.3Tonapornottonap?
Nap!
5.1.4Nappinginthecorporate
world
5.1.5Nappingrulebook
5.2Nappingmyths
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5.2.1Myth#1:Onlylazy
peopletakenaps
5.2.2Myth#2:Anapisanapis
anap
5.2.3Myth#3:Makesureyou
wakeupfromStage2NREM
5.2.4Myth#4:Thecircadian
cyclecanbeignoredor
abolished
5.3Bestnaptiming
5.3.1Circadiantimingofnaps
5.3.1.1Phase0:Waking
time
5.3.1.2Phase3:
Creativitytime
5.3.1.3Phase5:Presiesta
5.3.1.4Phase7:Siesta
5.3.1.5Phase11:Evening
5.3.1.6Phase13:Pre
sleep
5.3.1.7Phase15:
Segmentedsleep
5.3.1.8Phase1824:
Nightsleep
5.4Onenapperdayisenough
5.5Polyphasicsleep
5.5.1Thelawofaccelerating
returns
5.5.2TheUberman'sSleep
Schedule
5.5.3Polyphasicsleep
5.5.4Tosleepornottosleep
polyphasically
5.5.55yearssincetheUberman
BigBang
5.5.6Compressionofsleep
stagesinsleepdeprivation
5.5.7Sleepandcreativity:Less
ismore
5.5.8Polyphasicsleepinbabies
5.5.9Ultradianoscillationsin
babies
5.5.10DoPirahapeoplesleep
polyphasically?
5.5.11Polyphasicsleep:
scientificchallenge
5.5.11.1Areearlyrisers
betteratpolyphasic
adaptation?
5.5.11.2Whysolittle
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researchintopolyphasic
sleep?
5.5.11.3Medical
supervisionofpolyphasic
sleep
5.5.11.4Myown
polyphasicsleeptrial
5.5.12Chartingpolyphasic
sleep
5.5.12.1Sourceofdata
5.5.12.2Stampiyachting
research
5.5.12.3Polyphasicsleep
attempt
5.5.12.4Ubermansleep
logs
5.5.12.5Twoprocess
sleepmodelvs.
polyphasicsleep
5.5.12.6Polyphasic
rollercoaster
5.5.12.7Freerunning
circadiancyclein
polyphasicsleep
5.5.13ClaudioStampi
5.5.13.1Polyphasicvs.
creativelifestyle
5.5.13.2PolyphasicBible
5.5.13.3Cognitivetestsin
polyphasicsleep
5.5.14Sleepdeprivationislike
alcoholintoxication
5.5.15Sleepdebtandnapping
5.5.15.1PureDoxykLaw
5.5.15.2Minimizingtotal
sleeptime
5.5.15.3Optimumnap
duration
5.5.15.4Personality
characteristicsofirregular
sleepers
5.5.16Polyphasicgeniuses
5.5.16.1Buckminster
Fuller
5.5.16.2Leonardoda
Vinci
5.5.16.3Nepoleon
Bonaparte
5.5.16.4Thomas
Jefferson
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5.5.16.5Benjamin
Franklin
5.5.16.6Winston
Churchill
5.5.16.7ThomasAlva
Edison
5.5.16.8NikolaTesla
5.5.17Sustainabilityof
polyphasicsleep
5.5.17.1Clockand
Hourglassmodelof
polyphasicsleep
5.5.17.2Thelimitsofthe
bodyclocktraining
5.5.17.3Conclusion
5.5.18Caffeineinpolyphasic
sleep
5.5.19Polyphasicsleepmutants
5.5.20Polyphasicsleepblogs
5.5.20.1Polyphasic
myths
6Factorsthataffectsleep
6.1Stress
6.1.1Positivestress
6.2Alcohol
6.3Caffeine
6.4Sleepingpills
6.5Melatonin
6.6Nicotine
6.7Exercise
6.7.1Exerciseisgoodforsleep
6.7.2Whatisthebesttimeto
exercise?
6.7.3Formulaforbestexercise
6.7.4Sleepisgoodforexercise
6.7.5Sexandexercisediffer
6.8TV
6.9Cannabis
6.10Sex
6.11Diet
6.11.1Vegetariandiet
6.11.2Sleepandglucose
metabolism
6.11.3Fasting
6.11.4Combatingjetlagwith
diet
6.12Learning
6.12.1Learningshouldhelpyou
sleep
6.12.2Doeslearningincrease
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totalsleep?
7Sleepandlearning
7.1Sleeplength
7.1.1Optimumlengthofsleep
7.1.1.1Recommended8
hoursofsleep
7.1.1.2Savingtimewith
polyphasicsleep
7.1.1.3Minimizingsleep
time
7.1.1.4Inefficienciesin
thesleepcontrolsystem
7.1.1.5Lengthofsleep
amongusersof
SuperMemo
7.1.2Peoplewhosleeplesslive
longer?
7.1.3JimHorneandDaniel
Kripke
7.1.3.1DrHorne
7.1.3.2DrKripke
7.1.3.3Myownprejudice
7.1.4Effectsofsleepduration
andsleepphaseonlearning
7.1.5Sleepblocklength
distribution
7.2Howsleepaffectslearning?
7.2.1Whyissleepimportantfor
learning?
7.2.2Sleepandlearning
research
7.3Studyingsleepandlearningwith
SuperMemo
7.3.1Longsleepresultsinpoor
learning?
7.3.2Learningreducesthe
demandforsleep?
7.3.3Approximatingthesleep
phase
7.3.4Timingofrepetitions
7.3.5TheimpactofSleepChart
7.3.6Recallvs.Consolidation
7.3.6.1Recall
7.3.6.2Memory
consolidation
7.3.6.2.1
Correlation
betweenrecalland
consolidation
7.3.6.2.2Good
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learningdays
7.3.7Alarmclockvs.learning
7.3.8Learninginfreerunning
sleep
7.3.9Alertnessmultiplier
7.3.10Learningoverload
7.3.11Alertnessvs.learning
7.4Howlearningaffectssleep?
7.4.1Impactoflearningon
sleep
7.5Sleepandschool
7.5.1Sleepykidslearnlittle!
7.5.2Excessiveschool
workload
7.5.3Schoolhoursand
homeschooling
7.5.4Sleepdeprivationinkids
7.5.5Poorrecallonschooldays
7.5.6Examples
7.5.6.1Example#1:Long
weekendsleep
7.5.6.2Example#2:
Phase12napping
7.6Learninginalphastate
7.7Learningduringsleep
7.7.1Luciddreaming
8Physiologyofsleep
8.1Whydowefallasleep?
8.1.1Initiationofsleep
8.1.1.1Homeostatic
signal
8.1.1.2Circadiansignal
8.1.1.3Integrating
homeostaticandcircadian
signals
8.1.1.4Notallscientists
agree
8.1.2Circadiancycle
8.1.3Borblymodel
8.1.3.1Borblymodelin
practice
8.1.3.2Borblymodel
andevolution
8.1.3.3Threeprocess
model
8.1.4Phaseresponsecurve
(PRC)
8.1.4.1Changingthe
lengthofthecircadian
period
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8.1.4.2Phaseshifting
neuralinputs
8.1.5Recursivephaseresponse
curve(rPRC)
8.1.5.1RecursivePRCin
DSPS
8.1.5.2RecursivePRC
andphaseadvance
8.1.5.3RecursivePRCin
polyphasicsleep
8.1.5.4Chaoticphase
shiftinginput
8.1.6Twocomponentmodelof
sleepinSleepChart
8.1.7REMreboundhypothesis
8.1.7.1Kinkynapping
8.1.7.2REMdeficit
8.1.7.3Threecomponents
ofsleeppropensity
8.1.8Sleepwakeflipflop
8.1.9Suprachiasmaticnucleus
(SCN)
8.1.10Dorsomedial
HypothalamicNucleus(DMH)
8.1.11VentrolateralPreoptic
Nucleus(VLPO)
8.1.12NucleusoftheSolitary
Tract(NTS)
8.1.13Adenosine
8.2NREMandREMsleep
8.2.1NREMandREM
alternations
8.2.2EvolutionofNREMand
REM
8.2.3NREMandREMdeficits
8.2.4NREMcontrol
8.2.5Neuromodulationinsleep
8.2.5.1Growthhormone
andcortisol
8.2.6REMHomeostasis
8.2.7TransitiontoREM
8.2.8REMflipflop
8.2.8.1ModelsofREM
flipflop
8.2.9Terminationofsleep
8.3Whydoweneedsleep?
8.3.1Biologicaloriginsofsleep
8.3.2Sleeptheories
8.3.2.1Theoriesthatfail
theshutdowntest
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8.3.2.2Theoriesthatpass
theshutdowntest
8.3.2.3Sleepasaneural
optimizer
8.3.3Sleepandmemory
8.3.3.1NREMand
memory
8.3.3.1.1NREM
andhippocampal
cleanup
8.3.3.1.2NREM
anddeclarative
memory
8.3.3.1.3Sharp
waveburstsand
longtermmemory
8.3.3.1.4Detecting
memory
optimizationwith
interferencetests
8.3.3.2REMandmemory
8.3.3.2.1REMand
learning
8.3.3.2.2REMasa
formofneural
training
8.3.3.2.3REMand
creativity
8.3.3.2.4REMasa
neuraloptimizer
8.3.4Synapticchangesinsleep
8.3.5Neuraloptimizationin
sleep
8.3.5.1Hippocampal
lesions
8.3.5.2Temporally
gradedretrograde
amnesia
8.3.5.3Memory
processinginsleep
8.3.5.4Catastrophic
forgetting
8.3.5.5Twostage
memoryprocessingin
sleep
8.3.5.6Optimizing
memories
8.3.5.7Garbage
collection
8.3.5.8Unihemispheric
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sleep
8.3.5.9Problemsolving
insleep
8.3.5.10Conclusions
8.3.6Notallscientistsagree
8.3.7RobertVertesandJerome
Siegel
8.3.7.11.Sleepdoesnot
servearoleindeclarative
memory?
8.3.7.22.REMsleep
deprivationdoesnotlead
tocognitiveimpairment?
8.3.7.33.Sleep
dependentenhancement
ofprocedurallearninghas
notbeenproven?
8.3.7.44.Learningin
wakingisfarmore
significantthanovernight
enhancements?
8.3.7.55.Sleepmodels
shouldbesimple
8.3.7.6Howcanrandom
impulsationsinREM
makeasenseindreams?
8.3.7.7DrSiegel'stheory
ofsleep
8.3.7.8Mypersonalbias
8.3.7.9Olivebranch
8.3.7.10Morereadingfor
skeptics
8.4Clockgenes
9Mythsandfacts
9.1Lengthofsleep
9.2Napping
9.3Sleepinertia
9.4Insomnia
9.5Bedtime
9.6Bodyclock
9.7Sleepinchildren
9.8Learningandcreativity
9.9Alertness
9.10Alarmclock
9.11Sleepingpills
9.12Polyphasicsleep
10Incrementalwriting
11Acknowledgements
12Glossary
13Summary
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13.1ABCofsleep
13.2Optimizingsleep
13.3Sleepandlearning
13.4General
13.5Children
13.6Napping
13.7Substances
13.8Roleofsleep
13.9DSPS
13.10Polyphasicsleep
13.11Physiologyofsleep
14Sources
15References
Foreword
Itiseveryone'sdreamtowakeupfresh,happy,andreadyforactiononadailybasis.Sadly,inthe
modernworld,onlyasmallminoritylivesthatdream.Yetthedreamiswithinreachformosthealthy
peoplegiven:
1. abitofknowledge,and
2. areadinesstomakesomelifestylesacrifice.
Ihopethatthisarticlecompilesallthebasicingredientsofknowledgethatarehelpfulinaccomplishing
refreshingsleep.Asforthesacrifice,itisimportanttobeginwiththeunderstandingthatonecannoteat
one'scakeandhaveittoo.Healthysleepmaybeincompatiblewithsomemodernhabits,somecravings,
orsomelifestylechoices.Atworst,refreshingsleepmaybeincompatiblewithone'sjoborevenlong
termgoals.Duetothelatterfact,thisarticlecannotprovideasolutionforeveryone.Moreover,havinga
happyandfreshmindonadailybasisisadifficultthingtoaccomplishevenwithanarsenalof
knowledgeandfullfocusongoodsleep.However,letmestateitemphatically,goodsleeponmost
nightsisfeasibleformostpeople!
Thisarticlewasoriginallywrittenadecadeago.Ihavealwaysbeeninterestedinmemory,learning,and
sleep.Inaddition,inmyjob,sleepisasimportantasoxygen.AsweallmovedeeperintotheInformation
AgeandKnowledgeEconomy,theissuesdiscussedhereinwillbecomemoreandmoreimportantfor
eachofus.Afterwritingtheoriginalarticle,Ihadthegreatpleasureofgettingintouchwithhundredsof
peopleexperiencingvarioussleepproblems.Icametoseefirsthandhowknowledgeofsleephelpssolve
theirproblems.Icouldalsoseehowtheindustrializedagelaysobstaclesinone'squestforgoodsleep
andhighproductivity.Ihavewitnessedatrueepidemicofsleepphasedisorders,anexplosionofinterest
inpolyphasicsleep,andanexponentialincreaseininterestinthemattersofsleepingeneral.Despitemy
pleas,manypeoplejustcannotavoidusinganalarmclock,runningallnightersbeforeexams,waking
theirkidscrankyforschool,poppingpillsbeforesleep,leavingbabiesintheircotstocryitoutforsleep,
etc.Thepicturewouldbeprettysadandalarmingwereitnotforthefactthatthereishopeinknowledge.
Withadegreeofdetermination,everyonecanimprovehis,her,ortheirkids'sleep.
Thisarticleisacompilationofthemostimportantandthemostinterestingthingsaboutthebiologyof
sleep.Itissupposedtohelpyougainknowledgeneededtoachievehighqualityrefreshingsleepthatwill
boostyourmentalpowers.Thearticleexplainswhysleepisvitallyimportantforhealthandforthebrain.
Itarguesthatsleepdeserveshighestrespect,andthatmostpeoplecouldgetexcellentsleepiftheyonly
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followedtheprescribedrules.
SincewritingtheoriginalGoodsleep,goodlearning,goodlife,tremendousprogresshasbeenmadein
thescienceofsleep.MyownworkwithtoolssuchasSleepChartandSuperMemohasshedsome
interestinglightontheconnectionbetweensleepandlearning.AsIkeptaddressingtheprogressinsleep
scienceinminorarticlesandFAQs,somevisitorstosupermemo.comcomplainedthatvaluablenuggets
ofinformationaredispersedthroughoutthesiteinsteadofbeingorganizedinamoreencyclopedic
mannerinasinglearticle.Herethencomesacomprehensivecompilation,inwhichIwouldliketoretain
thefocusonpracticalknowledgethatishelpfulinachievinggoodsleep.However,Iwouldstillliketo
smuggleinsomelesserknownresearchfindingsthatmightbeinspiringforanaveragereaderand/ora
scientistworkinginthefieldsofsleep,memory,andlearning.IfyoubelieveIleftoutanythingimportant
thatothersshouldknow,pleaseletmeknow.
Asthearticlegrewtobeinsanelylong,youmaywishtobeginwiththesummaryatthebottomofthe
article.Andifeventhatistoolong,herearethehighlights:
respectsleepasyourtoolforhighIQandgoodlearning
freerunningsleepcanhelpyouresolvemanysleepproblems
biphasicsleepscheduleisprobablythehealthiestscheduleforcreativepeople
donotwakeupkidsforschooliftheycannotwakeupintime,letthemskipaclassortwo,or
considerhomeschooling
letbabiesandyoungchildrensleepondemand,cosleepingisagreatidea(evenifmany
pediatricianswilltellyouotherwise)
exercise,learning,andsleepareyourbesttoolsforbraingrowth!
avoidregulatingsleepandalertnesswithsubstances,esp.sleepingpills,alcohol,illegaldrugs,
nicotine,andcaffeine
Notes
Incrementalwriting:Duetothesizeofthematerial,thisarticlewaswrittenusingatechniquecalledincrementalwriting.
Incrementalwritingishelpfulinorganizingalargebodyofearlierwritingsintoasinglelinearpiece.Themainadvantageof
incrementalwritingisareasonabledegreeofcoherencedespitespeedyprocessingofmaterialstakenfromdisparatesources.
Textsproducedwithincrementalwritingareparticularlysuitableforlearningwiththehelpofincrementalreadingasthey
producesmallindependentWikipediastylesubarticles.Foralinearreader,however,thismaymeanadegreeofbloatedness
andanannoyingrepetitivenessofthemainthemesforwhichIapologize.Ifthesizeofthearticleisintimidating,youcould
tryreadingitincrementally(e.g.withSuperMemo2004Freeware)?
References:Duetothevolumeofthematerial,Iwasnotabletoprovidereferencesforallstatementsincludedinthetext.
Someofthesearecommonsense,somearecommonknowledge,othersItookfrommemoryorfromSuperMemowithout
diggingdeeptothedirectsource.Ifyoucannotfindareferenceforaparticularclaim,pleaseletmeknow
Importanceofsleep
Whyunderstandingsleepisimportant?
Toofewpeoplerealizehowimportantsleepis!Thealarmclockisanoftenusedfixtureinan
overwhelmingmajorityofhouseholdsofthemodernworld.Byusingelectriclighting,alarmclocks,
sleepingpills,andshiftwork,wehavewreakedhavocontheprocessofsleep.
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Fourexamplesofsleeplogsthatillustratethatmodernhumansleeppatternsareasvariedas
snowflakes.
Overthelasthundredyearsofthetwentiethcentury,wehaveintrudeduponadelicateandfinely
regulatedprocessthatwasperfectedbyseveralhundredmillionyearsofevolution.Yetonlyrecently
havewetrulybecomeawarethatthisintrusionmaybelongtothemostimportantpreventablefactorsthat
areslowingsocietalgrowthinindustrialnations!Inacoupleofyearsfromnow,wemaylookatalarm
clocksand"sleepregulation"inthesamewaythatwelooktodayatother"great"humaninventionsinthe
leagueofcigarettes,asbestosmaterials,orradioactivecosmetics.
Checkthislistbelowandseewhichappliestoyou:
Ioftenhaveproblemswithfallingasleepattherighttime
Ioftenfinditpainfultogetupinthemorningduetosleepiness
Iamoftenawfullydrowsyatschooloratwork
Iregularlycutmysleepby23hoursascomparedwithwhatmybodyseemstoneed
Iusethealarmclockandtrulyhateit
Idrinkbucketsofcoffeeorcoke
Ioftentake24hournapsintheevening
forme,atleastoneoftheaboveisasourceofregularstressorreducedproductivity
Ibetthatchancesarearound90%youcouldsubscribetooneoftheabove.Perhapsthisiswhyyouare
readingthisarticle.Itisalsohighlylikelyyouhavealreadylearnedtoacceptthestatusquo,andyoudo
notbelieveyoucandomuchaboutit.Thisarticlemayhintatsomeremedies.However,thebadnewsis
thatforarealsolutionyouwillprobablyneedtochangeyourfamilylife,yourwork,yourboss,orsome
socialrules!
Sleepisn'tjustaformofrest!Sleepplaysacriticalphysiologicalfunction,andisindispensablefor
yourintellectualdevelopment!Thosewhodonotrespecttheirsleeparenotlikelytolivetotheirfull
mentalpotential!
Modernsocietyhasdevelopedasetofwellentrenchedrulesthatkeepsleepinutmostdisregard.Thishas
beendriventopathologicallevelsinAmericansociety.Herearesomebadrulesthathurtsleep:
itisoktouseanalarmclocktocutsleepshort
itisoktoworkinshifts
itisoktotravelpeoplearoundtheworldwithoutmuchattentiontothejetlagproblem
itisoktosavetimebysleepinglessandworkingmore
itisoktopullkidsoutofbedintimeforschool
itisoktoskipnightsbeforeimportantexams,etc.
Cuttingdownonsleepdoesnotmakepeopledie(atleastnotimmediately).Itdoesmakethemfeel
miserable,buttheeasewithwhichwerecoverbygettingjustonegoodnightofsleepseemstomake
sleeplookcheap.EventhereportsfromtheGuinnessWorldRecordattemptatsleeplessness(Randy
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Gardner'sawakathonin1964lasted11days)trivializedtheeffectsofsleeplessness.Manybookson
psychiatryandpsychologystillstatethattherearen'tanysignificantsideeffectstoprolonged
sleeplessness!Thisisfalse!TheGuinnessBookofRecordshassincewithdrawnitssleepdeprivation
categoryduetotheinvolvedhealthrisks.
In1992,whenBillClintonwasrunningforpresident,heproudlyadmittedthathewent48hourswithout
sleepbecausehereallywantedtobecomethenextpresident.FormerSenatorBobDole"improved"the
recordin1996presidentialcampaign:Wehavebeengoing78hours.We'vegottogo96.Wehavebeen
goingaroundtheclockforAmerica.Dole'sfeatwasmatchedbyVicePresidentAlbertGoreJr.,who
keptcampaigningforthreedaysbeforetheelectiondayofNovember7,2000.Aftertheelection,Gore
stillkeptonhisfeetbygoingintoextrahoursoftheconcederetractcycleofhiscliffhangercontest
againstGovernorGeorgeW.BushofTexas.WhenBarackObamawasaskedabouthismostdesired
Christmasgiftafteroverayearofcampaigningforpresident,heansweredwithouthesitation:8hoursof
sleep.
Thebadexampleofdisrespectforsleepcomesfromthemostimportantpeopleinthenation!
Yetsomedramaticfactsrelatedtosleepdeprivationhaveslowlycomeintolight.Eachyearsleep
disordersadd$16billiontonationalhealthcarecosts(e.g.bycontributingtohighbloodpressureand
heartdisease).Thatdoesnotincludeaccidentsandlostproductivityatwork.Forthis,theNational
CommissiononSleepDisordersestimatesthatsleepdeprivationcosts$150billionayearinhigherstress
andreducedworkplaceproductivity[1].40%oftruckaccidentsareattributabletofatigueanddrowsiness,
andthereisan800%increaseinsinglevehiclecommercialtruckaccidentsbetweenmidnightand8am.
Majorindustrialdisastershavebeenattributedtosleepdeprivation(Mitleretal.1988[2])(incl.ThreeMile
Island,Chernobyl,thegasleakatBhopal,Zeebruggedisaster,andtheExxonValdezoilspill).
Ithasbeenknownsincethe1920sthatsleepimprovesrecallinlearning.However,onlyattheturnofthe
millennium,researchbyDrRobertStickgold,AssociateProfessorofPsychiatryatHarvardMedical
School,hasmadeinternationalheadlines.DrStickgold'sresearchprovesafactthathaslongbeenknown
yetlittleappreciated:sleepisnecessaryforlearning(Stickgold2005[3])!Withlesssleep,wereducethe
recalloffactswelearnedbeforeorafterashortenednight.Studyingnightsbeforeanexammaybe
sufficientforpassingtheexam,yetitwillleavefewusefultracesinlongtermmemory.Theexamonits
ownreplacesknowledgeasthemainpurposeofstudying!
Bycuttingdownonsleep,welearnless,wedevelopless,wearelessbright,wemakeworse
decisions,weaccomplishless,wearelessproductive,wearemorepronetoerrors,andwe
undermineourtrueintellectualpotential!
Achangeinsocietalsleephabitscanspellasocialrevolutioninlearning,health,andproductivityona
scalethatfewimagine!"Judgingfromhistory,itwouldseemthatfundamentalchangesinthewaywe
thinkaboutsleepwillberequiredforpolicychangesthatwouldprotectsocietyfromsleepypeoplewho
makecatastrophicerrorsinindustryandtransportation"(MerrillMitler,PhD)
IhavestudiedstudentpersonalitiesamongusersofSuperMemoforovertwentyyearsnow.Therearea
coupleofdeterminantsthatmakeagood,efficientandpersistentstudent.Herearesomecharacteristics
ofapersonwhoislikelytobesuccessfulinlearning:
highlyoptimistic
sleepswell
knowledgehungry
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stresstolerant
energetic,butabletoslowdownatthetimeoflearning
Herearesomeunfortunatecharacteristicsthatdonotcorrelatewellwiththeabilitytostudyeffectively:
pronetodepressionormoodswings
problemswithsleep(esp.insomnia)
highlevelsofstress
hyperactiveandunfocused
lowstresstolerance(smokers,abusersofmoodalteringsubstances,drinkers,etc.)
Sleepingwellappearstobeoneofthemostimportantfactorsunderlyingsuccessinlearning!
Whydowesleep?
Formanyyears,thephysiologicalfunctionofsleephasnotbeenclear.Inmostpeople'smind,sleepis
associatedwithrestandtimeformentalregeneration.Restorative,protectiveandenergyconserving
theoriesofsleephavebeenquitepopularuntilquiterecently,whenithasbecomeapparentthatonelong
lastingsleepepisodewithsuppressionofconsciousnessdoesnotseemtobetherightwayforevolution
totackledepletedresources,toxicwastes,orenergyconservation.Forexample,musclesdonotneedto
shutoffcompletelytogetrest.Thecriticalfunctionofsleepisdramaticallyillustratedinexperimentsin
whichratschronicallydeprivedofsleepeventuallydieusuallywithin2.5weeks(formoresee:Ifyoudo
notsleep,youdie!).
Inevolutionaryterms,sleepisaveryoldphenomenonanditclearlymustplayarolethatiscriticalto
survival.Onlyquiterecently,ithasbeenprovenbeyonddoubtthatthefunctionofsleepisrelatedto
learning(notallscientistsagree)!
Researchershavelongknownabouttheimportanceofthehippocampus,asmallbrainorgan,formemory
formation.Yetithasalwaysbeendifficulttofindoutwhatisspecialaboutthehippocampusthat
distinguishesitfromotherareasofthecerebralcortexthatalsoshowsynapticplasticity,i.e.theabilityto
storememories.
Acollectiveeffortofanumberofresearchersresultedinthepropositionoftheconceptofneural
optimizationinsleep(seethenextsectionforametaphoricalexplanation:DiskandRAMmetaphor).
GroundbreakingtheoriesofDrGyrgyBuzskiandhistwostagemodelofmemorytraceformation
haveshednewlightonwhatmightactuallybehappeningduringsleep(Buzski1989[4])(important:do
notconfusethistwostagemodelwiththetwocomponentmodelofmemory(Wozniaketal1995[5])or
withthetwocomponentmodelofsleepregulation(Borbely1982[6])below).Usinghisknowledgeof
neuralnetworks,ingeniousexperimentsonneuronalfiring,andsophisticatedmathematicalanalysisof
spatiotemporalneuronalfiringpatterns,Buzskiprovidedagoodmodelexplaininghowthetwo
componentsofsleep,REMandNREMsleep,worktogethertooptimizememories.Thehippocampus
actsasthecentralswitchboardforthebrainthatcaneasilystoreshorttermmemorypatterns.However,
thesepatternshavetobeencodedintheneocortextoprovidespaceforcodingnewshorttermmemories.
Thiscomplexprocessofrebuildingtheneuralnetworkofthebraintakesplaceduringsleep.Unlikerest
orconservationofenergy,thishighestfeatofevolutionaryneuralmathematicsrequiresthebraintobe
shutoffentirelyfromenvironmentalinput(inmostanimals)!Thisautomaticrewiringisthemainreason
forwhichwesleepandwhythereisnoconsciousprocessinginvolved!Duringsleep,thebrainworksas
hardasduringSATorGREexams.Itrewiresitscircuitstomakesurethatallnewlygainedknowledgeis
optimallystoredforfutureuse.
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Wesleepsothatthebraincanintegratenewknowledgeandformnewassociations.Aswemust
sleepforourbraintocontinueitsfunction,ourbodyattacheddozensofimportantprocessesto
runinsleepaswell.Insimplestterms,inwakingweuseandburn,whileinsleepwerestore
andsynthetize.Sleepaffectsthefunctionandhealthoftheentirebody.
Formoresee:
Neuraloptimizationinsleep
Notallscientistsagree.
DiskandRAMmetaphor
Ametaphorcanhelpunderstandtheroleofsleepandwhyalarmclocksarebad.Wecancomparethe
brainanditsNREMREMsleepcyclestoanordinaryPC.Duringtheday,whilelearningand
experiencingnewthings,youstoreyournewdatainRAMmemory.Duringthenight,whilefirstin
NREM,youwritethedatadowntotheharddisk.DuringREM,whichfollowsNREMinthenight,you
dothediskdefragmentation,i.e.youorganizedata,sortthem,buildnewconnections,etc.Overnight,you
repeatthewriteanddefragmentcycleuntilallRAMdataisneatlywrittentothedisk(forlongtermuse),
andyourRAMisclearandreadyforanewdayoflearning.Uponwakingup,yourebootthecomputer.If
yourebootearlywiththeuseofanalarmclock,youoftenleaveyourdiskfragmented.Yourdataaccess
isslow,andyourthinkingisconfused.Evenworse,someofthedatamaynotevengetwrittentothe
disk.ItisasifyouhaveneverstoreditinRAMinthefirstplace.Inconclusion,ifyouuseanalarm
clock,youendangeryourdata.Ifyoudonotcareaboutyourintellectualperformance,youmaywantto
knowthattherearemanyotherbiologicalreasonsforwhichusingalarmclocksisunhealthy.Many
peopleusealarmclocksandlive.Yetthisisnotmuchdifferentfromsmoking,abusingdrugs,or
indulginginfatdrippingpork.Youmayabuseyourbrainwithalcoholforyears,andstillbecome
president.Manyofmankind'sachievementsrequiredinterruptedsleep.Manyinventionswereproduced
bysleepybrains.Butnothingisabletochangethefutureasmuchasabrainrefreshedwithahealthy
doseofrestfulsleep.
Badsleepkillsandcostsbillions
Sleepdeprivationisakiller!Itkillspreciouslifeviaairplanecrashes,nuclearpowerstationfailures,car
crashes,oilspills,etc.Sleepdeprivationcanchangethecourseofhistory.CharlesLindberghwouldhave
beenjustafootnoteinhistoryifhehadfailedtorecovertheSpiritofSt.Louisfromadivecausedby
microsleep.Sleepdeprivationhaschangedthefutureofnuclearfissionandthefutureofoilexploration.
Poorsleepkillsasmanypeopleontheroadsasalcohol.1550annualfatalitiesintheUScanbeattributed
todrowsydriving.That'snearlyanequivalentofsixWTCcollapsetragediesinadecade!Amazingly,as
thepainandsufferingisdilutedinthepopulation,drowsydrivingdoesnotnearlymakeasmany
headlinesasaterroristattack.AtleastathirdofAmericanshavefallenasleepbehindthewheelatleast
once!DuringtheshifttoDSTinspring,caraccidentsincreaseby9%.Sleepdeprivationcarriesan
astronomicalcosttoindustrializedsocieties.Therearezillionsofhourswastedonunproductivelearning
inschools,andzillionsofmanhourswastedonfutiletossingandturninginbed.Thereisalsoacostto
grumpybehaviorsandsnappyoutbursts.Thequestforbettersleepprovokesdesperatesolutionssuchas
theUbermanpolyphasicsleep,"safealarm"contraptions,hundredsofbooksandthousandsofblogswith
goodadviceonfallingasleepfast,gettingupearly,orsleepinglittle.Atthesametimerealsolutionsare
simpleandobvious!Readportionsofthisarticleandtryfreerunningsleepforatleastamonthto
quadrupleyourknowledgeaboutsleepanditspotentialtochangeyourlifeforthebetter.Weneedto
respectsleep,letkidssleep,designsmarternightshiftschedules,andminimizesleepdeprivationin
jobsthatweighonlifeanddeath(e.g.themedicalprofession).
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InacommenttotheconclusionofasleepdeprivationdebateorganizedbytheEconomist,KarenM.
wrote:"Wedon'tgetenoughsleep,andwearenotgoingto"changeourways"becausetherearealready
toofewhoursinmostpeople'sdaystodothingstheyenjoy.Callitasadfactoflifebecausethat'swhatit
is".EventhoughKarenattemptedtorepresenttheentirepopulationsaying"we",manyreadersofthis
articlewilldisagreeanddotheirbesttogetasmuchsleepasphysiologicallynecessary.Otherwisemy
writingeffortwouldnotbeneeded.Goodsleepmakesusnicer,smarter,andsaveslives!
See:10ThingstoHateAboutSleepLossfromWebMD.
Ifyoudonotsleep,youdie!
Nearlyeveryonehaspulledanallnighteronceuponatime.Evenifthisisoftenanunpleasant
experience,itnearlyalwaysendsupwitha100%recoveryafterasinglenightofsolidsleep.Itis
thereforeabitsurprisingtoknowthatthataweekortwoofsleepdeprivationcanresultindeath!Sleep
researchersconstructedacruelcontraptionthatwouldwakeupratsassoonastheyfellasleep.This
contraptionsshowedthatittakesanaverageof3weekstokillaratbysleepdeprivation(orsome5
monthsbyREMsleepdeprivationalone)(Rechtschaffen1998[7]).DrSiegeldemonstratedbraindamage
insleepdeprivedrats(Siegel2003[8]).Duetoanincreaseinthelevelofglucocorticoids,neurogenesisin
someportionsofthebrainisinhibitedbylackofsleep[9].Inshort,sleepdeprivationisverybadforthe
healthofthebrain.
Sleepdeprivationisawellknownformoftorture.Yet,forethicalreasons,theratexperimentcouldnot
bereproducedinhumans(toitsultimateend).However,wehavearoughideaastothedegreeofhuman
durabilityinsleepdeprivedstateduetofactthatwecanstudytheeffectsofsleepdisorders.Oneofthem
isfatalfamilialinsomnia,inwhichamutationcausestheaffectedpeopletosufferfromaprogressively
worseninginsomniathatendsindeathwithinafewmonths.AnotherexampleistheMorvan'ssyndrome
inwhichanautoimmunediseasedestroysneuronalpotassiumchannelsthatleadtosevereinsomniaand
death(unlessthediseaseprogressesintoremission).
Youmayhaveheardofreportsofpeoplewhodonotsleepatall.Thesearecertainlyinaccurateorfalse.
Thosewhoreportneversleepingareeitherboastingorexperiencingasleepstatemisperceptionthat
leavesthemwithanillusionthattheydonotsleepwhenrestinginbed.
Brain'sgarbagecollection
Whyissleepdeprivationfatal?Deathofsleepdeprivationislikedeathofanoldageingeneral.Very
often,multiplecausesconspiretoproducethefinalinevitableoutcome.Probablynobodyknowsthe
exactanswertothismystery.However,researchintotheroleofsleepgivesusprettystronghints.Oneof
themostimportantfunctionsofsleepisthereorganizationofneuralnetworksinthebrain.During
theday,welearnnewthings,memorize,acquireskills,figurethingsout,setnewmemoriesthrough
creativeassociations,etc.Afteralongdayofwaking,thebrainisfullofdisorganizedpiecesof
informationthatneedtobeintegratedwiththingswehavelearnedearlierinlife.Withoutthisre
organization,thebrainwouldharborchaos,andwouldquicklyrunoutofspacetostorenewmemories.
Thisneuralroleofsleepissofundamentalthatsleepdeprivationaffectsnearlyallfunctionsofthebody
thataregovernedbythenervoussystem.Withoutaregulargarbagecollection,individualnetworksbegin
tomalfunction.Theseinitiallyminormalfunctionscanadduptoaseriousproblemfortheentire
organism.Mostprominenteffectsofsleepdeprivationareproblemswiththermoregulation,declinein
immunefunction,hormonalchanges(e.g.increaseinglucocorticoidsandcatecholamines),metabolic
changes[link:SleepandGlucosemetabolism],malnutrition,hallucinations,autonomicsystem
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malfunction,changesincelladhesion,increaseininflammatoryfactors(e.g.IL6,TNF,Creactive
protein,etc.),skinlesions,oxidativestress,DNAdamage,etc.Thoseproblemsbecomeseriousenoughto
kill.Metaphoricallyspeaking,ifwecomparedalessdevelopedorganismtoaWW1bomber,wecould
imaginethattheprocessofevolvingintoahumanbeingislikeacquiringthesoftwareneededtoflyaB2
bomber.EventhoughB2isagesaheadofaplaneconstructedduringthelifeofOrvilleWright,itis
enoughtoplantabuginitssoftwaretomakeitfalloutofthesky.Humanbodyinsleepdeprivationis
likeaB2withaprogressivesoftwaremalfunction.Itmaybetechnologicallyadvanced,itmaybesmart,
andyetitisveryvulnerable.Therelianceonadvancedsoftwareorneuralfunctionisalwaysdangerous!
Luckily,allweneedtoeliminatethedangeristojustgotosleepeveryday.Formoresee:Neural
optimizationinsleep.
Sleepprotection
Thereisasecondlayeroftroubleinsleepdeprivation.Duetotheimportanceofsleep,alladvanced
organismsimplementasleepprotectionprogram.Thisprogramensuresthatsleepdeprivationresults
inunpleasantsymptoms.Italsoproducesaremarkablypowerfulsleepdrivethatisveryhardto
overcome.Stayingawakebecomesunbearable.Closingone'seyesbecomesoneofthemostsoothing
thingsintheuniverse.Arethesesymptomsaresultofnetworkmalfunction?Definitelynot.Iftheywere,
thedrivetosleepmightmalfunctionaswell.Moreover,recoveryfromsleepdeprivationwouldnotbeas
fast,aseasy,andascomplete!Sleepprotectionprogramisthere,anditcanmaketheeffectsofsleep
deprivationworse.Likeacytokinestorminanoverzealousimmunesystem,sleepprotectionprogram
canpotentiallyaddtothedamagecausedbythenetworkmalfunctioninsleepdeprivation.
Anabolicsleep
Lastbutnotleast,sleephasevolvedtobecomeachiefanabolicstateoftheorganism.Withoutit,the
bodykeepsusingitselfup,withoutmuchtimetorebuild.Turningonanabolicstatedoesnotrequire
turningofftheconsciousness,however,thetimeofnightrestseemstobethebesttimeforthebodytodo
alltherebuilding.Aswemustsleepanyway,thatanabolicfunctionsbecameconsolidatedwithother
functionsofsleep,andnowmaybeindispensable.Theanabolicstate,andthenighttimeincreaseinGH
ortestosterone,alsoaffectstheneuralnetworksandthestatusofour"mindsoftware".Hormonalchanges
stimulateand/orinhibitneuralgrowth.DrMichaelStryker,bestknownfordemonstratingtheroleof
sleepinbraindevelopment(Strykeretal.2001[10]),saysthatnighttimehormonalchangesmay"playa
crucialroleinconsolidatingandenhancingwakingexperience"[11].Oneoftheleadingcausesofdeath
insleepdeprivationseemstohavebeenopportunisticbacterialinfectionscausedbyadeclineinthe
immunefunction(e.g.nofebrileresponse).Thatdeclinecouldbecausedequallywellby(a)poorneural
controloftheimmunefunctionor(b)straighteffectofhypercatabolism.Whateverthecause,scientists
havequicklyfiguredoutthatapplicationofantibioticsdidnothelpmuchinpreventingdeathfromthose
infections.Sleepdeprivedratswoulddieanyway.Theinfectionmightspeedupdeaththatwasotherwise
inevitable.
Whydowediewithoutsleep?
Itisimpossibletoquantifythecontributionofthosethreefactorstothefataloutcomeofprolongedsleep
deprivation:
1. networkmalfunction,or
2. secondaryeffectsofsleepprotectionprogram,or
3. continuouscatabolicstate.
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Eventhoughthelattertwocouldpossiblyberemediedpharmacologically,thereisnowayaround
networkremoldinginsleep.Researcherswhohopetofindaremedyagainstsleepareploddingablind
path.Withoutsomeseriousnanotechnologyborderingonsciencefiction,sleepisheretostaywith
humanraceformanyyearstocome.Eventhough,sleepdeprivationcouldkill,sleepisgoodnews.It
makesussmarter!Weshouldallembracetheblessingsofhealthyunrestrainedsleep.Afterall,thereare
fewbetterthingsinlifethanagoodnightsleepafterawellspentday.Sleepshouldbelistedamongbasic
humanrights!
Twocomponentsofsleep
Electriclightingandstressarethetwochiefculpritsthathaveconvertedthenaturalprocessofsleepinto
adailystruggleformillions.Inthenewmillennium,wecanrarelyhopetogetagoodnightsleepwithout
understandingthescienceandtheartofsleep.Currently,thesocietalunderstandingofsleepandits
functionsisasdismalastheunderstandingofthehealthrisksofcigarettesinthe1920s.Amajorityofthe
populationinflictpain,miseryandmentaltortureonthemselvesandtheirchildrenbytryingtoregulate
theirsleepwithalarmclocks,irrationalshiftworkpatterns,sleepingpills,alcohol,caffeine,etc.
Forachancetobreakoutfromunhealthysleephabits,youneedtounderstandthetwocomponent
modelofsleepregulation.
Therearetwocomponentsofsleepinessthatdriveyoutobed:
circadiancomponentsleepinesscomesbacktousincycleswhichareusuallyaboutoneday
long
homeostaticcomponentsleepinessincreaseswiththelengthoftimewestayawake
Onlyacombinationofthesetwocomponentsdeterminestheoptimumtimeforsleep.Mostimportantly,
youshouldrememberthatevenstrongsleepinessresultingfromthehomeostaticcomponentmaynotbe
sufficienttogetgoodsleepifthetiminggoesagainstthegreatestsleeppropensitydeterminedbythe
circadiancomponent.
Circadiancomponent
Therearearoundhundredknownbodyfunctionsthatoscillatebetweenmaximumandminimumvalues
inadaylongcycle.Becausethesefunctionstakeaboutaday'stimetocomplete,thetermcircadian
rhythmwascoinedbyDrFranzHalbergofGermanyin1959(inLatincircadianmeansaboutaday).
Theoveralltendencytomaintainsleepisalsosubjecttosuchacircadianrhythm.Inanaveragecase,the
maximumsleepinesscomesinthemiddleofthenight,reachestheminimumatawakening,andagain
increasesslightlyatsiestatimeintheafternoon.However,thecircadiansleepinessisoftenshiftedin
phaseascomparedwithyourdesiredsleeptime.Consequently,ifyourmaximumsleepinesscomesinthe
morning,youmayfinditdifficulttofallasleeplateintheevening,evenifyoumissedalotofsleepon
theprecedingday.Inotherwords,theoptimumtimingofyoursleepshouldtakeintoconsiderationyour
circadianrhythm.
Homeostaticcomponent
Homeostasisisthetermthatreferstomaintainingequilibriumorbalanceinphysiologicalandmetabolic
functions.Ifyoudrinkliquidscontaininglotsofcalcium,homeostaticmechanismswillmakesurethat
youexcretecalciumwithurineordeposititinthebones.Thisisusedtomakesureyourbloodlevelsof
calciumremainthesame.Similarmechanismsareusedtoregulateoverallsleepinessanditsmultiple
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subcomponents.Thelongeryoustayawake,themoreyoulearn,themoreyouthink,thehigheryour
tendencytofallasleep.Ontheotherhand,caffeine,stress,exerciseandotherfactorsmaytemporarily
reduceyourhomeostaticsleepiness.Thehomeostaticmechanismpreparesyouforsleepafteralongday
ofintellectualwork.Atthesametimeitpreventsyoufromfallingasleepinemergencies.
ClockandHourglassmetaphor
Ametaphorisusefulinexplainingthetwocomponentsofsleep(foramorescientificexplanationsee:Borbelymodel).Deep
inthebrain,yourbodyclockisrunninga24hourscycleofactivity.Every24hours,metaphorically,theclockreleasesa
sleepypotionthatputsyoutosleep(fordetailssee:Whywefallasleep).Ifyoutrytosleepatwronghours,withoutthe
sleepypotion,youmayfinditveryhardtofallasleep.Allinsomniacssufferfromthelackofsleepypotion.Iftheygoto
sleeptooearly,beforetheygettheirfixofsleepypotion,theywilltossandturn.Oftenforhours.Youneedtolistentoyour
bodyclocktoknowtherightmomenttogotosleep.
Itisimportanttoknowthatsleepypotionproducedbythebodyclockisnotenoughtoputyoutosleep.Thebrainalsouses
thehourglassofmentalenergythatgivesyousometimeeverydaythatyoucandevotetointellectualwork.Whenyouwake
up,thehourglassisfullandstartsbeingemptied.Witheverywakingmoment,witheverythingyourbrainabsorbs,with
everymentaleffort,thehourglassislessandlessfull.Onlywhenthehourglassofmentalenergyisemptywillyouableto
quicklyfallasleep.
Togetagoodnightsleep,youneedtocombinetwofactors:
yourbodyclockmustbesaying"timetosleep"(circadiancomponentofsleep)
yourhourglassofpowermustbesaying"nomorementalwork"(homeostaticcomponentofsleep)
Ifyoursleepypotiontriestoputyoutosleepbutyourhourglassofmentalenergyisfull,youwillbeverygroggy,tired,but
youwillnotfallasleep.If,ontheotherhand,youtrytosleepwithoutthesleepypotionwhilethehourglassofpoweris
empty,youmaysucceed,butyouwillwakeupveryfastwithyourhourglassfullagain.Thatwillmakesleepingagainnearly
impossible.Insomniacsgotosleepbeforethebodyclockreleasesthesleepypotion.Whenyouwakeupearlywithanalarm
clock,youcanhardlygettoyourfeetbecauseyourbodyisfullofsleepypotion,whichbegsyoutogobacktosleep.When
youaredrowsyintheafternoon,yourhourglassofmentalpowermightbealmostempty.Aquicknapwillthenhelpyoufill
itupagainandbeveryproductiveintheevening.Ifyoudrinkcoffeeinthemorning,ithelpsyouchargethehourglassand
addsomeextramentalenergy.Butcoffeecombinedwiththesleepypotionproducesapoisonousmixthatengulfsyourbrain
insicklymiasma.Ifyoutrytodrinkcoffeetostayupinthenight,youwillfeellikeahorsekickedyouinthestomach.That's
theacmeofacriminalattackonyourbrain'shealth.
Thefundamentaltheoremofgoodsleep
Letusnowformulatethefundamentaltheoremofgoodsleep:
Togethighqualitynightsleepthatmaximizesyourlearningeffectsyoursleepstarttime
shouldmeetthesetwocriteria:
stronghomeostaticsleepiness:thisusuallymeansgoingtosleepnotearlierthan1519
hoursafterawakeningfromthepreviousnightsleep
ascendingcircadiansleepiness:thismeansgoingtosleepatatimeofdaywhenyou
usuallyexperiencearapidincreaseindrowsiness.Notearlierandnotlater!Knowingthe
timingofyourcircadianrhythmiscriticalforgoodnightsleep
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Youshouldbeawarethatusingthecircadiancomponentwillonlyworkwhenallitsphysiological
subcomponentsruninsync(asitisthecaseinfreerunningsleep).Peoplewithirregularsleephoursand
highlystressfullivesmaysimplybeunabletolocatethepointofascendingcircadiansleepinessasthis
pointmaynotexist!Foravisualillustrationofcircadianandhomeostaticcomponents,seesectionTwo
componentsleepmodelinSuperMemo.Formoreonthetwocomponentsofsleepsee:Borbelymodel.
Whengoodsleepmightnotcome?
Youmaybesurprisedtofindoutthatyourinternalcircadianoscillationisbasedonaperiodthatiscloser
to25hoursthanto24hours!Tobeexact,itvariesbetweenindividuals,seasons,andotherdailyfactors
suchasstress,timingofsleep,timingofthelightperiod,intensityoflight,exercise,andmanymore.
Usuallyitfallsintotherangefrom24.5hoursto25.5hours.
Mostofusareabletoentrainthis25circadianrhythmintoa24hourcyclebyusingfactorsthatresetthe
oscillation.Thesefactorsincludeintensemorninglight,work,exercise,etc.Germanscientistshave
namedthesefactorszeitgebers(i.e.factorsthatgivetime).Asaresultoftheinfluenceofzeitgebers,ina
welladjustedindividual,thecyclecanbesetbackby3060minuteseachday.However,theentrainment
tothe24hourcyclemaycomewithdifficultytomanyindividualsduetofactorssuchas:
blindness(i.e.theinabilitytousethemainzeitgeber:light)
shortsightedness(i.e.reducedsensitivitytolightzeitgeber)
increaseddemandforsleep(e.g.asaresultofintenselearning,highlycreativejobposition,
exercise,etc.)
stress
endocrinedisorders
sleepdisorders
adolescence
Agreatdealofsleepdisorderscanbeexplainedbyentrainmentfailure(i.e.thefailuretoresetthe25
hourcircadianrhythmtothe24hourdaylightcycle).Inotherwords,intheinterdependencebetween
sleepdisordersandentrainmentfailure,thecauseeffectrelationshipwilloftenbereversed!Duetothe
physiologicalfunctionofsleep,whichistherewiringoftheneuralnetworksofthebrain,wecan
naturallyexpectthatthedemandforsleepbeassociatedwiththeamountoflearningonthepreceding
days.Thislinkmayalsoexplainadecreaseddemandforsleepinretirementduetoadecreasein
intellectualactivity.Thisagerelateddropinthedemandforsleepislesslikelytobeobservedinhighly
activeindividuals.Forsimilarreasons,theentrainmentfailurecanoftenbefoundamongstudentsduring
exams.Itisnotclearhowmuchofthisfailurecanbeattributedtostress,ortothedesiretodomoreona
givenday,ortotheactualincreaseinthedemandforsleep.
Formulaforgoodsleep
Thereisalittlepublicizedformulathatactsasaperfectcureforpeoplewhoexperiencecontinualor
seasonalproblemswithsleepentrainment[glossary].Thisformulaisfreerunningsleep!
Freerunningsleepisdefinedbytheabstinencefromallformsofsleepcontrolsuchasalarmclocks,
sleepingpills,alcohol,caffeine,etc.Freerunningsleepisasleepthatcomesnaturallyatthetimewhenit
isinternallytriggeredbythecombinationofyourhomeostaticandcircadiancomponents.Inotherwords,
freerunningsleepoccurswhenyougotosleeponlythenwhenyouaretrulysleepy(independentofthe
relationshipofthismomenttotheactualtimeofday).Nightsleeponafreerunningschedulelastsas
longasthebodyneeds,andendsinnaturalawakening.Noformofsleepdisruptionisallowed.In
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particular,anyuseofanalarmclockisthecardinalviolationofthefreerunningsleepprinciple.
Thegreatestshortcomingoffreerunningsleepisthatitwilloftenresultincycleslongerthan24hours.
Thiseliminatesfreerunningsleepfromawideruseinsociety.However,ifyouwouldliketotryfree
runningsleep,youcouldhopefullydoitonvacation.Youmayneedavacationthatlastslongerthantwo
weeksbeforeyouunderstandyourcircadiancycle.Evenifyoucannotaffordfreerunningsleepinnon
vacationsetting,tryingitoncewillgreatlyincreaseyourknowledgeaboutnaturalsleepcyclesandyour
owncycleinparticular.Youshouldalsoknowthatitispossibletoentrainone'ssleeptoadesiredsleep
bracket(e.g.earlyrising).However,theentrainmentrequiresironselfdisciplineandthereligious
adherencetotheentrainmentrules.
Freerunningsleep
Freerunningsleepissleepthatisnotartificiallycontrolledtomatchourschedulesanddesires.Itisa
sleepwithoutalarmclocksandsleepingpills.Mankindhaspractisedfreerunningsleepforaslongasit
existed.Ourancestorsweregentlyencouragedtoretiretobedtimeatsunset,andwouldwakeup
naturally,probablyafterhavingspentnolessthan810hoursinbed(seealsoSegmentedsleep).All
departuresfromthathealthypractisewereanimpositionofculture,habit,religion,and/ortradition.
Despiteourancestors'livesbeingfraughtwithdanger,superstition,warsanddisease,weshouldpause
andponderthemarvellousimpactofthisnaturallyundisturbedsleepontheirhealth.Thearrivaloffire
andcandlelightdidnotprovidemuchincentivetostayupexceptforthosefewthathavealwayshad
muchtodointheevening:thefirstbookwormsandartists.OnlythegeniusofEdisonandthelike
broughtinthetruesleepscourge:theelectricity.Withthewidedisseminationofprintedmatterand
electriclighting,millionswouldfindtheireveningbookfarmoreinterestingthansleep.Entertheweb.In
2012AD,wehaveanendlessspectrumofentertainmentsanddistractionsthatlureeveryoneawayfrom
bedandhealthyslumber.Moreandmore,wewanttosqueezesleepintodesignerbrackets.Wewishto
fallasleepataspecifictime,andwakeupataspecifictime.Amazingly,abigchunkofthepopulation
doesnotrealizethatthisisnotpossiblewithoutadetrimenttohealth!Luckily,nearlyeveryonehasthe
intuitionthatsleepisvitalforhealthyliving.Thosewhowouldwanttodispensewithsleepaltogether
formatinyminority.Nearlyallcreativepeoplewouldwishtowakeupfreshandreadyforaction.
Preferablyataspecifiedtime.Thesamepeoplewishtobelesstiredintheeveningbeforesleep,andfall
asleepinstantly.Preferrablyataspecifiedtime.Letmethenstateitinboldprint:
Ifweexcludeunhealthytechniques:
1. Itisnotpossibletofallasleepwheneverwewish.
2. Itisnotpossibletowakeupwheneverwewish.
3. Itisnotpossibletoeliminateeveningsleepiness.
Howeverdisappointingthismightbe,everyonewoulddobetterinlifeifthosetruthswereassimilated.If
weagreetowakeupnaturallyatone'sbody'spreferredtime,itshouldbepossibletobefreshanddandy
fromthewakingmoment.However,adeclineinmentalcapacityoverthewakingdayisinevitable.Itis
natural.Middaydipinalertnessisalsoinevitable.Andtheoptimumbedtimeishardlymovable.Ifyou
trytoadvanceit,youwilllikelyexperienceinsomnia.Ifyoutrytodelayit,youwillcutdownonsleep
andpossiblywakeupunrefreshed.Ifyoutrytowakeupearlierthanyournaturalhour,e.g.byemploying
analarmclock,youwillwakeupwithadegreeofsleepdeprivationthatwillaffectthevalueofsleepfor
yourlearningandcreativity.Don'tbefooledbytheillusiveboostinalertnesscausedbythealarmclock.
Yes.Thishappenstosomepeople,someofthetime.Thisperpetuatesthemyththatitispossibletowake
upfresherwiththeringofthealarm.
Thereisonlyoneformulaforhealthyandrefreshingsleep:Gotosleeponlywhenyouarevery
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tired.Notearlier.Notlater.Wakeupnaturallywithoutanalarmclock.
Thissimpleformulaiscalledfreerunningsleep.Formanypeople,afteryearsofsleepabuse,evenfree
runningsleepcanbetricky.Itwilltakeawhiletodiscoverone'sownbody'srulesandtoacceptthem.
Youwillknowthatyouexecuteyourfreerunningsleepcorrectlyifittakesnomorethan5min.tofall
asleep(withoutmedication,alcoholorotherintervention),andifyouwakeupprettyabruptlywiththe
senseofrefreshment.Beingrefreshedinthemorningcannotbetakenforgranted.Evenminor
misalignmentofsleepandthecircadianphasewilltaketherefreshedfeelingaway.Aftermonthsor
weeksofmessysleep,somecircadianvariablesmightberunningindifferentcyclesandfreerunning
sleepwillnotbeaninstantremedy.Itmaytakesometimetoregulateitwellenoughtoaccomplishits
goals.Itcannotevenbeexcludedthatafteryearsofshiftworkorjetlag,somebraincellsinthesleep
controlcentersmighthavediedoutmakingitevenhardertoachievewellalignedrefreshingsleep.In
additiontoallthesecaveats,stressisoneofthemajorfactorscontributingtodestroyingthefabricof
sleep.Infreerunningsleep,stresswillmakeyougotosleeplater,takelongertofallasleep,andwakeup
faster,farlessrefreshed.Combatingstressisoneofthemostimportantthingsineveryone'slifeforthe
sakeoflongevityandproductivity.
Partnersandspousescanfreeruntheirsleepinseparatecycles,buttheywilloftenbesurprisedtofind
outthatitiseasiertosynchronizewitheachotherthanwiththerestoftheworld(esp.iftheyhave
similarinterestsanddailyroutines).Iftheyarecosleeping,oneofthepairwillusuallygetupslightly
earlierandworkasastrongzeitgeberfortheother.Theproblemwillappearonlywhenthelengthofthe
naturallypreferredsleepcyclesdifferssubstantiallybetweenthetwo.Insuchcases,insteadofbeinga
zeitgeber,theotherpersonbecomesasubstituteforanalarmclock.
Evenifyouarenotconvinced,youshouldtryfreerunningsleeptobetterunderstandtheconceptofthe
sleepphase,andhowthesleepphaseisaffectedbyvariouslifestylefactors.Youwilloftennoticethat
yoursupposedsleepdisorderdisappears!Notethatthefreerunningsleepperiodisnotsolelygenetic.
Variousfactorsinthedailyscheduleareabletoshortenorlengthentheperiod.Oftheobviousones,
brightlightinthemorningormelatoninintheeveningmayshortenthecycle.Excitingactivitiesinthe
eveningwilllengthenit.Theperiodchangesslightlywithseasons.Itwillalsochangewhenyouleaveon
vacation.Itoftengetsshorterwithage.Tryfreerunningsleeptounderstandyourownsleepparameters.
Thiswillhelpyousynchronizewiththerestoftheworld,oratleastgetqualityrefreshingsleep.Please
readmoreaboutfreerunningsleepinthisarticle.Throwingawaythealarmclockisnotapanacea.You
mayneedtolearnabitaboutthehygieneofsleep.
Shouldwefreerunoursleep?
Asitwillbediscussedlater,freerunningsleepcanbeusedtosolveanumberofsleepdisordersexcept
forthosewherethereisanunderlyingorganicdisorderthatdisruptsnaturalsleepmechanisms.However,
youwilloftenheartwoargumentsagainstadoptingtheuseoffreerunningsleep:
Argument1freerunningsleepwilloftenresultinadaythatislongerthan24hours.This
ultimatelyleadstosleepinginatypicalhours.Thisseemstogoagainstthenatural24hourcycleof
lightanddarkness.Lessoften,thecyclewillbelessthan24hours
Argument2sleepcanbecomparedtoeating.Yourbodywillalwaystrytogetmorethanit
actuallyneeds.Thiswillresultinspendingmoretimeinsleepthannecessary.Inotherwords,free
runningsleepistimeinefficient
Argument1:Phaseshifts
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Itistruethatfreerunningsleepwilloftenrunagainstthenaturalcycleoflightanddarkness.However,
thedeparturefromthenaturalrhythmisadirectconsequenceofusingelectriclightingandmodern
lifestyle.Ourancestorscouldexpectlittlebutdarknessandboredompastsunset.Prolongeddarknessand
boredomarequiteefficientinlullinghumanstosleep.Ifwestubbornlyrefusetouseelectriclighting
beyondacertainhour,wewillstillfinditdifficulttorunawayfromtheexcitementsofmodernlifestyle.
Toshutyourbraintosleepefficientlyintheearlyeveningyouwouldprobablyneedtoquityourcurrent
jobandpicksomeuninspiringone,giveupyourintensefamilylife,giveupyourhobbiesandinterests,
giveuptheInternet,eveningTV,etc.Welivemorestressfulandmoreexcitinglivesthanour
grandparents.Turningthelightsoffintheearlyeveningwouldprobablyonlybewasteful.Additionally,
shortsightedness,theailmentoftheinformationage,makesuslesssensitivetothelightzeitgeberand
artificiallyprolongsthecircadiancycle.Thereareanumberofdownsidestofreerunningsleep.The
worstshortcomingisadifficultyinestablishinganactivitycyclethatcouldbewellsynchronizedwith
therestoftheworld.Stabilizationofthecycleispossiblewithselfdisciplineinadheringtocyclereset
rulessuchasmorningexercise,brightlight,sleepprotectivezoneintheevening,etc.
Argument2:Excessivesleeping
Itistruethatpeoplewhotrytofreeruntheirsleepmayfindthemselvessleepingoutrageouslylonginthe
verybeginning.This,however,willnotlastinahealthyindividualaslongsleepisabody'scounter
reactiontovarioussleepdeficitsresultingfromsleepdeprivation.Unlikeitisthecasewithfoods,there
doesnotseemtobeanyevolutionaryadvantagetogettingextrasleepondayswhenwecanaffordto
sleeplonger.Inthecourseofevolution,wehavedevelopedatendencytoovereat.Thisisaprotection
againstperiodswhenfoodisscarce.Adiposetissueworksasasurvivalkitforbadtimes.However,
consideringthefunctionofsleep,thedemandforsleepshouldbesomewhatproportionaltotheamount
ofnewlearningreceivedonprecedingdays.Inancienttimes,wedidnothaveexamdaysasopposedto
lazydays.Consequently,thelinkbetweenlearninganddemandforsleepisquiteweak.Thebodyclock
willstillmakeussleep78hoursonnightsfollowingthedaysoftotalinaction.Secondly,everyextra
minuteofsleepmightimprovethequalityofneuralwiringinthebrain.Sleepwouldbetterbecompared
todrinkingratherthaneating.Wedonothavemuchcapacitytosurvivewithoutdrinkingduetoourpoor
waterstorageability.Similarly,wecannotsleepinadvanceinpreparationforadoubleallnighterbefore
anexamorimportantdeadline.Theclaimthatfreerunningsleepincreasesthenaturalneedforsleep
isfalse!Ifyouhappentosleeplongerinfreerunningsleep,itindicatesthatyouweresleep
deprivedbeforerunningfree.Thislongersleepstageistransient.Onoccasion,ifyougotosleep
veryearly,youcanalsoclockanexcessnumberofsleepinghours.FormoreseeExcessivesleeping.
Inmyview,everyoneshouldalwaysfreerunhisorhersleepunlessitmakesitimpossibletofunctionin
societyalongone'schosenprofession,specialization,education,etc.,orwhereitmakesitimpossibleto
takecareoftheyoungones.
Freerunningsleepisstressless
Someonesuggestedthatifanychangeisstressful,switchingtofreerunningsleepwouldbestressfultoo.
Theoppositeisthecase.Perhapsafteranexclusionoftheinitialadjustmentperiodinwhichpeoplewith
lesserunderstandingofchronobiologymakemistakesthatmayresultinadeclineintheirsleepquality.
Sayingthatanychangeisstressfulisageneralizationthatgoestoofar.ChangingyourTshirtsdailydoes
notimplystress.Inaddition,thedegreeofchangeisimportant.Thesamechangecanproduceoverstress
orbeawelcomefactorinlifedependingonitsdegree.Lettingyoursleepfreerundoesnotimplyany
degreeofstress,unlessfreerunningsleepitselfproduceschangesinyourschedulethatmightbe
stressful.Ifyoueatyourmoderatemealsfrequentlywhenyoufeelhungry,youarelikelytoexperience
lessstressfulchangethanwhenyoueatthematpresetlunchhours.Freerunningbehaviors,by
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definition,freeyourorganismtoadaptbehaviorstobody'sinternalneeds.Assuch,thesecanbe
consideredantistressfactors.Itrefersequallytosleep,eatinghabits,exercise,andotherphysiological
needs
Freerunningsleepalgorithm
1. Startwithameticulousloginwhichyouwillrecordthehoursinwhichyougotosleepandwake
upinthemorning.Ifyoutakeanapduringtheday,putitinthelogaswell(evenifthenaptakes
aslittleas13minutes).Thelogwillhelpyoupredicttheoptimumsleepinghoursandimprovethe
qualityofsleep.Onceyourselfresearchphaseisover,youwillaccumulatesufficientexperience
toneedthelognolongerhowever,youwillneeditatthebeginningtobetterunderstandyour
rhythms.YoucanuseSleepCharttosimplifytheloggingprocedureandhelpyoureadyour
circadianpreferences.
2. Gotosleeponlythenwhenyouaretrulytired.Youshouldbeabletosensethatyoursleeplatency
islikelytobelessthan510minutes.Ifyoudonotfeelconfidentyouwillfallasleepwithin1020
minutes,donotgotosleep!Ifthisrequiresyoutostayupuntilearlyinthemorning,sobeit!
3. Besurenothingdisruptsyoursleep!Donotuseanalarmclock!Ifpossible,sleepwithoutabed
partner(atleastintheselfresearchperiod).Keepyourselfwellisolatedfromsourcesofnoiseand
fromrapidchangesinlighting.
4. Avoidstressduringtheday,esp.intheeveninghours.Thisisparticularlyimportantintheself
researchperiodwhileyouarestillunsurehowyouroptimumsleeppatternslook.Stresshormones
haveapowerfulimpactonthetimingofsleep.Stressfulthoughtsarealsolikelytokeepyouupat
thetimewhenyoushallbefallingasleep.
5. Afteracoupleofdays,trytofigureoutthelengthofyourcircadiancycle.Ifyouarriveata
numberthatisgreaterthan24hours,yourfreerunningsleepwillresultingoingtosleeplateron
eachsuccessiveday.Thiswillultimatelymakeyousleepduringthedayattimes.Thisiswhyyou
mayneedavacationtogivefreerunningsleepanhonesttest.Dayslongerthan24hoursarepretty
normal,andyoucanstabilizeyourpatternwithproperlytimedsignalssuchaslightandexercise.
ThiscanbeverydifficultifyouareaDSPStype.
6. Onceyouknowhowmuchtimeyouspendawakeonaverage,makeadailycalculationofthe
expectedhouratwhichyouwillgotosleep(Iusethetermexpectedbedtimeandexpected
retirementhourtodenotetimesofgoingtobedandtimesoffallingasleep,whichinfreerunning
sleeparealmostthesame).Thiscalculationwillhelpyoupredictthesleeponset.Onsomedays
youmayfeelsleepybeforetheexpectedbedtime.Donotfightsleepiness,gotosleepevenifthis
falls23hoursbeforeyourexpectedbedtime.Similarly,ifyoudonotfeelsleepyattheexpected
bedtime,stayup,keepbusyandgotosleeplater,evenifthisfalls24hoursafteryourexpected
bedtime.
Cardinalmistakesinfreerunningsleep
donotgotosleepbeforeyouaresleepyenoughthismayresultinfallingasleepfor1030
minutes,andthenwakingupfor24hours.Ultimatelyyoucanexperienceanartificialshift
forwardintheentirecycle!
unlessfornaturalreasons(nosleepiness),donotgotosleepwellaftertheexpectedbedtime.This
willresultinmissingtheperiodofmaximumcircadiansleepiness.Yoursleepwillbeshorterand
lessrefreshing.Yourmeasurementswillbelessregularandyouwillfindithardertopredictthe
optimumtimingofsleepinfollowingdays
donottakeanaplaterthan78hoursfromwaking.Latenapsarelikelytoaffecttheexpected
bedtimeanddisruptyourcycle.Ifyoufeelsleepyintheevening,youwillhavetowaitforthe
momentwhenyoubelieveyouwillbeabletosleepthroughoutthenight
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Sleeploggingtips
Infreerunningconditions,itshouldnotbedifficulttorecordtheactualhoursofsleep.Inconditionsof
entrainmentfailure,youmayfindithardtofallasleep,orwakeupslowly"instages".Infreerunning
sleep,youshouldbeabletoquicklyarrivetothepointwhenyoufallasleepinlessthan10minutesand
wakeupimmediately(i.e.withoutaperiodofsleepinertia).Inotherwords,youcanrememberthehour
yougotobed,add510minutesandrecorditasthehouryoufellasleep.Assoonasyouopenyoureyes
inthemorning,youshouldrecordthewakinghour.Usuallyyoushouldnothaveanydoubtsifyouhave
alreadyawakenedforgood(asopposedtotemporarily),andyouwillusuallynotfallasleepagain(asit
maybeafrequentcaseinnonfreerunningsleep).Thegraphbelowshowsanexemplaryfreerunning
sleeploginagraphicform:
Anexemplary5monthfreerunningsleepcyclegraph.Inthepicture,theaveragetimeofnightsleep
is7h5min,timebeforethemiddaynapis7h48min,theaveragenaptakes25minutesandthetime
beforethenapandthenightsleepis9h46min.Thewholecycleaddsupto25hoursand4minutes.
Notethatthedistancebetweenthenapandthenightsleepinthegraphislessthan9h46minutesdue
tothefactthattheblueretirementlinereferstothepreviousdaysleepascomparedwiththerednap
line.Consequently,thenaptosleepbandishorizontallyshortenedby64minutes,i.e.exactlyasmuch
asthedailyphaseshiftinthecycle.
IfyouhavecollectedyourownfreerunningsleepdatawithSleepChart,Iwouldbeverygratefulfor
yoursubmissionsthatwillbeusefulinfurtherresearch(sendingdatafromSleepCharttakesjusta
singleclick).
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Optimizingthetimingofbrainwork
Circadiangraphandbrainwork
ThefollowingexemplarycircadiangraphwasgeneratedwithSleepChartusingalogoffreerunning
sleep:
Thehorizontalaxisexpressesthenumberofhoursfromawakening(notethatthefreerunningrhythm
periodisoftenlongerthan24hours). Lightbluedots areactualsleepepisodemeasurementswithtiming
onthehorizontal,andthelengthontheleftverticalaxis.Homeostaticsleepinesscanroughlybe
expressedastheabilitytoinitiatesleep.Percentoftheinitiatedsleepepisodesispaintedasathick blue
line (rightsidecalibrationsoftheverticalaxis).Homeostaticsleeppropensityincreasesinproportionto
mentaleffortandcanbepartiallyclearedbycaffeine,stress,etc.Circadiansleepinesscanroughlybe
expressedastheabilitytomaintainsleep.Averagelengthofinitiatedsleepepisodesispaintedasa
thick redline (leftsidecalibrationsoftheverticalaxis).Middayslumpinalertnessisalsocircadian,but
isbiologicallydifferentandresultsinshortsleepthatdoesnotregisterasredsleepmaintenancepeak.
Sleepmaintenancecircadiancomponentcorrelateswith(butisnotequalto):(1)negativelywith:
temperature,ACTH,cortisol,catecholamines,and(2)positivelywith:melatoninandREMsleep
propensity.Formoredetailssee:CircadiangraphandBiphasicnatureofhumansleep.
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Bestbrainworktime
Optimumtimingofbrainworkrequiresbothlowhomeostaticsleepinessandlowcircadiansleepiness.
Therearetwoqualityalertnessblocksduringtheday:firstaftertheawakeningandsecondafterthesiesta
period.Botharemarkedas yellowblocks inthegraph(above).Forbestlearningandbestcreative
resultsusetheseyellowblocksforbrainwork. Caffeine canonlybeusedtoenhancealertnessearlyin
thisoptimumwindow.Laterusewillaffectsleep(caffeinehalflifeisaboutsixhours).Optimumtiming
ofexercisemayvarydependingonyourexercisegoalsandtheoptimumtimingofzeitgebers(e.g.early
morningforDSPSpeopleandeveningforASPSpeople).Inthisexample,the stressblock isfollowed
bythe exerciseblock tocounterbalancethehormonalandneuraleffectsofstressbeforethesiesta.
Unmarkedwhiteareascanbeusedforthelunch(beforesiesta)andfuntimeunrelatedtoworkinthe
eveningatatimewhentheascendingcircadiansleepinessmakescreativeworkineffective.Thatwhite
eveningprotectivezoneshouldbefreefromstress,alcohol,caffeine,etc.Recommendedactivitiesmight
includefun,games,relaxation,TV,reading,family,DIY,housework,etc.Forinveterateworkaholics,
lesschallengingandstressfreejobsmightalsoworkok.Thebestlitmustestforawelldesigneddayis
thatallactivitiesshouldbefun!Brainworkisfunonlyifyourbrainisready.Sleepisfunifyouare
ready.Restandentertainmentfeelinplaceonlyafteraproductiveday.Evenabitofstresscanbefunifit
isproperlydosedandtimed.Youdonotneedtobeanadrenalinejunkietoenjoyyourstressandexercise
slots.Thereislittleexaggerationinsayingthatagoodunderstandingofthecircadiancycleisthekey
toahappyandproductiveday!
Balanced24hourcycle
The slantinggreenline separatesthegraphintotheareasofphaseadvanced(right)andphasedelays
(left).Thelineisdeterminedbypointsinthegraphwherethewakingtime(horizontalaxis)addedtothe
sleeptime(leftverticalaxis)equalsto24.0hours.Theplacewherethe greenbreakevenline crossesthe
redsleeplengthline determinestheoptimumbalancedsleepcycleof24hours.Inthepresented
example,17.35hoursofwaking,addedtotheexpected6.65hoursofsleeptimecompleteabalancedfull
24hourssleepwakecycle.Thegreatertheanglebetweenthe green and red lines,theharderitisto
balancesleepandfititintothe24hcycleoftherotatingearth.Intheexample,addingwakinghoursdoes
notshortensleepmuchenoughtomakethebalanceeasy.Thisimpliesthatareligiousadherencetoa
17.35daymaybenecessarytobalancethecycle.However,thisshortenedwakingdaymayincrease
sleeplatencyandincreasetheprobabilityofprematureawakening,whichcanalsotipthebalance
towardsthephasedelay.The verticalaqualine showswheretheexpectedsleeptimeaddedtothe
wakingtimeequalsto24hours(crossoverwiththe greenline representingaperfect24hourday).In
DSPSorASPSthat24hbalancemaybehardtoaccomplish.Forexample,withoutmedicalintervention,
onlyalargeprotectivezoneintheevening,earlynap(ornonap),andintensemorningexercisecanhelp
balancethedayinDSPS.
Important!Thisgraphisbasedondatathatistruesolelyforafreerunningsleepcondition.Ifyouuse
analarmclocktoregulatethetimingofyoursleep,thismeasurementsandrecommendationsmaynot
apply!Inaddition,timingandtheamplitudeofchangesdiffervastlybetweenindividuals!
Sleepingagainstyournaturalrhythm
Ifyousleepagainstyournaturalrhythmyouwilloftenexperiencetirednessordrowsinessthatcanbe
resolvedbyadjustingthesleepinghours.Inhealthyindividuals,thedaytimealertnessisprimarily
determinedby:
1. circadianphaseandhomeostaticsleepiness
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2. totalsleeptimethenightbefore
3. amountofslowwavesleepthenightbefore
4. regularadherencetothesleepwakescheduleinprecedingdays
5. sleepdeficitsaccumulatedintheprecedingdays(e.g.REMdeficit,SWAdeficit,etc.)
Allthosefactorsarecloselyassociatedwiththesleepphase.Freerunningsleepprovidesthebestwayto
maximizethealertnessthroughoutawakingday.Freerunningsleepislikelytoshifttheminimum
temperaturepointfromtheearlymorningclosertowardsthemiddleofthesubjectivenight.Youshould
noticeincreasedsleepinessbeforegoingtosleepandnosleepinertiauponawakening!Ifyoucannot
freerunyoursleep,itisveryimportanttounderstandtherelationshipbetweenyourhomeostaticand
circadiansleepdrivesascompiledinthetablebelow.Inthecourseoftheday,youshouldmoveinsync
betweentheyellowareasofthetable,i.e.fromperfectalertnesstomaximumsleepiness,andthenbackto
perfectalertness.Thegrayareasillustratewhenyoursleepfallsoutofsync:
Highcircadiansleepiness
Lowcircadiansleepiness
Insomnia:Youaretossingandturningin
bed.Youareverytiredbutyoucannotfall
High
Peakofthenight:Youareverydrowsyand asleep.Yourtemperature,bloodpressureand
homeostatic fallintorefreshingsleepwithlatencyofless pulseareraised.Yourthoughtsareracing
sleepiness thanfiveminutes
Solution:Waitforthearrivalofthecircadian
phase.Delaygoingtosleepby36hours
Hypersomnia:Youaredrowsythroughout
thedaydespitelongsleephours.Napping
doesnothelp.Youshowminimumenergy
levels.Yourmusclesareweakandatonic
Low
homeostatic
sleepiness Solution:Adjustyoursleepphasetoyour
circadian(e.g.trytogotosleep36hours
later)
Peakoftheday:Youarealert,energetic,and
fullofnewideas
Killthealarmclock!
Alarmclockepidemic
Fewupwardlymobilepeopleinthemodernratracesocietycanlivewithoutanalarmclock.Withashot
ofstrongcoffeeandroundtheclockstress,mostpeoplelearntoliveandsurvivewithanalarmclock.
Halfofthepopulationwakesupwithanalarm,9%arewokenbyapartner,4%bypets,3%bychildren,
etc.Thatleavesaminoritythatwakeupnaturally.Increasingly,timebecomesthemostprecious
commodityinsocietywhereachievementisoftenassociatedwithspeedandperfecttimemanagement.
However,alarmclocksintroduceharmfulsideeffects:stress,sleepdebt,andworstofall,disruptionof
thenaturalphysiologicalsleepfunction.Atworst,thosefactorswillresultinphysicaldamagetothe
brain(e.g.suchsensitivestructuresasthehippocampus,yourmemoryswitchboard,mayliterallylose
neuronsasaresultofdisruptedsleep).
Theartoftimemanagementmakesitpossibletoliveatahighspeedwithanalarmclockatyourside,
andstillbefreefromstress.However,thesocietaldamageinflictedbyalarmclocksandsleep
deprivationisunforgivable.Analarmclockthatinterruptsyoursleepdamagesyourmemories,your
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abilitytolearn,yourcreativity,yourmoodandtemper,yourrelationshipswithotherpeople,yourability
tofocus,andyouroverallintellectualperformance!
DrRobertStickgoldhasshowedthatpeople,wholearnaskillduringtheday,donotshowsignificant
improvementuntiltheygetasound78hoursofproperlystructuredsleep[3].Therewasanoticeable
correlationbetweenthedegreeofimprovementandthequalityofsleepreceived.Myownworkwith
SleepChartalsoshowsthattheuseofalarmclockscandramaticallyreducememoryrecalland
consolidation.Forgettingissopainlessthatwerarelynoticeitseffects.Inanaturalway,forgettingwill
proceedevenifyougetasmuchsleepasyouneed,anditisdifficulttopointtospecificmemorieslostas
aresultofnotsleepingenough.Moreover,sleepdeprivationmayleaveyourmemoriesintactwhiletheir
storagewillbesuboptimum.Thedifferencemaybeimpossibletospotwithoutmeasurement.Weare
morelikelytonoticesleepiness,reducedmentalagility,orbadmood.
Disrespectforsleephasreachedbiblicalproportions.ThisismostnoticeableintheUS,andotherhighly
industrializednations.Men'sHealth'sDanVerganowritingforABCNewsin"NoMoreRude
Awakenings"suggestsasevendaysystemforfightingsleepiness:"Thesecretistofuelthatarousal
systemsoitcanbeatthepantsoffthesleepsystem.Bycreatingthekindoffeelgoodexpectationsthat
triggerhormonestowakethebrain,youlloverridetheneedtosleepandbeabletojumpoutofbedlike
amanonfire".Thearticlesuggestsa"fresh"mindmethodthatcapitalizesonthefactthatstress
hormoneshelpkeepyoualert.However,thereisasimpleandtheonlyrationalremedyfor"rude
awakenings":getenoughsleep!Jumpinglikeamanonfireisnotlikelytohaveapositiveeffectonyour
creativepotential!
Youmayoftennoticethatwakingupwithanalarmclockgivesyouaquickstartintoaday.Youmay
thencometobelievethatusingthealarmclockmighthelpyoukeepalertlaterduringtheday.Thisisnot
thecase.Thealarmsignalsimplyscaresyourbrainintowakefulnessdisruptingthecarefullyplanned
processofneuraloptimizationthatoccursinsleep.Asaresult,yougetanimmediateinjectionof
adrenalineandyourlevelsofACTHandcortisolalsoincrease.Thisiscortisolthatpeaksatawakeningin
naturalsleepingrhythmthatprovidesyouwiththefreshmindimpression.Withpassingtime,this
cheaplygainedalertnesswillwearthinunlessyoucontinueabusingyourphysiologywithmore
"remedies".Youmayusemorescaretacticsforkeepingyourselfalert,abusecaffeine,orevengetamore
profoundeffectwithmodafinil,cocaine,oramphetamines.Alertnessshouldbeachievedwiththehelpof
sufficientsleep,notdespitethelackofsleep!Apartfromyourreducedabilitytolearnnewthings,all
unnaturalantidrowsinessmethodswillproduceagreatdealofsideeffectsthatcanbeprettydamaging
toyourhealthinthelongrun.
Alleffortstoovercomesleepinessbymeansotherthansleepitselfcanbelikenedtoachaseofthefirst
highintheuseofpsychoactivesubstances.Ifyoudrinkbucketsofcoffee,dopushups,pourcoldwater
overyourhead,orslapyourface,youonlydipintothelastreservesofyouralertnesshormonesthatonly
worsentheeffectsofdeprivationaftertheeffectsofthestimulationwearoff,whichisusuallyamatterof
minutes.Rarelycanyougetaboostlastingmorethananhour,andthemoreyouperkup,theloweryou
fallintheaftermath.
Insomniatrap
Ifyourlifewithoutanalarmclockmayseemlikeanimpossibility,youwillprobablyneedtouseall
methodsinthebooktobesureyougetenoughsleepandminimizethedamage.Ifyouneedtowakeup
earlyatthecostofyourbrain,avoidtheinsomniatrap!Insomniatrapisaviciouscircleof:
1. goingtosleeptooearlytogetmoresleep,
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2. failingtofallasleepintime(orworse,wakingupprematurely),
3. feelingevenmoretiredonthenextday,and
4. goingtosleepevenearlieronthenextdaytocatchupwiththelostsleep.
Itisbettertogotosleepatanaturalhour(i.e.abitlater),wakeupearly,sufferadegreeofsleep
deprivation,andhopeforaphaseresetthatwillmakeitpossibletocontinueonthedesignerschedule.
ForasolutiontotheinsomniatrapseeCuringDSPSandinsomnia.
Ifyoucannotresetyourphaseandstillfeeltiredwhengettingupearlyonaregularbasis,consider
choosingajobthatisacceptableforyourbody,nottheotherwayaround.Yourlongtermhealthand
wellbeingisatstake.Ifyouabsolutelycannotlivewithoutanalarmclock,youcanatleaststartfrom
changingyourmindsetabouttheimportanceofsleepandensureyoudonotimposewronghabitsonyour
children.Perhapstheyoungoneswillbeluckyenoughtoworkinaflextimesystemthatwillmakeit
possibletogetsufficientamountofundisturbedsleep.Atleast,donotsetabadexample!
WakeupthePresident
PresidentBillClintonwaswokenuptwicebytelephoneduringthenightofApril22,2000beforethe
infamousI.N.S.raidonthehomeofMiamirelativesoftheyoungCubanexileElianGonzales.Hewas
probablythemostoftendisruptedandsleepdeprivedpresidentinhistory.Onlyafteraheartsurgerydid
Clintontakediet,sleepand(real)exerciseseriously.Thoseinterruptednightswoulddefinitelyinfluence
hisperformanceandthequalityofhisdecisions!Hasanybodythoughtofarule:Donotwakeupthe
president?Arulethatcouldonlyberevokedinatruenationalemergency?PresidentG.W.Bush(b.
1946)waswokenupwhenanAmericanspyplanelandedinChinain2001.Hewasalsowokenupaftera
suicidebombinginJerusalemin2002.GeorgeH.W.Bush(b.1924)andHilaryClintonmade"waking
upinthemiddleofthenight"partoftheirpresidentialcampaignandprowess.ItseemsthatonlyRonald
Reaganhadprettystrongrulesforprotectinghisownsleep.Healsofamouslynappedduringsome
cabinetmeetings.Hesleptthroughacoupleofinternationaleventswithoutanapparentnegativeimpact
onhissomewhatdelayeddecisionmaking.CriticswouldsayhesleptthroughtheentireIranContra
affair.WasReagansoprotectiveofsleepbecauseheunderstoodtheroleofsleepbetter,orperhapshe
wasjustabitlazierthanotherpresidents?Idon'tknow.However,hesuresetagoodexample.
Alarmclockmonsters
AndreaK.wrotetomewithskepticism:"Takethealarmclockawayfromatypicalpersonandthey
won'tjustwakeupontheirownattheirdesiredtimeandtheywillmisswork,school,orwhatever.An
alarmclockcan'tbethatbadforyoubecauseofthesimplefactthatmostpeopleuseitandInever
noticedanyproblemwiththem:)Everyoneinmyfamilyhasbeenusingonesincetheywerechildren,
andnoonesuddenlywentcrazyorbegantomutateintoamonster(yet)!"AsIwroteearlier,whenyou
useanalarmearlyinthemorninginordertogettoworkortoschool,youcutoffthelaterstagesof
sleep.Iftheintrusionintonaturalsleepisnotlarge(e.g.fromminutestoanhour),thedamagemaybe
limited.Alarmclockwilldofarmoredamageifitcutsdeepintothemiddleofthenightsleep.Youcan
comparetheuseofalarmclockstosmokingoreatinghotdogs.Theharmisnotgreatenoughtobe
instantlynoticeable.Ittookthepublicmanyyearstolargelyacceptthat"smokingisbad"or"fastfoodis
bad".Itishardtoquantifythedegreeofdamage.However,aswemovetoknowledgesocietywhereour
intellectualperformancebecomesincreasinglyimportant,theeffectsofsleepdeprivationwillcome
undercloserscrutinyandalarmclocksareboundtograduallyfalloutoffavor.Unlikehotdogs,theyare
alreadyuniversallyhatedbytheirusers.Mostpeopleareabletosomewhatadapttheirsleeptotheir
schedulesiftheirroutinesareregularenough.Whenthosepeopleneedtoresorttotheuseofthealarm
clock,theycutlessoftheirsleepandthedamageisproportionallysmaller.Nevertheless,weshould
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alwaysstriveateliminatingalarmclocksaltogether.Mostofall,weshouldprotectourkidsfrom
sufferinginterruptedsleep!
Sleepinertia
Whatissleepinertia?
Sleepinertiaisthefeelingofgrogginessthatmayfollowsleep.Therearedifferenttypesofsleepinertia
andthereisamonstrousconfusioninterminology,aswellasagreatdealofconfusionbetweendifferent
typesofsleepinertiainscientificliterature.Anexampleofaconfusingdefinitionofsleepinertia:"Sleep
inertiareferstothefeelingofgrogginessmostpeopleexperienceafterawakening".Amoreappropriate
definitionwouldsay"Sleepinertiareferstothefeelingofgrogginessthatisaresultofinterruptedsleep
orotherviolationsofsleephygiene".Mostofall,sleepinertiaisnotaninevitablepartofsleepin
humans.Inhealthyindividuals,sleepinertiaisadirectresultoferrorsintheartofsleeping.Witha
religiousadherencetotheprinciplesofsleephygiene,youneednoteverexperiencesleepinertiaandits
negativeconsequencesforlearning,attention,health,etc.
Allresearchintosleepinertiashouldclearlydistinguishbetweenitsdifferenttypes:
interrupteddeepsleepintheexemplaryhypnogram,wecanseeStage4NREMsettinginafter
some30min.ofsleep.Wakingupasleepingsubjectatthisstageisparticularlydifficult.When
wokenfromdeepsleep,weexperienceanoverwhelmingneedtogetbacktosleep.Thefeelingcan
becomparedtobeinghitontheheadwithaheavyobject.Thebrainisinastateentirelyunsuitable
forprocessingwakinginformation.Thisisthetorturethatmanypolyphasicsleepersimposeon
themselvesbytryingtointerrupt"naps"takenintheirsubjectivenightphase.
interruptedREMsleepinthehypnogram,REMsleepismarkedinblueanditsoccurrence
increasestowardstheendofnightsleep.InterruptingfullyblownREMsleepisequallyunpleasant.
Yettheneurohormonalstateofthebrainisentirelydifferentthanthatwhenthedeepsleepis
interrupted.Oneoftheeasilyrecognizablehallmarksismuscleweakness.Duetothefunctionof
REM,themotorsystemisturnedoffinthisphase.Ifyouweretotestyourstrengthonahand
gripper,youmightscorelessthanyourkids.InterruptedREMisalsofrequentlyassociatedwith
dreamrecall.Assoonasthebrainreturnstoitstypicalwakingmode,REMdreammemories
dissipateveryfast.Ifyoudonotwritedownyourdreaminstantly,itmaybeunrecoverablefrom
memoryassoonas5min.later.
wakinginawrongphaseevennaturalwakingcanresultinsleepinertia.Ifyouwakeup
naturallyintheperiodofyoursubjectivenightsleep,youmayfeelprettygroggyforawhile.The
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maincauseofprematurewakingisanearlybedtime.Sleepinginanearlyphaseispretty
widespread.Manypeopleneedtowakeupearlyagainsttheirbodyclock.Theywilloftenuse
variousremediestofallasleepearly(fromalcoholtosleepingpills).Asaresult,theywillfall
asleepearly,wakeupearly,andseeminglyget"sufficient"sleepwhilestillfeelingtiredand
unrefreshed.Thisisbecausetheywakeupwhiletheirbodyisstill,incircadianterms,intheperiod
ofthesubjectivenight.Earlybedtimewilloftenresultininsomnia.However,whensleepis
initiatedsuccessfully,thesleepcontrolsystemcanlaunchesanequivalentofnightsleepaheadof
time.Suchsleepmayrunitscourseandevenlastabitlonger.However,itsstructurewilldiffer,
andthemorningcircadiansleeppropensitywillstillnotbefullyclearedonwaking.Asaresult,
morninggrogginesswillresultasacombinationofcircadiansleepinessandvarioussleepdeficits
causedbyachangeinsleepstructure(e.g.REMdeficit).Inertiacausedbyearlywakingisfar
easiertocombatthaninterruptedNREMorREMsleepasitlargelydissipateswiththeexpiration
ofthecircadiansleeppropensity.However,minorsleepvariabledeficitsmaylastforthecourseof
theday.Forsomepeople,sleepinginawrongphaseissomuchofadailyrealitythattheytendto
forgetwhatacrisplyalertmindis,and,asinthemisdefinitionquotedabove,theytendtothink
thisisthe"typeofsleepinertiamostpeopleexperience",asifitwaspartofnormalhuman
physiology.Theymightdismissitbysaying"Iamjustperpetuallytired.Itisjustme".
Technically,thedefinitionofsleepinertiashouldalsobeextendedtothebrainstatecausedbya
majordelayinbedtime.Thatbrainstateissimilartotheinertiacausedbyearlywaking.Itmayfeel
morenaturalasitcombinesbothcomponentsofsleeppropensity:homeostaticandcircadian
sleepiness.Insteadoffeelinglikeinertia,itwillfeellikeseveresleepinessthatmightvergeonto
nausea.Thattypeofinertiaisparticularlydangerousfordriversasitonlygetsworseintimeand
mayresultsinmomentsofmicrosleepwhenportionsofthebraincortexsimplyenterthesleep
modewiththeappearanceofthetawavesintheEEG.
Doessleepinertiashowacircadianrhythm?
Thisquestiondoesnothaveastraightanswer.Whateveryoureadonthesubject,makesureyou
deconvolvetheallencompassingterm"sleepinertia"andaskthesamequestionforeachofthetypesof
sleepinertia.Ifyouinterruptdeepsleep,itwillalwaysfeelbad.Thedegreeofthatfeelingwilllikely
dependonthedepthofsleep,yourhomeostaticstatusand,toalesserdegree,yourcircadianstatus(only
becausedeepsleepislargelyhomeostatic).However,ifyouinterruptREMsleep,itismorelikelyto
haveamoreprofoundeffectatthetimesofthecircadianREMpeak.Finally,thewrongphaseinertiais
purelycircadian.Itwillhityouonlyintheperiodsofyoursubjectivenight,anditwilldissipateonits
ownattimeofyoursubjectiveday.
HowcanIrecoverfromsleepinertia?
Youcangoogleoutdozensofremediesagainstsleepinertia(example),andyoumightbeamazedthat
thereisabigwideholeinreasoningbehindallthat"Internetadvice",whichoftenfailstonoticethat:
welltimedsleepisthebestremedyagainstallformsofsleepinertia!
Forinterruptedsleepinertia,NREMorREM,thesimpleremedyis:gobacktosleep.Themore
powerfultheinertia,thegreateryourchancesofquicklyfallingbackasleep.Remedieslikecoffeeor
exercisemightmakeyoufeelbetter(ornot),buttheycandotheirowndamage.Ifyourprofessioncalls
forwakingupinthemiddleofthenight,rememberthatyouaredoingtheserviceatthecostofyourown
healthandlongevity.
Wrongphaseinertiaisabithardertocombat.Inmanycasesyouwon'tbeabletofallasleep.Even
worse,tryingtosleepcansometimesmakethingsworse.Thebestsolutionistosufferthroughthe
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discomfort,avoidnappingtillyournextsubjectivenightperiod,andgotosleepintherightphase.Most
ofthetime,sufficientlylongwakefulnessandhittingtherightphasewillhelpyouinstantlysynchronize
allsleepvariables.However,insomecases,circadianripplesmaydragfordays,esp.ifyouarenottoo
fluentincomputingyourcorrectsleepphase.Ifyoudolotsofshiftworkorintercontinentalflying,itis
veryeasytobeconfusedaboutwhenyoursubjectivenighttimeoccurs.Insuchcases,youcoulduse
SleepChartFreewaretogetsomevisualsupportthatmakesaguesseasier.
Cansleepimpairlearning?
Amazingly,theconfusionintothetypesofsleepinertiahasbeenresponsibleforyetanothermyth:sleep
beforelearningincreasesforgetting!Welltimedsleepwillnotcausesleepinertiaandwillnotcontribute
toadeclineinlearning.Justtheopposite,itis2060min.afternaturalwakingwhenthelearningresults
arebest.Naturally,thisisonlytrueinfreerunningsleep.Alltoooften,alarmclocksareusedtointerrupt
thenightsleepandtheearlymorningisprettyunconduciveforlearning.
Whynapscausesleepinertia?
Napswillcausesleepinertiaonlyiftheyaretaken:
1. toolate,or
2. inconditionsofseveresleepdeprivation,or
3. inconditionsofREMsleepdeficit.
Allthosethreeconditionscanfoolthesleepcontrolsystemsintothinkingthatthenapistheopportune
timeforlaunchingafullnightsleepepisode.Ifanattempttolaunchfullblownsleeptakesplacelong
beforethemaincircadianlow(nighttimeacrophase),youmaywakeupprematurelywiththesensethat
yougotanincompleteandunrefreshingnighttimesleep.Suchsleepwillleaveyougroggyandwillmake
ithardertoinitiatepropersleepduringthesubjectivenight.Toavoidsleepinertiaassociatedwith
nappingthen,avoidsleepdeprivationinthefirstplace,andreadabouttheoptimumtimewindowfor
napping.
Longsleepandsleepinertia
Manypeoplebelievethatlongsleepcausessleepinertia,headaches,etc.Therootcauseofproblemsthat
followlongsleepispriorsleepdeprivationorsleepinginawrongphase.Unusuallylongsleepissimply
notpossibleinahealthyindividualonafreerunningschedule.Itisusuallyaseveresleepdeprivation
thatmakesitpossibletofallasleepwellaheadoftheoptimumcircadianbedtime.Theunusuallylong
sleepwillthencarrythroughthesubjectiveeveningandtheentiresubjectivenight,addinguptosome
highlyunusualsleeptotals(1218hours).Suchsleepisoftenfollowedbyastatethatisreminiscentof
sleepinertia(the"wornout"syndrome).Nowonderitiseasytobuildawrongassociationbetweenlong
sleepandsleepinertia.Itisverydifficulttopersistinalongsleeproutine,sincethesleepregulating
mechanismwillquicklybringthelengthofsleeptoamoretypicalrange.Ononehand,the"wornout"
syndromemightseemtopersistifthesleepperiodiswronglyadjustedtothecircadiancycle.Onthe
otherhand,the"wornout"observationisusuallyproducedbythosewhocannotgetenoughsleepduring
theweekandthensleeplongontheweekend.Inthelattercase,followupobservationisoften
impossibleduetothenextweek'sobligations.Thisdeepensthewrongconvictionthattoomuchsleepis
harmful.Healthyindividualscannotget"toomuchsleep"!Theirbrainwillsimplyproducenatural
wakingupattherighttime.DrsJimHorneandDanielKripkemayclaimotherwise.Perhapstheynever
triedtonodoffatapeakalertnesswindow?
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Healtheffectsofshiftworkandjetlag
Nearly20%ofthepopulationintheindustrializednationsisinvolvedinshiftwork!Surveysshowthat
only10%oftheshiftworkingpopulationhavenocomplaintsaboutthenegativeimpactoftheirsleep
schedulesontheirhealthandlife[12].Withwelldesignedshiftwork,thosenumberscouldlookmuch
better.Thiswouldnot,naturally,changethefactthatallformsofsleepregulationareriskyand
potentiallyunhealthy.Researchshowsthatshiftworkerssufferfromvariousgastrointestinaland
cardiovascularproblems.Cardiovascularchangesmightbemediatedbyinflammatorymarkerssuchas
Creactiveprotein.Manyhaveproblemswithachievingrefreshingsleep.Aftermanydaysofchronic
sleeprestriction,asignificantdegreeofcognitivedeclineaccumulates.Thisdeclineleadstolevelsthatin
theendapproachthosefoundinsevereacutetotalsleepdeprivation.Substanceabuseamongshift
workersisalsomuchhigherthanaverage.Seeminglyminorproblemssuchasheadache,inattention,
declineinlibido,fatigue,irritability,etc.alladduptoprettymiserablelifeforavastmajorityofworkers
onapoorlydesignedshiftschedules.Thesetofproblemsaffectingshiftworkersisprettyfamiliarto
researchersstudyingjetlag.Separatemedicaltermshavebeencoinedforthetworelatedsetsof
symptoms:shiftworkdisorder(SWD)andjetlagdisorder(JLD).Themostdramaticfindinginreference
tojetlagwasthelossofcellsinthehippocampusinflightattendantswhowereemployedforlonger
periodsinjobsinvolvingintercontinentalflights(Cho2001[13]Choetal.2000[14]).Wecansurmisethat
theexactlysamehealthissues(timesten)wouldaffectpolyphasicsleepadeptsiftheycouldonlylaston
theirschedulelongenough.
Inadditiontothedirecteffectsofsleepphasemisalignment,thereisalsoadegreeofsleepdeprivationin
shiftworkandjetlag.Sufficientsleepisimportantforproperglucosemetabolismandpreventionof
obesityandtypeIIdiabetes.Sleeprestrictiondecreasesthelevelsofleptinandhasanoppositeeffecton
ghrelin.Thosetwoappetitehormones,asaresult,makesleepdeprivedindividualfeelhungrierthan
wellrestedindividualsandshiftupwardsthesetpointofbodyfatweightinthecaloricbalance
homeostat.Restrictingsleepto5hourspernightcausessome20%changeinthelevelsoftheseappetite
controlhormones.Thischangecorrespondstosomeextra1000kcalinfreerunningfeeding,orover3kg
offatpermonthinenergyterms.Sleeprestrictioncaneasilyhalveinsulinsensitivityleadingtotype2
diabetes.Italsosignificantlyincreasestheriskofhypertension,stroke,heartattackorkidneyfailure
(VanCauteretal.2007[15]).Otherhormonalchangesincludeincreaseinthyroidhormonelevels(Allan
andCzeisler1994[16]),prolactin,LH,andestradiol(Baumgartneretal.1993[17]).Finally,therootcause
ofmanyphaseshiftproblemsisacompleximpactofshiftworkandjetlagonthecircadianchangesin
thelevelofthestresshormonecortisol.Theneteffectoftheimpactofcortisollevelchangesisthe
hypercatabolicstatethateffectivelyresultsinthebody"eatingitselfup"inthelongrun.Thisway,when
neglectingyourbodyclock,youcanbecomeobeseandbiologically"wasted"atthesametime.
In2007,theInternationalAgencyforResearchonCancerissuedastatementsaying"Shiftworkthat
involvescircadiandisruptionisprobablycarcinogenictohumans".Usingtheterm"carcinogenic"is
probablyslightlymisleadingastheactualcauseofincreasedcancerinshiftworkersisprobablyrelated
tothedeclineintheimmunefunctionandthebody'snaturalabilitytofightoffmutatingcancercells.
However,thestatementisimportantasitsealsthefateofshiftworkandjetlag,whichshouldultimately
fallintothecategoryoflongtermhealthriskfactorsthatcausewiderangingandserioussystemichealth
problems.
Poorlydesignedshiftwork,jetlag,andsleepdeprivationareallserioussystemichealthrisks
thataffectyourwellbeingandlongevity.
Formoreaboutthetinyanddelicatestructureofthebodyclock,seethesectiondevotedtothe
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suprachiasmaticnucleus.
Properlydesignedshiftwork
Ioftenqualifyshiftworkasahealthriskwiththedesignation"poorlydesigned".Thisisbecauseitis
possibletodesignschedulesforagroupofpeoplewherethecircadiandisruptionisminimum.Using
chronotherapyitispossibletograduallyphaseinemployeesintoworkingthroughthenight.Thechief
principleofsuchatherapyisthatphaseshiftsshouldnotexceedonehourperdayandshould,withfew
exceptions,beforwardshifts(i.e.shiftswherethedaysarelongerthan24hours,notshorter).All
therapiesthatdepartthatprincipleandinvolveleisuretime,napping,brightlight,melatonin,sleeping
pills,modafinil,etc.areapurewasteoftimeastheykeepfightingtheinevitable:amisalignment
betweentheworktimeandthesubjectivenightperiod.Thismisalignmentcanonlyberemediedbya
gradualproperlytimedphaseshiftbasedadjustment.
Eventhoughmanyshiftworkerswilldisagreewithme(mostlyforpsychologicalandconvenience
reasons),Iinsistthatitshouldbeeasierandhealthiertomaintainanightshiftforalongerperiod(e.g.a
month)thantodoregularcyclingbetweennightanddaywithoutthebodyclockhavinganychancefor
adjustment.Somecancerresearchersalsoopposelongperiodsonnightshiftsduetothedocumented
declineinmelatoninthatisbelievedtohavecancerprotectiveproperties[18][19].However,thoseneedto
beweightedupagainstanevenmoreseriousproblemofthecircadiandisruption.
Excessivesleeping
Oneofthemostpersistentmythsaboutsleepisthatourbodyisprogrammedtogetasmuchsleepas
possible.Evensomereputableresearcherssubscribetothisidea!Theycomparesleeptoovereating.
SomenotehowlongInuitsleepinwinter.Othersnotethatpeopleallowedtosleepfreelyoftenbinge
heavilyandclockupanindecentnumberofsleepinghours.Asifconservationofenergywasthemain
functionofsleep.Asifallanimalsweremadeaslazyastheyareperpetuallyhungry.
Somescientistsevencontemplatesleeprestrictionanalogoustocalorierestriction.Itisconceivablethat
sleeprestrictionmightbehelpfulinsomerarecasesinsickpeople(e.g."wakeuptogetyourmedicine").
However,it'sanalogytocalorierestrictionisasweakasthereverseproposal:wakerestriction.Themyth
wasprobablybornfromepidemiologicalstudiesthatshowthatpeoplewhosleep7hourspernightlive
longerthanthosewhosleep9hourspernight.However,thesuggestiontorestrictsleeptolivelongeris
assmartasanefforttoshrinkorstretchpeoplejustbecausethosewhoareveryshortorverytalldonot
liveaslongasanaveragemaninthestreet.
Wecan'tdemonstrateanyevolutionaryadvantagetogettingmoresleepthanneurallynecessary.The
harmfulmythofexcessivesleepingmightmakeyouthinkthatfreerunningsleepwillmakeyousleep
longerinthesamewayasfreeaccesstothekitchenwillmakeyouovereat.Consideringtheknown
functionsofsleep,thereisnospecificbenefittosleepingbeyondthestandard68hours.Sleepisa
neurophysiologicalconsumerofbenefitsaccumulatedinwaking(suchaslearning,exercise,etc.).Its
healthyhomeostaticandcircadiancontrolroughlyensurestheoptimumproportionofsleeptowaking.
Peoplewhobingeonsleepinfreerunningconditionsusuallycomefromaperiodoflonglastingsleep
deprivationorinitiatesleeptooearlyinreferencetotheircircadianphase.Theirtotalsleeptimequickly
dropstotheirnaturalaverageafteracoupleofdaysonafreeschedule.Astudyshowedthattogetover8
hoursofuninterruptedsleep,thesleepshouldbeinitiatedsome6hoursbeforethetemperaturenadir
(shortlyafterthealertnessacrophase)(DijikandLockley2002[20]).ThesamecanbeseeninSleepChart
datasubmissions.Forexample,inthepresentedgraph,maximumlengthofsleepisobtainedwhensleep
isinitiated3hoursaheadofthemostfavoredbedtime(merelyanhouraftertheevening"forbiddensleep
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zone").Thoseobservationshaveputpaidtotheideathatwehaveatendencytosleepexcessively.
Circadiangraphthatshowsthat"excessivesleeping"occurswhensleepisinitiatedtooearly.Inthe
graph,sleepinitiatedinthe16thhourislongerthanaverage,whilethesleepwakecycledoesnotadd
upto24hours(unbalancedcyclewithphaseadvance).Incontrast,sleepinitiatedinthepreferred
19thhourisnearlyanhourshorterandproducesaperfectlybalanced24hoursleepwakecycle.
Ifyourmainconcernistime,youcansurviveonlesssleepandgetmoretimeatthecostofyourmental
acuity.Ifyourmainconcernisthebrainpower,youshouldlivebythemotto:Maximumefficiencyof
sleepisaccomplishedwhensleepingwithoutartificialsleepregulation(i.e.withoutalarmclocks,
pills,designerschedules,substances,etc.).Freerunningsleepschedulewillmakeyousleeplesson
average.Itwillmakeyousleepmuchlessthanonanyartificialsleepschedulethatforcesyoutocatchup
withtheaccumulatedsleepdebt.Irregularscheduleisboundtoproducedeficitsbecauseyoucan
accomplishirregularsleeponlybyinterferingwithit.Toreadmoreaboutexcessivesleepingsee:Jim
HorneandDanielKripke.
Sleephabits
Inthissection,Iwouldliketodemonstratethatpeoplecandiffervastlyintheirsleepinghabits,andsome
ofthedifferenceshaveanimportantunderlyingbiologicalcause.Scientistsusethetermchronotypeto
differentiatebetweendifferentsleepingtimeanddurationpreferencesthatcharacterizedifferent
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individuals.Oneperson'schronotypemightmakehimashortsleeper.Another'schronotypewillmake
himanowl.Yetanother'schronotypewillmakehisdoctordiagnoseasleepphasedisorder.Despitea
seemingvariety,asmallsetofunderlyingvariablesshouldmakeitrathereasyforyoutofigureoutyour
ownchronotype.Yourchronotypemaydetermineyoursuitabilityforcertainprofessions.Luckily,you
donotneedtodetermineyourchronotypebeforeyouchooseyourmajororyourjob.Manypeople
naturallygravitatetowardsactivitiesandprofessionsthatmatchtheirnaturalsleephabits.Aphysicianor
afiremanneedstotolerateshiftworkandinterruptedsleep.Milkmengetupearly,whilegymordisco
ownersneedtostayuplate,whileawritermaybeofanychronotypeashe/shecanadapthis/herwriting
hourstohis/hersleeppatterns.ToillustrateindividualsleeppatternsIuseafreewareapplicationcalled
SleepChartthatyoucandownloadheretovisuallychartyourownsleep(Wozniaketal.2003[21]).Ifyou
collectafewmonthsofdata,Iwouldbeveryhappytoreceiveyourdatafileforanalysisandfuture
research.SendingSleepChartdatarequiresasingleclickintheprogram.
Bodyclock
Thecycleofsleepandwakingisregulatedbythebodyclock.Bodyclockislocatedinthebrainandis
primarilybasedinthesuprachiasmaticnucleus(seethechapterdevotedtotheSCN).Theclockhasa
periodofabout24hours.Duringasingle24hourdaywehaveaperiodof510hourswhenwearevery
sleepy.Thisisthetimewhenwenormallysleep.Duringtheremaining1419hoursweareusuallyawake
ortakeanapatsiestatime.Asmentionedearlier,onlyasmallportionofthewakingtimeissuitablefor
topqualityintellectualeffort(see:Optimizingthetimingofbrainwork).Theperiodofmaximum
alertnessmaylastaslittleas24hours.Weshouldplanourdayinsuchawaysothatsleepcomesatthe
timeofmaximumsleepiness,whileactivitiesthatdemandmaximumfocusorcreativityfallintothe
hoursofmaximumalertness.Itisverydifficultandusuallyveryunhealthytoforcethebodyandthe
bodyclocktochangethetimingofwakingactivitiesandsleep.Itisfareasiertodotheopposite:adapt
one'slifetothenaturalcyclegovernedbythebodyclock.Thatadaptationwilldependontheunique
propertiesofone'sownbodyclock.InthefollowingsectionsIwilltrytoshowdifferenttypesofsleep
habitsdeterminedbythepropertiesofthebodyclockthatcharacterizeagivenindividual.
Componentsofsleepinphasedisorders
Therearetwomainmechanismsthatregulatesleepiness(see:Twocomponentsofsleep).Oneisthe
bodyclock,andtheotheristhe"wakemeter".Bodyclockproducesincreasedsleepinessevery24hours.
Thewakemeterincreasessleepinesswithprolongedwakefulness(i.e.thelongerwedonotsleep,the
sleepierweare).Insleepliterature,thesetwomechanismsarecalledthecircadianandhomeostatic
componentsofsleeppropensity.
Sleepcontrolcomponents:
circadianclockcircadianclockproducessleepinessin24hourcycles
homeostaticcontrolwakemetermeasurestheperiodinwhichwestayawakeandtriggers
sleepinessafterwestayupforlongenough
InpeopleaffectedbyDSPSorASPS,theremayexistacombinationofseveralfactorsthatmakeitharder
togetgoodsleepinnormalhours:
Circadianclockrunsinperiodsfardifferentfrom24hours.Forexample,inDSPSpeople,the
circadianclockmaybesetto2526hours.
Circadianclockisnotsensitivetotimeresettingfactors(termedzeitgebers).Normalpeoplereset
theirclockinthemorningbylightandactivity.Inaddition,darknessandinactivityintheevening
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providefurthercluesfortheclock.Normalpeoplewithnormallifestylescaneasilysynchronize
theirsleepwiththedaynightcycle.
Homeostaticwakemeterhasanunusualtimeconstant.Sensitivewakemeterswillmakepeople
gettiredveryquicklyafterawakening.Insensitivewakemetermaymakepeopletendtostayup
forlong.Caffeineabusecouldcontributetoafastdeclineinalertnessviaadenosinereceptor
downregulation.
Lifestylehasadramaticeffectonthebehaviorofthecircadianandhomeostaticsleepregulation
mechanisms.Thesameindividualwillshowadifferentsleeppatterndependingonsuchfactorsas:
usingartificiallighting,exercise,levelofstress,timingofexcitingactivities,napping,diet,
climate,changesinambienttemperature,healthstatus,etc.
Larkowlmisconception
Researchshowsthat15%ofpeoplewouldclassifythemselvesas"morningtype"orlark.Another20%
wouldcallthemselves"eveningtype"orowl.Theremaining65%areindifferentor"midrange".Whatis
yourtype?Youcanfindmanylarkorowltestsonthenet.However,Ihavenotyetseenevenonethat
wouldbewelldesignedtotrulyanswerthequestionofyourgeneticpredispositions.Inparticular,the
samepersononaworkweekschedulemaybeclassifiedasadifferentchronotypethanwhenheorsheis
onafreerunningschedule.
Fewpeopleknowthattheycaneasilyadapttoacompletelydifferentschedulebymeansof
chronotherapy(e.g.byshiftingtheirsleepinghoursby3045minutesperday).Ifyouaskatypicalowlto
gotosleep3045minuteslatereachday,theowlwillkeepshiftingitsbedtimetolaterhours.Initially,it
willsleepduringtheday.Thatsleepwillshiftgraduallytoevenlaterhoursuntiltheowlfindsitself
goingtosleepintheveryearlyeveningjusttogetupbeforethelarks!Surprisingly,eventhemost
committedowlcanthencomfortablysticktotheearlywakinghoursforquitelong!Thereislittlenatural
preferenceastothesleepingtimeoftheday!
However,thereisafactorthatdrivespeopleintobelievingtheyareofagivensleeptimepreferencetype.
Thisisthelengthofthecircadiancycleandtheirabilitytoentrainitto24hours.Asmentionedearlier,
typicalcircadianclockperiodlastslongerthan24hours.Thosepeoplewhosecycleisparticularlylong
tendtogotosleeplatereachday.Theypushthelimitofmorninghoursuptothepointwhentheir
compulsorywakeuptimeresultsinunbearablesleepiness.Inotherwords,peoplewithlongcycleswill
tendtoworkduringthenightandsleepinthemorningaslongasitisonlypossible.
Larksandowlsdonotdifferintheirpreferredtimingofsleepinreferencetodaytime!The
differencecomesfromthelengthofthecircadiancycle,sensitivitytozeitgebers,andlifestyle.
Youcaneasilymakealarkworkcomfortablylateintothenightandmakeanowlgetupat3
am.Thiscanbedonebychronotherapy(cycleadjustment)!Moreover,owlscankeepgetting
upatdawniftheyadoptanancientfarmer'slifestyle(e.g.bygivingupelectricity).
Asmallerproportionofpeoplewillexperienceshortcircadianperiodsandexperienceextremesleepiness
intheearlyevening.Thisisthelarktype.Lifeforceslarkstogotosleepslightlylaterthantheirnatural
preference(family,work,light,etc.).Thiskeepslarksinlinewithtimeandtheywilloftenclaimthatthe
quietofthemorning,thesingingofbirdsorthebeautyofthesunrisekeepsthemgettingupearly.Yetit
isstillpossibletoforciblypushalarktograduallyshiftsleepinghoursandbehavelikeanowl!
Inamodernsociety,onlyasmallfractionofpeoplecanboastaperfectlysteadyandregularnaturalsleep
pattern.Notonlyarethesethehealthiestpeoplearound,theyarealsocreaturesofhabitinreferenceto
theirsleepandwakingrituals.Theyobeytheirritualsreligiously,avoidalarmclocks,avoidevening
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entertainment,avoidmedicationthataffectssleep,etc.Unlikethosewellregulatedindividuals,owls
shiftedtoamorningschedulewillgraduallytendtoadvancetotheirstandardlatenightrhythm.
Similarly,larkswillquicklyshiftbacktogettingupwiththebirds.
Somecorrelationstudiesshowedthatowls(asdefinedbythetimingofmelatoninrelease)exhibitslightly
higherIQsthanlarks(RobertsandKyllonen1999[22]).
ChartingsleepwithSleepChart
Understandingthecontrolmechanismsthatproducesleepandwakefulnessisextremelyhelpfulin
understandingsleephabits.Itisparticularlyusefulinindividualssufferingfromanumberofsleep
disorders,esp.insomniaandphaseshiftdisorders.Simplemeasurementsofcircadianvariablesand
simpletoolsofchronotherapymaybringsoundsleeptothosewhooftenstruggledforyearswith
insomnia,unsatisfyingsleep,orsleepinwronghours.Betterunderstandingofchronobiologycouldalso
helpextinguishdangerouspracticessuchaspoorlyplannedshiftwork,disrespectforhealth
consequencesofthejetlag,cumulativesleepdeprivationandtheInternetfadofUbermansleep.
ToillustratevarioussleephabitsIusechartsfromafreewareprogramSleepChart.Youcandownload
SleepCharthereandbeginyourownanalysestoday.Allyouneedtodointheprogramistoclickthe
beginningandtheendofthesleepblockinthegraph.SeethebottomoftheSleepChartwindowforexact
timecorrespondingwiththepositionofthemousepointer.Ifyousetawrongblock,selectitwithaclick
andpressDel.
UsingSleepChartdata,Iwilltrytoexplainthemainreasonforwhichhealthypeoplemaynotbegetting
refreshingsleep:sleepphaseproblems.
SleepChartattemptstoapproximatethecircadianacrophasethatcorrelateswithmaximumsleepiness,
lowbodytemperature,lowACTH,highmelatonin,etc.Theunderlyingassumptionisthatwhenyoulog
yoursleepwithSleepChart,youdonotattempttoartificiallyplaywiththesleephours.Eachintervention
inthesleepschedulemakesthetoolsusedinSleepChartworkwithlesseraccuracy.Herearethemost
importantinterventionsthatshouldbeavoided:
1. wakingupwithanalarmclock,
2. combatingsleepinessintheevening(e.g.inordertodelaysleep),and
3. controllingsleepwithsubstances(e.g.alcohol,sleepingpills,etc.).
Onthoserareoccasionswhenyoudelaysleeporuseanalarmclock,youcandisqualifythesleepepisode
withtheappropriatemarkings.However,allattemptstomodifythesleepschedulewillpartlyfoolthe
algorithmandyourreadingwillbeinaccurateorplainwrong.Itisalsoveryimportantthatyoudonot
attempttofollowthecircadianapproximationwhendeterminingyouroptimumsleepinghours!You
shouldalwaysgiveprioritytoyournaturalbodysignals,i.e.sleepiness.FollowingSleepChart
approximationscanresultinapositivefeedbackoferror.Inotherwords,errorsinthegraphmaybe
amplifiedbyyourattemptstofollowthegraph.Thiscandisruptthesleepcycle.Atworst,youcould
evenselfdiagnoseyourselfwithDSPSwithoutactuallysufferingfromthedisorder!Youronlyandsole
"gotosleep"criterionshouldberapidlyincreasingsleepiness.Youmayusethegraphtoapproximatethe
momentinwhichthereadinessforsleepwilloccursothatyoucould"cooldown"intime.Youcanalso
findSleepCharthelpfulinchronotherapyforASPSorDSPStomakeiteasiertoscheduleyour
appointmentswithoutconflictingwithyournaturalsleeprhythm.
CourtesyofthenumerouscontributorswhosentintheirSleepChartdata,wecandrawanumberof
interestingconclusions.Themostcompellingoneisprobablytheconfirmationofthehypothesisthatwe
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mightbefacinganepidemicofDelayedSleepPhaseSyndrome(DSPS)inyoungergenerations,esp.
amongstudentsandpeopleemployedinhightechjobs.Theepidemicisaresultofanevergrowing
discrepancybetweentheenvironmentinwhichhumansandtheirprimateancestorsevolvedoverthelast
severalmillionyears,andtheenvironmentinwhichwelivetodaywithelectriclighting,Internet,
computers,TV,ratrace,and24hoursociety.Theincreasinggapbetweenlifestylesandbiologyleads
manytoseekradicalsolutionsandtakeondrasticmeasures.Aquicksurveyofthosewhoattemptedto
adapttoanUbermansleepschedulerevealsaninterestingtruth.Althoughtheideatosqueezeinmore
wakinghoursintoadayisveryappealing,mostofthe"experimenters"begantheirinterestinpolyphasic
sleepasaresultoftroubleswithachievingrefreshingsleep!
SomepeoplereactedwithskepticismtotheconceptofusingSleepChartasasleepingprop:"itisjustfar
toocomplicatedandOckham'srazorneedstodoabitofshaving!Sleepisasnaturalasbreathingairor
drinkingwaterandifyouhavetosetupcomplicatedchartsandexperiments,andutterlyeccentricsleep
activitypatternsjustsoastogetsomedecentshuteye,thenyoumusthaveaproblembutonemoreofa
psychologicalthanaphysiologicalnature".Itistruethatsleepwilloccurnaturallyinanaturalsetting.
Thetroublebeginswhenweinterferewithnatureusingcaffeine,alcohol,nicotine,artificiallighting,
24/7society,nighttimeentertainment,etc.SleepChartmayseemcomplex,butitmightstillbethe
easiestwaytopredicttheoptimumtimingofsleepinfreerunningconditionsforpeoplewhomayhave
problemswithsleeping.SleepChartwillonlyaskyouwhenyougotosleepandwhenyouwakeup
(naturally).Allcomputationalcomplexityishiddeninthebackground.Theapproximationprocedure
needsnofurtherinputfromtheuseranditpredictsthecircadianacrophaseaswellastheoptimum
bedtime.SleepChartcanevendisentanglehomeostaticandcircadiancomponentsofsleep.Understanding
thesecanalsobehelpfulinplanninghealthysleep.
IagreethattheneedtoresorttotoolssuchasSleepChartisasignoftroubledtimes.However,
SleepCharthasaprovenrecordofhelpingpeopleunderstandtheirseeminglyirregularsleeppatternsand
organizingtheirsleep.Fallingasleepmightbenatural,buttherearemanyfactorsthatmasksleepinessor
magnifyit.Forpeopleonveryirregularsleepschedulesthiscanposeaninsurmountableobstacle!
Peoplewithsleepproblemsareoftenlittleunderstoodbythenaturals:"Ifyouworksolidly8hoursaday,
have3decentmeals,haveaproperfamilylife,andtreatotherpeopleashumanbeings,theninthe
eveningyougotobedhappilyknockedoutandwakeupnextmorninghappilyrefreshed.Surelythisisas
italwayshasbeenformostpeoplethroughouthistoryandsurelythisishowitwillalwaysremain".This
attitudetowardssleepproblemsisnotmuchdifferentfromtellingaclinicallydepressedperson:"Pull
yourselftogether",orexpectaheroinaddicttogocoldturkeyandinstantlyreturntonormallife.A
torturedinsomniacwillonlygetmoreupsetwithhimselforherselfif(s)heistoldthatsleeplessnights
comefrom"unsolidwork","indecentmeals","improperfamilylife"ortreatingothers"inhumanely".The
troublestemsfromtheclashofbiologywithmodernlifestyle.Withthearrivalofartificiallightingsleep
disorderstatisticsskyrocketed.Thesewereonlymadeworsebytelevision,computergamesandthe
Internet.Withtheadventofmobiletelephonyandinstantmessaging,insomniaandsleepphasedisorders
seemtoreachepidemicproportions.Fewerpeopleareabletoleaveworkbehind,copewithstress,or
giveupeveningactivities.Withoutamajorchangeinlifestyleorabreakthroughincircadiancontrol
methods,peopleaffectedwithlifestylerelatedsleepdisordersarefacedwithachoicebetweenadaily
sleepdeprivationmiseryandradicalsolutionssuchasthrowingawaythealarmclock.Certainly,wecan
expectsciencetocomeupwithanswerstotheproblem.Untilthathappensthough,wakingup"happily
refreshed"remainsaprivilegeofashrinkingsubsetofthepopulationinindustrializednations.
SleepChartinSuperMemo
Tomakeitpossibletoanalyzetheconnectionbetweensleepandlearning,SleepCharthasbeen
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integratedwithSuperMemospeedlearningsoftware.InsteadofexplainingSleepChartitself,Iwill
shortlydescribeitsfunctionalityinSuperMemo.Keepinmindthatsomeofthefunctionsrelatedto
memoryarenotincludedinthefreewareversionduetothefactthatitdoesnothaveaccesstoyour
learningdata.
SleepChartwasincludedinSuperMemoafewyearsagoupontheunderstandingthatsleepisvitalfor
learning.Tosleepwellandtolearnwell,oneneedstounderstandhisorherowncircadianrhythm.
SleepChartinSuperMemowasdesignedwiththeviewtoassistinginthattask.Itcanhelpyouoptimize
thetimingofsleepaswellastooptimizethetimingofyourlearning.Moreover,youcansubmityour
sleepandlearningdataforanalysisandhaveyourowncontributioninourresearchovertheimpactof
sleeponmemory.YoucanaccessSleepChartinSuperMemowith:(1)Tools:SleepChartontheMain
menu,(2)SuperMemocommander,or(3)byjustpressingF12.
Sleepblocksaremarkedin blue .Learningblocksaremarkedin red .Totallearningtimeon

individualdaysisdisplayedontheright.Selectedsleepblockisdisplayedin yellow .Thelengthof
thatblockisdisplayedatthebottom.
InSuperMemo,thelearningtimelineisgeneratedautomatically.Eachtimeyourmakerepetitionswith
SuperMemo,thelearningblockisaddedtothetimeline(displayedin red onthegraph).Ontheother
hand,yoursleepdatamustbeloggedinmanually(displayedin blue ).Atminimumskilllevel,youcan
useSleepChartforabasicvisualinspectionofyourfavoritelearningandsleephours.However,more
advancedfunctionssuchasoptimizingthetimeforlearningorthetimeforsleeprequireadvanced
analysisandunderstandingofcircadianrhythms.Ifyoustartloggingyoursleepdatatoday,youwillbe
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abletousefuture,moreadvancedversionsofSuperMemotostudyandunderstandyoursleepand
learning.
SleeptimelineinSleepChart
ThetimelineofsleepinSleepChartmustbeloggedmanually.Tologablockofsleep,clickthe
beginningoftheblock(sleepstart)andthenclicktheendoftheblock(sleepend).Youcanalsostart
fromclickingtheendofsleepfirst.Sleepblocksabove22hoursaredisallowed.Sleepblockscannot
overlapwithrepetitionstimeline(youcannotlearnwithSuperMemoandbeasleepatthesametime).If
youhavealreadycollectedyoursleepdatainSleepChartFreeware,youcanimportthisdatato
SuperMemowithFile:Import:SleepChartfile(youcanalsoimportdatafromaspreadsheet).Ifyou
importfilesfromSleepChartFreeware,youcantestforsleepandlearningoverlapswithFile:Verify:
Blockoverlaps.ProtectionfromblockoverlapsisanimportantadvantageofusingSleepChartin
SuperMemoasopposedtoastandaloneSleepChart,inwhichitwasveryeasytofalloutofphasein
loggingdata(e.g.byfailingtofilloutasingledayandnoticingthatonlyamonthlater).Youcanmark
blocksofforcefullydelayedsleep,aswellasmarkblockscutshortwithanalarmclockorotherfactors.
Pleasenotethatyoucangetbestanalyticalresultsifyoudonotartificiallyregulatesleep(e.g.withan
alarmclock,sleepingpills,etc.).Appliedmodelswillnotfullyaccountforartificialintervention.Last
butnotleast,naturalsleepiswhatyoushouldaimforinlearningaswellasforthesakeofmaximum
healthandwellbeing.
SleepandlearningtimelineinSuperMemo
CombiningsleeptimelinewithrepetitiondatatakenfromSuperMemoopensanarrayofnewresearch
andoptimizationoptions.
Varioussleepstatisticspertainingtoindividualdayscanbedisplayedontheright.Sleepblockscanbe
consolidatedwiththeConsolidatebuttononthetoolbar.Forexample,ifyouwokeupfor510min.in
thenight,consolidationwillmakeSuperMemotreattheentirenightsleepepisodeasasingleentity.
Shortnocturnalawakeningsareanorm,evenifwearenotawareofthem,andhavelittleimpacton
learning.Sleepblockconsolidationoftenunmasksimportantpropertiesofsleep(e.g.seePreferencefor
nightsleep).Ithelpstreatsuccessivesleepepisodesasanexpressionofasingleperiodofhighsleep
propensity.
Inadditiontosleepstatistics,optimumbedtimecanalsobeestimatedinSleepChart.Twoindependent
modelsareusedtopredictmiddleofthenightpointsaswellastheexpectedoptimumretirementand
awakeningtimes.Thoseapproximationsmaybehelpfulinoptimizingsleepinpeoplewhoworkshiftsor
sleepinirregularhoursforvariousreasons.Forexample,afteraweekofirregularsleep,itmaybe
difficulttodeterminetheoptimumretirementhourthatislikelytoproducebestqualitysleep.Goingto
sleeptooearlymightresultinprematureawakening(whichmayoftenruinthenightsleepentirely).
Goingtosleeptoolatemayresultinshortnightsleep,sleepdeprivation,andreducedalertnessonthe
followingday.Predictingoptimumsleeptimeonthebasisofsleephistoryisinexactscience,andthetwo
modelsusedmayproducedifferentoutcomes.Important!Yournaturalinstinctshouldalwaystake
precedenceovermathematicalmodels.Moreover,bestresultsinsleepoptimizationareaccomplishedin
freerunningsleep.Ifyouuseanalarmclock,orforceyourselfawakethroughthenight,ortakesleeping
pills,themodelsmaynotadequatelyaccountforthechaoticchangethatisoccurringinyoursleep
controlsystems.
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Blue and red continuouslinesarepredictionsofoptimumsleeptimeusingtheSleepChartmodel

(basedonsleepstatistics). Yellowcontinuousline showsthepredictionofthemaximumofcircadian
sleepiness(circadianmiddleofthenightpeak)usingaphaseresponsecurvemodel.Notethat
theoretically,yellowlineshouldroughlyfallintothemiddlebetweenblueandredlines.However,
whenadisruptionofthesleeppatternissevere,thoselinesmightdivergetestifyingtothefactthatit
isveryhardtobuildmodelsthatfullymatchthechaoticbehaviorofthesleepcontrolsystem
subjectedtoamajorperturbation. Aquadots pointtothepredicteddaytimedipinalertness(i.e.the
timewhenanapmightbemostproductive).
Circadiangraph
ThecircadiangraphinSleepChartcanhelpyoubetterunderstandyoursleeppatterns,aswellasto
visualizethedegreeofcycleinstability(i.e.howdifficultitisforyoursleepwakecycletofitinto24
hours).Youwillneedafewmonthsofdatabeforethegraphbecomesmeaningful.Inaddition,subjective
nightapproximationlinesinthesleeplogaresubjecttosubstantialhysteresis.Ifyourlifestylechanges
dramatically(e.g.asaresultofatherapy),youmayneedafewweeksfortheapproximationlinesto
alignproperlywithdata.Thecircadiangraphmaythenbemoredifficulttointerpret.Insuchcases,you
canuseFromthefirstdayandTothelastdayoptionstodemarcatetheperiodofinterest.Thiswill
limittheanalysistoaselectedperiodcharacterizedbyaselectedlifestyle.
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Exemplarycircadiangraphofamonophasicsleeper
Sleepinitiation
Blueline showsthepreferredtimetofallasleep.Itcorrespondswithsleeppropensityderivedfrom
thenumberofsleepblocksfallingintoagivenhourofthewakingday,wherezeroonthehorizontalaxis
referstothehourofwakingup.Percentageofsleepepisodesinitiatedatanygiventimeisdisplayedon
therightverticalaxis.Thebluelineroughlyexpressesyour"tirednessofwakefulness".Italsoexpresses
yourabilitytofallasleep.Yourownoptimumbedtimehourisyourpersonalcharacteristicasitdiffers
betweenpeople.Formostpeopletheoptimumbedtimefallsintotherangeof1620hoursfromwaking.
Intheexample,themostfavoredbedtimeoccursinthe18thhourofwaking.
Sleepmaintenance
Redline showstheaveragelengthofsleep.Thislineisaroughreflectionoftheabilitytomaintain
sleep,i.e.thelongestsleepepisodesoccurduringthesubjectivenight.Theaveragelengthofsleepis
displayedontheleftverticalaxis.Thegraphwilltellyouthatevenifyouareabletoinitiatesleepduring
theday,itwillneverlastlong.Inmostcasesofregularsleepers,onlyafter1114hoursofwakingdoes
thelengthofinitiatedsleepstartincreasing.Notethatthesleeplengthgraphisslightlyphaseshiftedin
referencetothepreferredsleepinitiationtimeduetothefactthatlongsleepismostlyachievedby
initiatingsleepearly.
Optimizingbedtime
Ifyouaretryingtodetermineyouroptimumbedtime,findtheeveningpeakinthe bluecurve and

choosenearbypointsthatproducesufficientlylongsleep( redcurve highenough).Inaddition,pay
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choosenearbypointsthatproducesufficientlylongsleep( redcurve highenough).Inaddition,pay

attentiontothefactthatyourwakeandsleeptimeshouldaddupto24hours,otherwiseyouwill
experiencephaseshifts.
Somepeopletakenapsduringtheday.Othersdon't.Innappers,the bluecurve shouldalsopointtothe
maximummiddayalertnessdip.Shortnaptimemayactuallybeasignofgoodnaptimingaslongasthe
napisnottakentooearlyinreferencetothe bluecurve (see:Bestnaptiming).Nonnapperswillalso
experienceapeakofsleepinessaroundthe7thhoureventhoughtheir bluecurve willnotshowasa
prominentbulge.
Ifthegraphshowsthatyouroptimumnaptimefallsintothe8thhour,andyouwakeupat6am,you
shouldtakeabreakataround14:00(2pm)andlookforasecludedplaceforafewminutesofrest.You
couldalsoplanyourlunchataround13:0013:30tocompleteaperfectsettingforasiesta.
Example1:Unstablecircadiancycle
Intheexemplarycircadiangraphbelow,onaverage,thebestnighttimesleepisobtainedwhenitis
initiatedafter18hoursfromthemorningawakening(assumingthegraphwascreatedwithoutany
artificialformofsleepcontrolsuchasanalarmclock,delayingsleep,etc.).The blueline showsthatthe
18thhouristhepreferredtimetoinitiatesleep,whilethelengthofsleep( redline )islongenoughtoadd
uptoa24hoursleepwakecycle.
Asbluepeaksareofthesameheight,wecanconcludethatthegraphrepresentsareligiousnapper,
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whoseoptimumsiestatimeoccurs7hoursfromawakening.Inthiscase,foranawakeningat8am,the
siestashouldbeginat3pm,andthenightsleeparound2am.Forbothbluepeaks,7.4%ofallsleep
episodesbeingattheoptimumhour,whiletheremaining85%aresuboptimum.
Maximumlengthofsleepcanbeachievedatthe16thhour,however,thisdoesnotindicatethisisthe
optimumhourofgoingtosleep.Ifsleepisinitiatedtooearly,itmayormaynotcatchonthefull
circadianlowofthesubjectivenight.Inotherwords,thereisariskofaprematureawakeningafterjusta
coupleofminutesofsleep.Suchanawakeningmakesithardertofallasleepagain.Thisisoneofchief
causesofinsomnia.Thedifficultyinreinitiatingsleepisduetoaveryrapidlossofhomeostaticsleep
propensityduringsleep.Inaddition,sleepinitiatedbeforethefullcircadianlowdoesnotseemtobeof
morevaluethanslightlyshortersleepinitiatedabitlater(e.g.asreflectedbythesubjectivefeelingof
beingrefreshedinthemorning,orasmeasuredpolysomnographically).The bluehomeostaticline
indicatesthatthesleepismorelikelytobeinitiatedeffectivelyatthe18thhour,whileitsaveragelength
isthen6hours.Ifyourgraphisgeneratedwithoutattemptstoartificiallyregulatesleep,thesecondpeak
inthehomeostaticcurvewilloftenindicatetheoptimumbedtime.Thegraphalsoindicatesthatifthe
sleepisdelayedbyanhour,itwillbeshortenedby1030minutes.Itispossible,thateventhislittle
shorteningwillaffecttheperformanceduringtheday.Ifthesleepisadvancedbyanhour,itmaybe10
30minuteslongerbutitsqualityisnotlikelytoincreaseproportionally.
Thegraphcanalsoshowhowthelengthofthecircadianperiodcanbedeterminedbythebedtime
hour.The greenline showsthesetofbreakevenpointsforastable24hourssleepwakecyclewherethe
sleepandwaketimesaddupto24hours.Allthecircadiangraphpointsthatlietotherightofthe green
line causeaphasedelay,whilepointsontheothersidewillcauseaphaseadvance. Aquablue line
showswherethe 24hourcyclegreenline crossesthe redsleeplengthline .Duetothefactthatthe
anglebetween green and red linesislarge,thissleeppatternisprettyunstable.Thismeansthatgoingto
sleepbeforethe18thhourwillresultinacyclethatislessthan24hourslong,whilegoingtosleepafter
the18thhourmaylengthenthecycleandresultinphaseshiftdelays.Forexample,earlybedtime
(aroundthe15thhour)willresultinadaythatlasts21hours(15hoursonthehorizontalaxiscorresponds
withtheaveragesleeplengthof6hoursreadfromthe redcurve ).Laterbedtime(aroundthe18thhour)
willresultinaperfect24hoursday,whileaverylongwakingday(e.g.20hours)willproduceaday
lasting25.5hours.Naturally,allmanipulationsinthelengthofthedaywouldbetterbeavoidedasearly
bedtimeincreasesthechancesofinsomnia,whileaverylatebedtimeincreasesthechancesofsleep
deprivation,andREMsleepdeficit.Understandingone'ssleeppreferencescanbeveryhelpfulfor
planningshiftworkorcombatingjetlaginlonghaulflights.
Example2:Stablecircadiancycle
Thesecondgraphshowsasleeppatternthatismuchmorestablethattheonefromthefirstexample
above.
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Thegraphshowsahabitualnapperwhoshowsapreferenceforawakingdayof19hours.Asopposedto
thegraphshownearlier,thezoneofstablesleepwakecycle,demarcatedbyvertical aqualines ismuch
widerduetothefactthat red and green linesarenearlyparallel.Thismeansthatifthesleepisinitiated
afterthe20thhourofwaking,thenightsleepwillbeshortenedtofitthe24hcycle.Naturally,evenif
delayedsleepdoesnotcauseaphaseshift,itwillalwaysresultinlessersleepqualityduetostage
compression.Suchsleepwillresultinsleepdeficits.Dayslastinglessthan20hoursmayresultinaphase
advance.Despiterunningfree,thelongestaveragesleepperiod(initiatedataroundthe16thhour)isn't
even6hourslong.Thisillustratesthatexcessivesleepingisnotaprobleminfreerunningsleep.Inthe
graph,theoptimumsiestatimeagainfallsinthe7thhourandisexecutedreligiously(over14%ofsleep
episodesexecuted"onthedot").
Phaseshiftdisorders
Asshowninbothgraphsabove,withsufficientdiscipline,peoplewithphasedisordersshouldbeableto
accomplish24hourfreerunningrhythmindependentofthedesiredwakinghour.Inpractice,dueto
variousperturbationsinlifestyle(exams,stress,socializing,etc.)aswellasduetothestressoftheneed
towakeupearly,adherencetotheoptimum24hsleepschedulemaybeveryhardtoachieveforpeople
withseverephaseshiftproblems.Forthosewhoneedtowakeupataspecificearlyhour,freerunning
sleepmaybecomeunobtainablewithouttheuseofanalarmclock,melatonin,orotherunwelcome
measures.
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24hoursleepcycle
Perfect24hourcycle
Letusnowconsideranideallysynchronized24hourcycle.Inthepicturebelow,anoctogenarianfemale
wakesupnaturallyeverydayaround3:003:30am.Shesleeps5.45.5hoursperday,wakesuprefreshed
andisactivethroughouttheday.
Thereisnosynchronizationwithdaylightasthewakinghourfallsintotheperiodofdarkness.Thecycle
issynchronizedbyeveningactivities,notdaylight.Thesubjectkeepsinherminda"mustgotosleep"
hourestimationthathelpssynchronizebodyclockwiththetimeofday.This"psychologicalimprint"is
illustratedbyasmoothchangeinthesleepingrhythmaftertheendofthedaylightsavingtimeonSunday
October27,2002(thegraphdisregardsDSTsothatthewakinghourbeforethechangeissetat2:002:30
am).
Eventhoughagingissaidtoincreasenocturnalawakening,perhapsduetothecelllossinsleepcontrol
centers,thissubjectreportednoawakeninginthestudyperiod.
Circadiangraphshowsasinglefavoredbedtimeinthe19thwakinghour.Astheaveragenighttimesleep
episodeis5hourslong,thesleepwakecyclelastsexactly24hours,anddailyfluctuationsinbedtimeare
minimal.Asthe greenbreakevenline andthe redcircadianline arenearlyparallelinthespanof3
hours,thissleeppatternisverystable,andalldelaysinbedtimeoccuratthecostofsleeptimewithout
causingaphasedelay.
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Sleepandstress
Stresscanruinthefabricofsleep.ThefollowingSleepChartgraphdemonstratestheimpactofstressona
wellbalanced24hoursleeppattern:
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Inthepresentedexample,amiddleagedselfemployedmalewakesupnaturallyeverydayaround6:00
6:20.However,onJun3,2003,aseverefamilyproblemthrewtherhythmintochaosasevidencedby
frequentnocturnalawakenings.Therhythmreturnedtothenormonemonthlaterassoonasthefamily
conflictwasresolved.
Monophasicsleep
Monophasicsleepgraphswilloftenshowasmallsiestatimesleeppropensitypeakduetothefactthat
eventhepurestmonophasicsleeperhitscrisisdaysinwhichapostprandialnapbringsawelcomerelief.
Duetotheir"crisisnature",suchnapsmaylastlongerthaninahabitualnapper.Themiddaypeakis
particularlyvisibleinirregularsleeperswhoshowlessdisciplineinshelteringtheirnaturalregular
sleepinghours.
Preferencefornightsleep
Independentoftheinnatecircadiancycle,lighthasapowerfulimpactonsleep.Inparticular,itsphase
shiftingcapacitywillalwaysensurethathumansnaturallygravitatetowardssleepingatnighttime.Only
theadventoflifestylethatinvolveselectricityand24hworkcyclestriggeredthepresentepidemicof
sleepdisorders,whichindirectlycontributedtotheappealofconceptslike"Ubermansleep".
Thepreferenceforsleepinginthenightcanbestbeseeninirregularsleepers,esp.thosewhosufferfrom
phaseshiftdisordersandruntheirsleepfree,orthosewhoareonafreerunningscheduleandphaseshift
"bychoice"(i.e.bynottryingtofitanyparticularsleepinghours).Inthosecases,usingthecircadian
graphinSleepChart,wecanseetheimpactofnighttimeontheabilitytoinitiateandmaintainsleep.
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Inthepresentedcircadiangraph,weseeaclearpreferencefornightsleepinfreerunningsleep.The
graphshowsthatsleepinitiation( blueline )iseasieratnighttimebetween7pmand4am,whilethe
lengthofsleep( redline )isgreatestifthesleepisinitiatedbetween10pmand5am.
Thegraphcanalsobeinterpretedasaphasespace.Itshowshowdifficultitistoachieve"wasteful"8
hoursofsleepinanefficientfreerunningsleeppattern.Itcanalsobeusedtodemonstratethatno
trajectoryinthephasespacewillleadtoanentrainedpolyphasicsleep.Whenalarmclockand/orsleep
delayareintroducedintothesystem,sleepcontrolmaybecomechaotic.However,infreerunningmode,
itquicklystabilizesaroundaroughlybiphasicrhythm,oftenwithadegreeofphaseshiftdependenton
thelifestyle.Thetimingofphaseshifting,excitatoryandinhibitorystimuli,eveniftheyarerepetitive
andregular,maystillleadtoadegreeofchaosinthesystem.Thisoccursiftheperiodofthestimulus
cycleisdifferentfromtheperiodoftheentrainedcircadianrhythm.
Incontrasttothefirstgraph,thesecondexamplecanbeusedtoarguethatartificiallightingcanvirtually
eliminatetheimpactofnaturallightonthecycleinawelldisciplinedsleeperwithamoreregularcycle
andbetteradherencetofreerunningsleeprules.
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Thequestionremainsopentowhetherthenighttimesleeppreferenceisn'ttoalargedegreecausedby
socialentrainment.Despitethefactthatweliveina24/7society,thereisstillmorefuntobehadduring
thedayorintheeveningthanduringthenightwhenstillthelargerportionofthepopulationisasleep.A
bigcluecomesfromthefactthatdespitelittledifferenceinsleepinitiationpreferencethroughoutthe
day,sleepinitiatedintheeveningorinthenight(8pm6am)isstilllikelytolastuptotwiceaslongas
sleepinitiatedat3pm.
Biphasicnatureofhumansleep
Mostresearchersagreethathumanadultcircadiancycleisbiphasic.Inadditiontosleep,oneofthe
outwardexpressionsofthecircadiancycleisthechangesincorebodytemperature.
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Temperaturechangesinthecourseofthedayindegreescentigrade(courtesyof:DrLuizMenna
Barreto,StateUniversityofCampinas,Brazil)
SuperMemoandSleepChartprovideanexcellenttooltoverifytheclaimofthebiphasicnatureofhuman
sleepwakecycles.Ihavecollecteddatafrommonophasicandbiphasicsleepersthatillustrateour
biphasicnature.
Biphasiclearning
SuperMemoalonemakesitpossibletoseethebiphasiccharacterofthelearningperformancethroughout
thedaybychartinggradesvs.theclocktimewithouttheneedtoincludesleeplogdata.Inthepresented
example,amonophasicsleeper,abusyfatheroftwo,showsthebestlearningperformanceintheearly
morningaround6am,i.e.shortlyafterhisnaturalwakingtime.Thereisabigdipintheaveragegrade
scoredwhenlearninginhours11amto1pm(ontheclock).Thereisasecondsurgeinthequalityof
learningataround56pm:
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Biphasicsleepperiodogram
SleepChartalonecanalsobeusedtodemonstratesleepbiphasicity.Freerunningsleeplogscanbe
subjecttoFourieranalysistorevealthenatureofsleepperiodicity.Anexemplaryperiodogramisshown
inthegraph:
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Exemplaryperiodogramofhumanfreerunningsleeprevealsabiphasicnatureofsleepperiodicity.
Twobasicsleepfrequenciesdominatethisparticularsleeplog.Theseroughlycorrespondto12and
24hourcycles.
Biphasiclearningandsleep
IfweemploybothSleepChartandSuperMemo,wecanalsoseehowwakingperformancechangesin
referencetosleepphase.ThebiphasicgradesgraphfromSuperMemo(asshownearlier)canbecorrected
forthecircadianphasethatcanbeprettyindependentoftheactualclocktime,esp.infreerunningsleep.
Inthepresentedexample,abiphasicsleeper,middleagedmalewithirregularsleeppatterns,showsthe
bestlearningperformanceintheearlymorning(roughlyaroundtheestimatedendofthesubjective
night):
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Thereisabigdipintheaveragegradescoredsome7hoursfromthemorningpeak.Thereisasecond
surgeinthequalityoflearningintheevening.Finally,thereisasteepdeclineinthequalityoflearning
shortlybeforesleep.
BiphasicgraphsinSuperMemo
ThenewestversionofSuperMemomakesitpossibletocorrelaterecallwiththecircadianphaseas
estimatedbySleepChart(whichhasbeenintegratedwiththeprogram).Inthepresentedexample,a
biphasic45yearoldmaleshowstwomajorpeaksinalertnessandlearningqualityduringtheday:
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Thefirstpeakoccursinthehours34fromtheestimatednaturalwakingtime,i.e.nottheactualwaking
time,whichmaybedifferent.Thesecond,slightlylongerpeekspanshours1218.Thereisapronounced
depressioninfreerecallatthe8thhourofthesubjectivedayperiod(i.e.waketimeestimatedfromthe
circadiandata,nottheactualwakingperiod).The redline showstheestimatedoverallalertnessderived
fromSleepChart'stwocomponentmodel.Inthiscase,theestimatedalertnessnearlyperfectlymatches
therecallmeasuredduringanactuallearningprocess.
Monophasicsleepwithbiphasiclearning
Theheightofthetwoalertnesspeaksmaydifferinamonophasicsleeper,whowillalsoshowthesame
depressioninrecallaroundthe8thhourofthesubjectivewakingday.However,characteristically,a
monophasicsleepermaynotgetthesameperformanceboostintheeveningasbiphasicsleepersdueto
theeffectsofthehomeostaticsleepdrivecomponent.Evenafewminutenapcanresultinamajorboost
inalertness.ThishasalreadybeennoticedbyaprominentnappingexpertDrDavidDingesinhis
comprehensivesurveyscomparinghabitualnapperswithnonnappers(Dinges1989[23]).
Toillustratethedifferencebetweenbiphasicandmonophasicsleepers,seeananalogousrecallgraphin
whichamonophasic15yearoldnonnappershowsthebestperformanceinthemorninghourswitha
sharpdipatthe8thhourofwakefulnesscoincidingwithasubjectivedeclineincognitivefunction:
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Afteratemporarydip,thereisasharprecovery,andagradualdeclineinperformanceinthesecondhalf
oftheday.Thatdeclineisstronglyacceleratedbyahomeostaticmechanism.The yellowline showsthe
estimatedcircadiancomponentofalertness.Inthiscase,thecircadianbenefitsaremuffledbythe
homeostaticdeclineinalertness,whichisnotshowninthegraph.Thisiswhythehypotheticalcircadian
alertnessandtheactualalertnessmatchonlyinthefirsthalfoftheday.
Biphasiccircadiangraph
Thereisabiphasictwisttothetwoprocessmodelofsleeppropensity.Infreerunningsleep,wheresleep
isatrueexpressionofsleeppropensity,itispossibletovisualizeboththehomeostaticandthecircadian
componentsofsleepinacircadiangraph:
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Inahabitualnapper,thecircadianbiphasicnatureisparadoxicallyexpressedbythetwopeaksleep
propensitycurveinsteadofthecircadiancurve.Thereasonforthisrolereversalisthephysiological
differencebetweenthetwocircadianpeaksinsleeppropensity.Inahabitualnapper,sleepisinitiatedas
easilyatsiestatimeasitisinitiatedatnight.However,thelengthofsleepatsiestatimeisveryshort
(usually1580min).
Inthepresentedgraph,the blueline correspondswiththeabilitytoinitiatesleepatanygivencircadian
time.Onthehorizontalaxis,italignswellwiththealertnessgraphsdisplayedinSuperMemo(asshown
inearlierparagraphs).Italignswellwithboththelearningdata,aswellaswiththetwoprocesssleep
modelimplementedinSleepChart.
The redline correspondswiththeabilitytomaintainsleep.Itrevealswhatisnotvisibleinthealertness
graphshownearlier:siestanapscannotlastlongandwillalwaysbesubjecttoanearlynatural
termination(low redline underthefirst blue peak).Incontrast,theperiodofsubjectivenightisthe
onlytimeofdaywhensleepcanandshouldlastlongest(usuallynolessthan45hours).The redpeak is
alsothereasonwhypolyphasicsleepadeptscravefor"coresleep",wakeupgroggy,andneedheavy
alarmartillerytowakeupinthiscriticalsubjectivenightperiod.
DavidDinges,inhissurveysnoticed,thatnappingmorethanoncewithinadaywasextremelyrare.Most
napperstooknapslasting15120min.Napswillbeshorteriftheyaretakenbeforethesiestapeak.If
theyaretakenafterthepeak,theywillusuallylastlonger,andmayevenintegratewiththenightsleepin
casesofparticularlylargedelay,orwherethereisasleepdeprivation,REMsleepdeficit,oranyother
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formof"sleepdebt".
Dingesnoticedthatbothappetitive(habitual)andreplacement(compensatory)napperstendedtotime
theirnaps78hoursfromwaking(see:Besttimingofnaps).Eventhoughnappinghabitsmaydiffer,the
circadiantimingofthesiestatroughseemstobeprettysimilaracrossthepopulation(Dinges1992[24])
Itisimportanttonoteagainthattheeveningboostinalertnessismagnifiedbyanap,butshowsupalso
innonnappersandcaneasilybedeconvolutedinthetwoprocessesmodelintoitshomeostaticand
circadiancomponents(asshowninthenexttwoexamples).
Twocomponentsofbiphasicsleeppropensity
Thelasttwographsshowtheimpactofthecircadianandhomeostaticcomponentsonalertness.
Inthefirstexample,afreerunningfemale29yearoldnonnappershowsanalertnessdipin89hours
sincewaking.The redhomeostaticestimate showsnodipandasteadydeclineoverthewakingday:
The yellowcircadianestimate showstheexpectedpositionofthedipandtheeveningcrestthatexplains

aboostintheeveninglearningperformance:
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Boththeeveningrecallboostandtheeveningcircadianestimatealignprettywellshowingonceagain
thattheoverallalertnessdependsonbothhomeostaticandcircadiancomponentsofthesleepcontrol
system.
Biphasicperformanceinsleepdeprivation
Middayslumpisasprominentinconditionsofsevereaswellasmildsleepdeprivation.Thisgraph
showsamiddayalertnessslumpina26hoursleepdeprivationstudy(Czeisleretal.2006[25]).The
timingoftheslump(hours1012ofwakingperiod)indicatesthattheprecedingsleepepisodewas
positionedsuboptimally(hencetheneedtointerruptsleepforthestudy).Naturalawakingwould
probablytakeplace12hoursafteraforcedawakeninginlabconditions.Thegraphalsoshowsthatsleep
inertiacausedbyforcedawakeningfromStage2NREMorREMsleepcausesamuchgreatercognitive
declinethan26hoursofsleepdeprivation.
Summary:Nappingisgood!
1.Humansarebiphasicinnatureandshowacircadianboostinlearninginsubjectiveevening
hours.
2.Nonnappersshowamiddaydipinperformanceandmightalsobenefitfromasiesta.
Segmentedsleep
In1992,DrThomasWehrpublishedtheresultsofhisinterestingexperimentonsleepinperiodsof
prolongeddarkness(e.g.asseeninInuitduringthearcticwinter)(Wehr1992[26]).Hedividedthe
experimentaldayinto10hoursofdaylight(photoperiod)and14hoursofdarkness(scotoperiod).This
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typeofartificiallycontrolledenvironmentresultedinsegmentedsleepthatwasoftencomposedoftwo
45hoursegmentsseparatedbyanhourofwakefulness.Wehrfoundthattheonsetofsleepwas
associatedwithanincreaseinmelatonin,whichisreleasedintheperiodsofdarkness(inbothdiurnaland
nocturnalanimals).Healsonoticedthatthereleaseperiodofnocturnalmelatoninlastslongerinshorter
photoperiods(Wehretal.1993[27]).
Fragmentofasegmentedsleeplogproducedinconditionsof10hourphotoperiod.
Interpretationofsegmentedsleep
Whentheresultsoftheexperimentwerepublicized,insomniacsrejoiced:Perhapsthisisnormal?
Perhapsthisishowweallshouldsleep?Thosewhotendtowakeupinthenightandspendanhourorso
reading,watchingTVorplunderingthefridge,nolongerhadtofeelabnormal.Indeed,thebestcriterion
thatshouldseparatehealthysleepformunhealthypatternsistherefreshingpowerofsleep.Nocturnal
awakeningsshouldnotmatteraslongastheydidnotcontributetomorningmisery.
Ahistorian,DrRogerEkirchnoticedthatthisprolongedtwopartsleepisfrequentlymentionedin
historicalrecordsthatpredatetheadventofelectricity:"Untilthecloseoftheearlymodernera,Western
Europeansonmosteveningsexperiencedtwomajorintervalsofsleepbridgedbyuptoanhourormore
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ofquietwakefulness.[...]Theinitialintervalofslumberwasusuallyreferredtoas"firstsleep,"or,less
often,"firstnap"or"deadsleep."(Ekirch2001[28]).
Sleepresearchersspeculatedthatthisisperhapshowhealthysleepshouldlooklikeandthatoursleep
controlmodelswithasinglenighttimecircadianpeakarewrong.Evolutionistsspeculatedthatthiscould
beanadaptationtonighttimesex,orbreastfeeding,orperiodsofextravigilance.DrHornelikestorefer
tosegmentedsleepasanexampleofthehumanpropensitytoexcessivesleeping.
SegmentedsleepandBorbelymodel
Ihappentodisagreewithmostoftheinterpretationsputforwardthusfarexceptthosethatstandin
agreementwiththemainstreamsleepresearch.Weneedtoobservethatmostofhumanandprehuman
evolutiontookplaceintropicalareaswithfarshorternightsthanthosethatcharacterizewintersinthe
north,and,mathematicallyspeaking,thereshouldbenopreferenceforwakingupinthemiddleofthe
nightfor12hourasopposedtoenteringshallowsleeporwakingattheendofeachfullNREMREM
cycle.ThesegmentedsleepobservedinWehr'sexperimentcaneasilybeaccountedforwithBorbly
modelofsleep.EventhoughBorbelymodelprovidesveryspecificmathematicalconditionsneededfor
initiatingsleep,wemustrememberthatitisonlyanapproximationofrealitythatdoesnotnecessarily
accountfortheleveloflightingorexternalarousingstimuli.Inperiodsofprolongeddarknessand
silence,lesseroverallsleeppropensitywillbeneededtoinitiatesleep.Iwilltrytoillustratemyclaim
usingSleepChart'stwocomponentmodelandsomereallifeexamples.
Segmentedsleepandtwocomponentmodel
WhenWehr'sdataareprocessedusingSleepChart'stwocomponentmodel,weseethatsleepis
characteristicallyinitiatedatperiodsofrelativelylowsleeppropensity:
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Wehr'ssegmentedsleepasinterpretedwiththehelpofthetwocomponentmodelofsleepemployedin
SleepChart.
Inreallife,thetwocomponentmodelindicatesthatsleepisinitiatedwhenalertnesslevelsdropto33
40%.Insegmentedsleep,alertnessatsleeponsetismuchhigher:4050%.
Circadiangraphshowsthatthefavoritesleepinitiationhouristhe15thfromarisinganditresultsin5
hoursofsleeponaverage.Aswakingcomesclosetothecircadianacrophase,wakefulnesscannotlast
longduetoarapidlyascendingcircadiansleepiness.Thesecondboutofsleepthenfollowsinthe21st
hourandlasts3hoursonaverage.Thusthesleepissegmentedintoa5hourlongpresleepand3hour
long"correction".
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CircadiangraphbasedonWehr'sdata.
Sleepperiodogramshowsatypicalfrequencypeakatperiod24h,andtwoatypicalpeaksat8and6hours
(insteadoftheusual12hsiestapeak).
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PeriodogrambasedonWehr'sdata.
Examplesofsegmentedsleep
Iscannedyearsofsleeplogsinsearchfornaturalsegmentedsleepexamples.Ididnotfoundthatmany.
Withoutdoubt,Icanblamethemodernlifestylethatrarelypermitsaleisurelyearlybedtime.BelowIlist
threeverydifferentexamplesfromreallifelogs.Severalcharacteristicsseemtobeassociatedwith
segmentedsleep:
thissleepoftenresultsinhighalertness,e.g.astestifiedbytheabsenceofdaytimenapping
aspredicted,thissleepiseasiertofindinwinterperiods
intenseexercisemaybeafactorthathelpsinducesegmentedsleep(perhapsduetoearlier
bedtimes)
asinWehr'sdata,SleepChart'stwocomponentmodelofsleeppropensityshowsaveryrapid
declineinsleeppropensityearlyinsegmentedsleepduetothefactthatthesleepisinitiatedvery
earlyinreferencetothecircadianacrophase
Example:Prematurebedtime
Typicallongdarknessprematurebedtimesegmentedsleep.Sleepinitiatedtooearly,againwithavery
markeddeclineinsleeppropensityresultinginanocturnalawakening:
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Example:Nocturnalawakeningcausedbystress
Prematureawakeningcausedbystress.Segmentednightwitha"correction":
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Example:Intenseexercise
Prolongedsleepinducedbyintenseexercisewithincreaseddemandforsleep.Over12hoursof
segmentedsleepareinitiatedearlywithmultipleharmlessawakenings,fastdeclineinsleeppropensity
(inverseofthe redline )inthefirst34hoursofsleepthatresultsinshallowprolongedsleep:
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Applicationofsegmentedsleep
Thistypeofsleepresultsinveryrefreshingnights,however,itwouldbeprettyhardtoimplementin
agreementwiththemodernlifestyle.Certainly,itwouldnotoptimizethetimeuse.Icanonlyguessthat
matchingsleepwellwiththecircadianacrophaseshouldalsoincreasetheefficiencyofsleep.Thisshould
beverifiablewithSuperMemodata,however,asofthemomentofwriting,Ihavenotdonethenecessary
computation.Consideringtheniceeffectofthisancientsleeponmoodandalertness,Iwouldloveto
subjectmyselftoanexperimentwith14hoursofdarkness,however,10hourworkingdaywouldbe
prettyhardtostomacheveninashortterm.IalsodoubtIwouldbeabletoextinguishthethoughtsofthe
dayandinitiatesleepearly.Eventhemerefactofcollectingexcitingdatafortheexperimentwouldkeep
meupwithmythoughtsracing.Imighttrythisinretirementwhenmyvitalpowersdeclinesufficiently
enoughtomakeittrulyenjoyable.
DelayedSleepPhaseSyndrome(DSPS)
Whenatendencytogotosleeplatereachdayisstronglypronounced,itmaybecomeaseriousproblem.
Peoplewithaparticularlylongcircadiancycleorwithaninsufficientsensitivitytozeitgebersare
classifiedassufferingfromDelayedSleepPhaseSyndrome(DSPSforshort).Sometimesthe
abbreviationDSPDisusedwheresyndromeisreplacedwithdisorder.Thetermsnon24hoursleep/wake
syndrome(N24,N24,Non24)orhypernychthemeralsyndrome(withafewspellingvariants)are
occasionallyusedtorefertothemostseverecases.IwillconsistentlystickwiththelabelDSPSto
emphasizethattheseareallvariantsofthesameproblemexpresseddifferentlyindifferent
circumstances.Thisquarrelswiththeestablisheddefinitionsusedbyotherauthors,whichIwill
disrespectfullyignoreduetothefactthattheestablishedterminologyleadstoaharmfulconfusionand
thesenseofdisablinginevitability.
InDSPS,anindividualfindsitdifficulttofallasleeplateinthenight,andsleepswellintotheafternoon
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ifnotawakened.DSPShasonlybeencharacterizedin1982,butincreasingdataindicatesthatvarious
degreesofDSPSoccurwithepidemicfrequency,esp.amonghighschoolanduniversitystudents.DSPS
individualsoftenliketokeeponlearninglateintothenight,gotosleepverylate(forexample,46am),
andfinditveryhardtowakeupearlyonaregularbasis.Forexample,regulargettingupat7amisapure
tortureforindividualsaffectedwithDSPS.Theyoftenfailtokeepjobsthatrequirethemtoperformearly
inthemorning.Veryoften,theytendtosplitthedaysleepintotwocomponents.Forexample,DSPS
studentsoftengetashortsleepinthenight,wakeupearlywithanalarmclock,gotoschoolwherethey
aresemiconsciousandperformpoorly,getasolidnapafterschoolandonlylateintheeveningthey
regainvigorandtheirfullmentalpowers.DSPSstudentsfeelbestaftermidnightwheneveryoneelseis
asleepandtheycanfocusonlearningorotheractivities(reading,Internet,watchingTV,computer
games,etc.).
ThemainfactorscontributingtoDSPS:
increasedperiodofthebodyclock(wellabove25hours)
reducedorincreasedsensitivitytofactorsthatresetoradvancebodyclock(e.g.light,activity,
stress,exercise,etc.)
electriclighting,24houreconomyandtheresulting"wanttodomore"lifestyle
Anormalindividualhasabodyclockrunningwithaperiodslightlylongerthan24hours.Theclockis
resetinthemorningwithactivityandbrightlight.Thusanormalindividualeasilyadjuststothestandard
daynightcycle.However,DSPSindividualsmayhavetheirclocksrunningperiodslongenoughtofind
ithardtofitto24hours.Theyalsopushtheirclocksaheadbyactivitylateintheevening(theprocess
oppositetothemorningresetsynchronization).DSPSindividuals,whengivenachancetosleepwhen
theywant,willtendtogotosleeplaterandlater.Theywillalsowakeuplaterandlater.DSPSpeopledo
nothaveproblemswithsleepiftheysleepintheirfavoritehours.MostmildDSPScasescanberemedied
bychangesinlifestyle,butrarelyarethosechangespainlesstoindividualsaffectedbythecondition.If
thisdescriptionfitsyourproblem,youmaydiagnosethedegreeofyourDSPSwithSleepChartfreeware.
DSPSinteenagers
ResearchshowsthatDSPSisveryfrequentinadolescence(Carskadon1995[29]).TeenagerswithDSPS
willoftenfinditdifficulttoadapttonormalschooltime.Theywillexperiencemaximumdaytime
sleepinessat10am(inthemiddleoftheschoolday)andapeakinalertnessrightaftertheschool.For
manyteenagerswithanaturaltendencytogotosleeplate,schoolbecomesatortureandatruewasteof
time!Educatorshavealreadytakenonthissubjecthowever,studentsdozingoffduringclassesarestilla
norm!Sleepystudentslearnlittle,andmaynaturallydevelopstrongnegativefeelingsfortheschoolin
general.Thisisaproblemofcolossalproportions!Ifyouareaparentofateenagerwhofindsitdifficult
towakeupforschool,youwillneedtoactnow!Otherwiseyoungman'sschoolyearswillbeaperiodof
monumentallywastedtime!Itwon'tbeenoughtodemandanearlyhourforgoingtobed.Ifyoubanthe
lateeveningInternetsurfing,youwilljustswapadoseofeveningeducationforanidletossingand
turninginbed.Actually,thereisonlyonesimplesolution,letthekidsgetupattheirnaturaltimebut...
thismaynotberealisticinmostcases.Yoursleeptherapistmaynotbeabletohelpeither.Thewhole
schoolsystemmightneedtobechangedtoaccommodatetheprevalenceofDSPSamongadolescents.
Therehavebeenpositiveresultsnotedinschoolsthatdecidedtostartclasses12hourslater.However,
longcircadiancyclesmayresultinstudentsstayingupyetlaterinthelongrun.Researcherssuggest
schedulestabilizationandgradualrealignment.Thosemeasuresmaystillbelargelyineffective.
Homeschoolingandfreerunningsleepcouldbeagreatoptionforthosekids.
SolutiontotheDSPSproblem
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FreerunningsleepisusuallyaninstantsolutiontosleepproblemsinDSPS,however,itinevitablyresults
ina"shifting"sleeppattern(seebelow).Otherthanfreerunningsleep,thebestknownremedyisto:
1. cyclethesleepphasetoalignmentwiththedesiredhourbracketand
2. battletoresetthecycle(see:CuringDSPSandinsomnia)
Inotherwords,ifpossible,youcoulduseyournaturaltendencytogotosleep12hourslater,untilyou
alignwiththedesiredsleeprhythm.Atthatpoint,therealbattlebeginsbyeffortstoprovidestrong
morningresettingstimuli(e.g.brightlight,stress,exhaustiveexercise,etc.).Thosecanbeenhancedby
eveningmeasuressuchasmelatoninandtheavoidanceofphasedelayingfactorssuchaslight,
stimulation,stress,Internet,etc.Ingeneral,youneedtoprovideresettingstimuliinthemorning,and
avoideveningdelayfactorssuchascomputers,TV,artificiallighting,etc.Formostpeople,adegreeof
sleepdeprivationismoreacceptablethanseveralfutileinactivehoursintheeveninginadarkroom.
IsDSPSadisease?
Probably,mostofthecasesofDSPScanbeexplainedbyalackofcompatibilitybetweenthegenetically
determinedsleepcontrolsystemandthelifestyle.Forsomepeople,thedegreeoftheproblemmaybe
greaterthanforothers(see:ClockGenesandmutationsaffectingtheclockperiod(Golombekand
Rosenstein2010[30])).Everyonecaneasilycurethedisorderwithadecisiontodrasticallychangeone's
habits(e.g.areturntoafarmer'slifestyle).However,suchachangeisusuallynotfeasibleduetothetype
ofemploymentorfamilylifeconditions.ThismeansthatDSPSsufferersareprobably,forawhile,
sentencedtowageaconstantbattlewiththeirbodyclock.
Officially,0.2%ofadultssufferfromDSPS.UsingnumerousSleepChartdatasubmissions,Iseeatrue
epidemicofDSPS.Moreover,thereisalargehiddenDSPSpopulation.Ihaveseencaseswherepeople
startedshowingDSPSsleeppatternsassoonastheygaveupanalarmclockafteryearsonanormal
schedulewithaseeminglynormallifecontaminatedsomewhatwithadegreeofsleepdeprivation.
Admittedly,peoplewhowritetomearealreadyapreselectedpopulation,butthenumbersarereally
staggering.IamprettysurethatmostofthoseDSPScasesarelifestylerelated.Astheterm"syndrome"
mightsuggestDSPSisadisease,IkeepemphasizingthatDSPSisratherareflectionofourmodern
electricitybasedlifestylethananactualdisorder.Interestingly,IreceivedveryfewASPSsubmissions.It
seemsthatitisDSPSpeoplethathangoutlateinthenightgooglingontheirPCforsolutionstotheir
sleepproblem.Intheend,theyarrivetoSleepChartandtheconceptoffreerunningsleepthatcanbe
theirmagiccure(ifevertrulyaffordable).
DSPSepidemiccanbeconsideredacivilizationaldisorderinwhichthepressureofamodernlifestyle
standsindisagreementwithmillionsofyearsofevolution.Inthelongrun,oncewefullyunderstandall
biochemicalandhormonalprocessesunderlyingsleep,itispossiblethatmildpharmacological
interventionwillmakeitpossibletoregulatethecircadiancycle.
AsynchronousDSPS
Combatingphaseshift
PeoplesufferingfromDSPSfinditdifficulttosynchronizewiththe24hourclock.Inthepicturebelow,
anadolescentfemalewithamildDSPSsuffersdisintegrationofthesleepingrhythmduetothefailed
effortstosynchronizewith"therestoftheworld":
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Afterthevacationperiod,shebeginsinearlySeptemberwellsynchronizedwiththe"restoftheworld".
Shewakesupbetween6:30and10:00.However,herbodyclockexperiencescontinuousshiftinher
subjectivenightperiod.Soonshewakesupat12:00andbeginsastruggleagainstthefurthershift.This
resultsinthedisintegrationofthesleepcycle,shortsleepperiodsbelowherpreferredaverage(e.g.4
hours)andfrequentboutsoftiredness.SleepChartattemptstoplottheextentofthesubjectivenight(i.e.
thehoursofmaximumnaturalsleepiness).Thestatisticallypredictedsubjectivenightisbracketed
betweenthe red and blue lines.Circadianacrophase(middleofthenight)isplottedin yellow .
Circadiansleeppropensityisexpressedbytheshadesofred.Sleepblocksterminatedwithanalarmclock
aremarkedin aqua .Clearly,thegreatestdisruptioninthesleeppatternoccursatthepointwherethe
"natural"rhythmdepartsfurthestfromthe"desired"rhythm.MildDSPScasesareabletoforcethebody
clocktoremainmoreorlessinthedesiredbracketatthecostofaconstantstrugglewithsleepiness.In
moreseverecases,thecircadianvariableswillruna24hourcycleandtheindividualwillexperience
returnto"goodsleep"whenfreerunningvariablesalignagainwiththe"desired"sleepperiod.
Theaveragesleeplengthis6.8hoursbuttotalsleepchangeswidelyfromdaytoday.TheaverageDSPS
shiftisdifficulttodetermineduetothebattleagainstthenaturalrhythm.However,itislikelythatthe
shiftisaround60minutesasevidencedbytheaverageprogressionofthecircadianacrophaseestimate
(in yellow ).Withouttheuseofanalarmclock,theadvancingsleepphasewouldlikelycompleteafull
24hturnaroundin34weeks.
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Resynchronizingthecycle
Inthenextexample,amiddleagedfemalewithaseverecaseofDSPSexperiencedasimilarstrugglein
stabilizinghersleeprhythmwithinsociallyacceptablelimits:
Subjectivesleepinesswasminimumwhenthebodysuccumbedtotheprogressionofthesleepphase(Sep
16Sep23),daytimetirednessincreasedmarkedlyatthetimeofthebattlewiththeprogression(Oct2
Oct11)where lightaquabluesleepblocks wereblocksartificiallyterminatedwithanalarmclock.
Finally,daytimedrowsinesspeakedintheperiodoflostsynchronybetweensleepperiodsandthe
circadianphase(Oct19Oct22).Thebreakthroughcamewiththereligiousadherencetofreerunning
sleep.Thenextlogshowsthesamefemaleonawellmanagedfreerunningschedule:
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Aperfectalignmentofsleepperiodswiththecircadianacrophase( yellowline inthemiddleofthe

subjectivenight)resultedintripledenergyandasenseofwellbeing.
SociallifeinDSPS
Naturally,onlypeoplewhoaretelecommuting,selfemployed,orworkingfromhomeofficecanafford
tolettheirsleeprunfreeinDSPS.Eventhen,theshiftingsleepphaseisaseriouspredicament.Alegally
blindDSPSsuffererfromtheNetherlandswroteaboutthepainoftheshiftingsleeppattern:"Iamfree
runningmysleep.Ihadanappointmentat17:30.Iexpectedtowakeuparound15:00asintheprevious
threedays.InsteadIwokeuparound17:00stillabittired.Ihadtoskipmymorningroutine(meditation,
breakfast,SuperMemo,etc.).FRSworksreallywellforme.Buttodaysucked.Itwasreallystressing
havingtorunduetowakinguplaterthanexpected".Afteramedicalconsultation,thissubjectwas
prescribedeveningmelatoninandwasabletostabilizehiscycle(foratleastafewweeksatthemoment
ofwritingthesewords).Thetorturousbattleofthesamesubjectwithphaseshiftsbeforerunningfreeand
beforeadministrationofmelatoninisshowninthisgraph:
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ThisexampleillustratesthemajordilemmaofallmoresevereDSPScases.Freerunningsleepwilloften
produceaphaseshift.Anyonewhotendstowakeupverylateisalsohighlylikelytotendtowakeup
latereachdayinfreerunningsleep.ThisisahallmarksymptomoftheDSPS.DSPS,howeversevere,is
neverahealthproblemonitsownifthesleepisrunfree.Itistheschedulingproblemsthataremost
bothersome.Thechoiceisbetweenthetwoextremes:
1. eithermakeone'slifelessdependentonmeetingsandappointmentsthatcancollidewithyour
sleepschedule,or
2. studyDSPSremediesthatcanstabilizeyoursleepwakecycle.
Ifyouhappentoalwayswakeuplate,wakingupalwaysatthesametimemakesschedulingmucheasier.
Ifyoudonotoptforoneoftheaboveextremes(freeschedulevs.stabilizationbattle),youwillrisk
collisionsthatwillmakelifeprettyhard.Whatisevenmoredangerous,ifonedisruptsacircadian
rhythmonafreerunningschedule,therecanbealossofsynchronybetweenvariouscircadianvariables.
Thiswillresultinasituationinwhichforadayorevenafewdaysoneisnotsureoftheoptimum
bedtime.EvenSleepChartmaybeunabletomakeagoodprediction.Thiswillinevitablyresultinpoor
qualitysleep,andafewdaysoflowproductivity.
DSPS:genesorlifestyle?
EventhoughIkeeprepeatingthattheDSPSepidemicisareflectionofamodernlifestyle,geneticfactors
clearlyplayaroleandthe"creativepersonality"canalsobeattherootoftheproblem.Hereisan
interestingstoryofawritermomwhoseparentsandtwokidsdonotshowanysignsofsleepproblems,
however,shesuffersfromaseverecaseofDSPSandsodoesher20yearoldson:
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MymotherclaimsIhavehadsleepissuesfromthedayIwasborn.Inthosedays"roomingin"wasnew
asmostbabieswerekeptinthenurseryanditwasthenormforbothbabyandmothertostayinthe
hospitalsforaweekafteranormalbirth.Sheenjoystellingthestoryofhowthenursesforcedherto
haveme"roomin"withherduringhospitalstaybecauseIwas"keepingupalltheotherbabiesinthe
nurseryallnightlong"becauseIrefusedtosleepduringnighttimehours.Shesaidthataftersheandmy
fatherbroughtmehome,IwasaffordedonenightintheroomwiththembutIwasupallnightsoIhadto
"cryitout"alonefromthenonbecauseIsimplywouldnotsleepatnight.WhenIwasafewyearsold,
onenight,exasperated,myparentssaid,"Fine.Ifyouwanttostayup,youcansithereandwatchJohnny
Carson."ApparentlyIwashappytodoso!Idid,however,haveveryunhappymemoriesdatingbackto
thebeginningsofmyrecallofbeingputtobedataround20:00everynightandlyingupawakeandwith
nothingtodoforhoursandhoursinmydarkened,boringroom.Backinthosedays,therewasno
Internet,nocableTV,novideogames,nocellphones,etc.Isimplycouldnotgetmyselftosleepata
decenthoureverinmyentirelife!I'doftensingmyselftosleepanditwouldtakehourstodoso.
SometimesIwouldrunoutofsongstosingandhavetorepeatafewuntilIpassedout."
Today,thisselfemployedfemaleisexperimentingwithfreerunningsleepandclaimsthat,exceptforher
sociallifethatsuffersasaresult,thenewschedulebroughtherbackfromthe"hellofperpetual
drowsiness".
Chronotherapyanditsperils
Chronotherapymakesiteasytofitthecircadianphaseintoadesiredtimebracket,e.g.afteran
intercontinentalflight,incircadiandisorders,orforthesakeofshiftwork.Formostpeople,shiftingthe
cycleforwardbyinducingphasedelaysiseasier.Itispossibletogotosleep4070min.latereachday
andtocyclethroughoutthedayuntilthedesiredsleepphaseisreached.Pushingone'scircadiancycle
shouldalwaysbethelastresort.Allartificialformsofsleepcontrolshouldbeavoidedifpossibleasthey
arenothealthwiseneutral.However,somereportsintheliteraturesuggestthatchronotherapymayhave
seriouslongtermcyclesynchronizationconsequences.Wehrreports(Wehretal.1992[26]):"In1983,
oneofusdescribeda28yearoldmanwithDSPSwhounderwentchronotherapyandfoundhimself
unabletostophissleepperiodfromrotatingaroundtheclockorrestorehisrhythmtoa24hour
schedule.Instead,hypernyctohemeralsyndromedeveloped,withapersisting25hoursleepwakecycle.
Thisraresyndromeisextremelydebilitatinginthatitisincompatiblewithmostsocialandprofessional
obligations".
Ihavepersonallywitnessednumerouscasesofphasedelaysuponswitchingtofreerunningsleepin
seeminglynormalpeople,andhaveadifferentinterpretation.Peopledifferinthedegreeofdifficultyin
sustainingabalanced24hcycleinfreerunningsleep.Thatdifficultyiswellexpressedincircadian
graphsbytheangleofthesleepmaintenancecurveinreferencetothebreakevenlinethatdeterminea
balanced24hcycle.Mostadolescentswillexperienceadegreeofdifficultyinmaintainingthebalanceif
theyareallowedtoengageintheirhobbiesandpassionslateintothenight.Oncetheyareallowedtodo
astheywish,theywillofteninducephasedelaysbyasimpleunwillingnesstogotobed"intime".Even
thoughtheprogressive24.5hourcyclemayseemunsettlingatfirst,resultinginsleepinginunusual
hours,theconvenienceofrunningfreewithextendedwakingdaysmayoutweighthenegativeside
effects.ForpeoplesufferingfromDSPS,runningfreemayprovideanunusualdegreeofcomfortthatis
difficulttoforfeit.NowonderthatmanyDSPSsufferers,whoenjoyaprogressivelyshiftingcircadian
cycleinfreerunningsleep,oftengiveupthebattletoresetthecycle,orevendiscoverthantheirnatural
phaseshiftisfarlargerthanoriginallydiagnosed.
AsthemedicalandpsychiatricterminologyofseverecasesofDSPSisveryconfusing,Ineedtoyet
attempttoexplaincasesof"irregularNon24hoursleepwakesyndrome",bywhichImeanasevere
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DSPSwheresleepepisodesdonotfallintoaregularpattern.Ihavepresentedsomecasesinthe
AsynchronousDSPSsection.Ihavelittledoubtthatmostofsuchirregularitiescomefromsubject'sown
ignoranceofhisorhersleeppreferences,aswellastherulesofahealthyfreerunningsleepregimenin
circadiandisorders.Onceasuffererisinstructedontherulesofhealthyfreerunningsleep,perhapswith
someassistancefromSleepChart,thesleeppatternbecomesregular.
Mypersonalstanceonchronotherapyisthereforeasfollows:
Chronotherapyisthebestapproachtorepositioningthephaseofthecircadiancycle.Itshould
alwaysbethelastresortasitisnotneutralforthequalityofsleep.However,longterm
consequencesofoccasionaluseofmoderatechronotherapyareprobablynegligible.
SynchronousDSPS
WhenaDSPSsuffererattemptsfreerunningsleep,sleepphasedelaysareinevitable.Therehavebeen
casesinliteraturethatdocumentedpeoplelivingalongsuchashiftingDSPSschedulefordecades
withoutmajorhealthsideeffects(Neubauer2000[31]).Foranexemplaryreportseethisblog[32].Some
authorsclaimthatashiftingschedulemayincreasetheincidenceofdepression,alcoholism,or
dependenceonsedatives(asaresultofattemptstoinducesleepatthe"appropriate"time).
Thefollowinggraphpresentsasleeppatternofafreerunningmiddleagedselfemployedmale:
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AveryclearandregularDSPSpatternvisibleinthegraphwithadailyphaseshiftof6468minutes.
Althoughsleepingin"unnatural"hoursiscertainlylessbeneficialhealthwisethannormalsleep,fora
DSPSsubject,freerunningsleeprhythmmaybyfarlessstressfulanddisruptivethananyattempttofitto
"standard"lifestyle.AveryreliabledeterminantofsynchronousDSPSisthelossofthelinkbetweenthe
sleeponsethourandsleepduration(see:Preferencefornightsleep).Asthedurationofsleepis
determinedbythecircadianphase,wellsynchronizedsleepscheduleshowslittlevariabilityinthesleep
length(6.6hoursinthepresentedgraph).Inparticular,thesleeplengthisindependentofthesleeponset
hour.Wheneverthesubjectmakesanyattemptatsynchronizationwithdaylightordaylightrelated
activities,thelinkbetweensleeplengthandtheonsethourwillbereconstituted.Mistakenly,DSPS
peopleareoftencalled"owls"fortheirtendencytostayuplate,whileASPSpeoplearecalled"larks".
Thegraphillustrateswhythisisamisnomer.
AsimilargraphshowsaDSPScasewithanevengreaterdegreeofphaseshift(8490min):
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Duetoabettersleepefficiencyinepisodeswellalignedwiththecircadiancycle,peopleonaregularfree
runningDSPSschedulereportamuchhighersubjectivealertnessandenergyascomparedwiththoseon
anirregularDSPSschedule.ThisdifferencealsoshowsupindatacollectedwithSuperMemo.
28hourdayschedule
28hourdayschedulewasproposedforthosewhoseekhigherproductivityandmorehoursinaday.An
exampleofa28hsleeppatterndesignshowsaphaseshiftthatneedstoreachthedailyextremeof4
hoursperdayforanyonetobeabletosustainthatscheduleforalongerperiodoftime:
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28hdayscheduledesign
Theadvantagesofa28hourschedulesupposedlyincludelongerworkingdays,regular6dayweek,
repeatability,longweekends,increasedenergy,unlimitedsleep,etc.(formoresee:28hourday).This
propositionistheotherextremeofaspectrumofpropositionsthatbeginswithpolyphasicsleep.
However,itseemsfareasiertosustainasitdoesnotneedtoinvolveanalarmclock.Sleepresearches
believethatthisscheduleissoextremethatnobodyshouldbeabletosustainitinalongrun.4hour
phaseshiftsaresounlikelythatresearcherschooseitfortheirexperimentalforceddesynchrony
protocols.Theseareexperimentalprotocolsinwhichthebodyissupposedtofailtoadapttothetiming
ofzeitgebers.Suchanentrainmentfailureisbeneficialinstudyingfreerunningcircadianvariables.4
hoursshiftshavebeenusedinbothadvancinganddelayingprotocols(20hourdays(Wyattetal.
1999[33])and28hourdays(Carskadonetal.1999[34])).Allresearchtodateseemstoindicatethatthe
circadiancyclekeepsrunningfreeinthebackgroundinforceddesynchronyprotocolsduetothefactthat
resettingstimulicanceleachotheroutandsleepepisodeintersectwiththecircadianvariablesin
unpredictablepatternsthatresultinsegmentedsleep,prematureawakening,shortenedsleep,reduced
REM,andothersymptomsofasynchrony.Inshort,28hourdayisconsideredextremeenoughto
causeperpetuallackofsynchronybetweenthetimingofsleepandthecircadiancycle.
28hourdayinDSPS
SomesufferersfromDSPSreportfeelingbetteronthe28hourschedulethanonaconventional24hour
sleepschedule.Idonotthinkitislikelythereareindividualsouttherewithaninnate~28hourcircadian
cycle,however,itisconceivablethattheefforttosqueezeaDSPScycleinto24hoursismorepainful
thanthealternativeintheformofstretchingthecycleto28hours.Themaindifferenceisthatthe
shorteningofthecycleusuallyinvolvesthepainfuluseofanalarmclock,whilestretchingthecycle
requires"only"extra23hoursofzombifiedwakefulness.EveninsevereDSPS,itshouldbeprettyhard
toadaptonecircadiancycletothe28hourscheduleasthephaseresponsecurveindicatesthatthesleep
phasedoesnotrespondstronglyenoughtostronglydelayedbedtime,whichmay,inextremecases,cause
aphaseadvance.Phasedelaysbeyond2hoursshouldbeextremelyrare.
Formostpeople,itisprettyhardtotolerateevenminordeviationsfromone'soptimumcycleperiod.For
thisreason,alldesignerschedulesshouldbeavoidedunlesstheycomefromastrictanalysisofone'sown
sleeppreferences.Again,freerunningsleepisabetteroption,eventhoughitmaybelesspredictableand
lessconvenientinplanningone'ssocialorprofessionallife.
LetusconsideranexemplarycaseofSubjectS,andcomparehersleepefficiencyonconventional,28
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hour,andfreerunningschedules.
ConventionalscheduleinsevereDSPS
WhenSattemptstoadheretoaconventionalsleepschedule,undermedicalsupervision,withthehelpof
sleepmedication(incl.melatonin),thesleepisstronglyfragmented,short,unrefreshing,andtheschedule
isunsustainable:
SubjectSonanunsustainableconventionalschedule.
Thistypeofsleepistantamounttomentaltorture,andallindividualswithasimilardegreeof
entrainmentfailureshouldalwaysbeallowedtolettheirsleeprunfreeonthegroundsofsevere
disability.
Inthepresentedchart,apatternofpossiblefreerunningcircadiancyclecanbenoticedinthechartwith
thesubjectivenightleavingtheconventionalnightbracketaroundApril6,2011.Thisismorenoticeable
uponsleepepisodeconsolidation:
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SubjectSonanunsustainableconventionalschedule(sleepepisodesconsolidated).
Needlesstosay,theconventionalschedule,ifmaintainedforlonger,mayleadtoserioushealthproblems
duetothestateofpersistentsleepdeprivationcompoundedbymedication.Eventhoughthepresented
caseisprettydrastic,thenumberofpeoplesufferingfromsimilarsleepproblemsisconstantlyincreasing
andisdefinitelyaffectingoverallpopulationhealthandproductivity.
28hourscheduleinsevereDSPS
WhenSattemptstoadheretoa28hdayschedule,hersubjectivesleepqualityincreasesdramatically
alongwiththetotalsleepachieved.Detailedanalysisofthesleepchart,however,showsthatsleep
fragmentationisstillsubstantialshowingstrainsinthesleepcontrolsystem:
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SubjectSona28hdayschedule.
Segmentedsleepstartsshowingaftertwocycleswhichmightindicatethattheactualphaseshiftlags
behindtheplannedphasedelays.Segmentedsleepisoftenasignofprematurebedtimeandshowsup
whenthe28hschedulebedtimefallsaheadofthepresumedfreerunningsubjectivenight.Whenthesleep
scheduleundergoesaneventualcollapse,thepositioningoflengthyrecoverysleepepisodesseemsto
indicatethattheaveragedailyphaseshiftmighthaveactuallybeenmuchlessthan4hours.Inanextreme
case,largedisparitybetweenthesubjectivenightandtheplannednighttimemightresultinself
cancellingphaseshiftsthatmightparadoxicallystabilizethesleepcycle.
Circadiangraphforthesame28hdayscheduleillustratesthedegreeofchaosinthesleepcontrolsystem:
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CircadiangraphforSubjectSona28hdayschedule.
FreerunningsleepinsevereDSPS
WhenthesleepchartofSubjectSrunningfreejustafewmonthsearlierisinspected,thesleepphase
shiftisclosertoamere41minperday(asopposedto240minutesneededtosmoothlysustainthe28h
dayschedule):
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SubjectSonafreerunningschedule.
However,thechartshowsthateveninthatperiodsleepwasstronglyfragmentedandirregular.Similar
analysesareoftenmisleadingduetocompoundingcircumstancessuchasadisease,familyproblems,
medication,andevenawrongchoiceofbedtime(e.g.inanattempttostabilizeoracceleratethecycle).
Insimilarcases,itisparamounttochartone'sprecisecircadianpreferences.Forthisreason,afewweeks
ofuninterruptedfreerunningsleepwouldbeprecioustodetermineone'snaturalinnatedailyphaseshift.
Oncethisisdone,morecanbesaidaboutthesustainabilityofa28hdayscheduleforagivenindividual.
However,continualfreerunningsleepisalwaysthebestoptionforthosewhoareabsolutelyunable
tobalancethecycleandthosewhocanaffordthesleepschedulethatishardtoreconcilewiththe
rhythmoftheoutsideworld.See:CuringDSPSandinsomnia.
CuringDSPSandinsomnia
Ifyoucannotlivewithoutanalarmclocktowakeupintimeforschoolorwork,youmightbesuffering
fromadelayedsleepphasesyndrome(DSPS).DSPSisalsoassociatedwithproblemswithfallingasleep
ifyoutrytokeepanearlierbedtime.Inotherwords,anycureforDSPSisalsolikelytosolvethe
problemofsleeponsetinsomnia.IfyougotoasleepexpertwithyourDSPSproblem,youwilllikelybe
prescribedmelatoninorabrightlighttherapyonlytodiscovertheirlimitedimpactonthequalityofyour
sleep.Ifyouareaninsomniac,youmayadditionallybeprescribedsleepingpillsthatmighthelpyou
sleepwithoutachievingthedesiredeffect:arefreshedmind.Thischaptershouldhelpyousolvethe
problem.Usingthepropertiesofthehumansleepcontrolsystem,itcanbeprovenmathematicallythat
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theproblemofDSPS,andtheassociatedinsomnia,isalwayssolvable,however,thesolutiondoesnot
needtoimplythecrispiestmindorthehighestintellectualproductivity.Moreover,manypeoplewillstill
failduetothelackofselfdiscipline!Wheremodernworldencroachesuponhumanbiology,itisstill
possibletowithstandthetidewiththerulesofreason.However,theseimplyareligiousadherencetothe
decalogueofhealthyliving.Lifeshowsthathumansfindalldecaloguesdifficulttoabideby!
Solutionforinsomnia,DSPSandN24
Thisalgorithmshouldhelpyouinallthefollowingcases:
ifyouareaninsomniac,yourbodymostlikelytriestosleepinadifferentphase,ifyoufixthe
phase,youwillfixtheinsomnia
ifyouareaDSPScase,esp.alongtermsufferer,youwillbeveryskepticalofthealgorithm.You
needtogiveitatleastafewweeksofwelldisciplinedtrytoseethatyoursleepcyclecanbe
modifiedwiththerighttools
ifyouareaNon24andyoubelievethereisnopatterntoyoursleep,youaremostlikelywrong.
Thereareraremutationsthatcantotallymessupyoursleep,butamorelikelyexplanationisthat
youareaDSPScasewhojustintroducesenoughchaosintoyoursleeppatterntomakeitseem
unpredictable.Ifyouareotherwisehealthyandifyoutryfreerunningsleep,youwillnoticethe
pattern.Forthepatterntoemergeyour"free"sleepmusttrulybefree.Noregulation.Noartificial
control!Afterthat,youcantrythealgorithmpresentedbelowtoseeifyoucanshowenoughself
disciplinetosetyourcyclestable.
DSPSandlifestyle
EventhoughtherearevariousgeneticinfluencesthatplayaroleinDSPS,theproblemis,formost
people,largelyamatteroflifestyle.Iclaimthatduetothefactthatareturntoafarmer'slifestyle
providesaguaranteeddisappearanceoftheDSPSproblem.Below,Ihavecompiledasimplealgorithm
thatshouldresolveDSPSinavastmajorityofcasesgivensufficientselfdiscipline.Untilnow,Ihave
beenfarmoresuccessfulinshowingpeoplehowtocopewithDSPSusingfreerunningsleepthanwith
theprescriptionlistedbelow,whichisaderivativeoffreerunningsleepwithsomelimitationstargetted
atpreventingaphasedelay.Thepresentedalgorithmfailsprimarilybecauseofoneissue:violationofthe
rules!TherearetruehardcoreDSPScaseswithsomepsychiatricovertonesorotherhealthissuesthat
mightbeparticularlyintractable,however,thoseshouldformarareminorityintheeverincreasingmass
ofpeoplestrugglingwithDSPS.Thatmassnowincludesacountlesspopulationofinsomniacswhohave
neverheardofDSPSandneverevenarrivedtotheproblemofphaseshiftduetotheemploymentofthe
alarmclock.Weitzmanhypothesizedthatasignificantnumberofpatientswithsleeponsetinsomnia
mightbesufferingfromundiagnosedDSPS(Weitzmanetal.1981[35]).Nowweknowthathypothesis
certainlyholdstrue,whichcanbedemonstratedbylettinginsomniacsfreeruntheirsleep.Asignificant
phasedelaymaybeobservedwithinthefirstfewdaysofsuchareleasefromtherestrictionsonthe
timingofsleep.Atthesametime,thereisanaccompanyingandnearlyinstantdisappearanceofsleep
onsetinsomnia.
Implausiblesolutions
PeoplewhosufferfromDSPSoftenresorttotheirownimplausiblesolutionsthatinclude:
(poorlymanaged)freerunningsleepwithaninevitablephasedelaysthatultimatelyresultin
sleepingthroughtheday
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skippinganightofsleepatapointwhenthebedtimereachesanoutrageouslylatehour(i.e.usually
afterthedawn)
stabilizationofthesleeppatternwithmedication(incl.melatonin)andartificialzeitgeberssuchas
analarmclockoramomwhopullsasleepystudentoutfromhisorherbedforschool
messysleepthatoccursatunpredictablehourswiththelossofsenseofthenighttimeandlong
boutsofdrowsiness,lowenergy,orpoorhealth.ThissleeppatternisoftenlabelledNon24orN
24,however,inmostcasesitdiffersfromDSPSonlyinthelackofselfdisciplineorknowledge
neededtoadheretoanaturalsleepcycle,evenifitsperiodislongerthan24hours
OnlyawellmanagedfreerunningsleepcanproducehealthysleepinDSPSwithaminimumriskof
negativehealthoutcomes.However,veryfewpractitionersdoreallyadheretotherulesoftheirown
bodyclockastherearealwaysexcusesorinescapablereasonstoviolatethesubjectivenightwhenit
collideswithdaytimeobligationsordiversions.Peoplewhotryto"freerun"theirsleepinDSPSfor
manyyearsareatariskofmessinguptheirsleepcontrolsystem.Iconcludethatfromthefactthattheir
sleeppatternsoftenbecomelessandlessregular[32],andthequalityoftheirsleepoftendecreases.This
effectwouldalmostcertainlybeminimizedifthesleepwastrulyfreewithoutmedication,lighttherapy,
artificialdelays,ortheuseofthealarmclock.Theymayevenfalselyclaimthattheircyclestartedgetting
longerandlonger,whileitisthelifestyledemandsthatkeepstretchingthewakingtime.Theculprithere,
naturally,isnotfreerunningsleepperse,butvariousviolationsthereofthatareinevitableduetoa
conflictofsleepwithdaytimeactivities.
Plausiblesolutions
Ifweexcludeahealthyfarmer'slifestyleandtherenunciationofeveningelectricity,wearriveatonly
tworeasonablelifestylesolutionstotheDSPSproblem:
(wellmanaged)freerunningsleepwithphasedelays,highcreativity,highproductivity,good
health,andschedulesthatarenearlyimpossibletoreconcilewiththeoutsideworld
stable24hsleepcycle,withmonasticselfdiscipline,goodhealth,andlowerproductivity
Iwriteaboutfreerunningsleepthroughoutthisarticle.IworshipfreesleepsomuchthatIhavebeen
accusedoflabellingDSPSwiththestampofincurability.HereIwouldliketopresentaplausible
algorithmforsustaininga24hsleeppatterninDSPSwithminimumartificialinterventionintothefabric
ofsleep.
Thealgorithm
Theonlyreasonable24hsolutiontotheproblemofinsomniaandDSPSisthechangetothesleepphase.
Wecanadvancethesleepphaseusingeveningmeasures(pullingthesleepbackwards)andmorning
measures(pushingthesleepbackwards).Thattakescareofthecircadiancomponentofsleep.In
addition,allmeasuresthatboosthomeostaticsleepinessintheeveningarealsowelcome.However,
withoutthecircadiancomponentsthosemightactuallycompoundinsomnia.Thisiswhyonlya
comprehensiveapproach,aspresentedbelow,providesasolidchanceyouwillleaveyourDSPSand/or
insomniabehind:
Determinethelengthoftheday:UseSleepCharttodetermineyouroptimumlengthofthe
wakingday.Youmayneedafewweeksoffreerunningsleepdatatomakeagoodestimate.Ifyou
cannotfreerun,and/ortheprocedureseemstoocomplex,youcouldjustmakeaneducatedguess.
Forexample,ifyoubelieveyouneed8hourspernight,infreerunningsleepitmightbecloserto7
hours,andyouroptimumwakingtimewouldbe247=17hours.However,duetotheproblemof
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possibleinsomnia,itmakessensetostartfromaslightlylongerdayandshortersleep,e.g.from
17.5hoursofwaking.
Determinethepreferredwakingtime:Thisshouldbethesametimeeveryday!Ifyouhaveto
getupearlyonlyonceperweek,yourentirecycleshouldbepositionedtoaccommodatethatearly
hour,oryouwillriskneverendingripplesinyourcircadiansystemandapossiblefailure.Ifthe
wakinghourislateenoughtoensurebrightsunlightinthemorning,yourchanceswillincrease
greatly.
Religiousbedtime:Byaddingyouroptimumwakingtimetoyourchosenwakingtime,youwill
getyouroptimumbedtimethatmustberespectedreligiously.Thisrespectisoneofthekeysto
success.Youwillencountermanyobstaclesintheprocess.Oneofthemostconfusingonesisthe
changetoyouroptimumwakingtimedependingonthecontentsofyourday,youractivities,your
stress,weather,season,socialinteraction,andsoon.Formostpeoplethosechangesarelessthan
onehour.However,youaremorelikelytobeinthewildvariationscategoryasthisisoneofthe
underlyingproblemsinDSPS.Startadheringtoyouroptimumbedtimeasifyourlifedependedon
it.Ifyouareveryexcitedorstressed,andyouarenotsleepyatyourbedtime,youcantryagain20
30min.later.Youneedtobesureyouwon'ttossandturn,andthatyoudonotwakeup
prematurely.Ifyouseeanysignsofinsomnia,youwillknowyourbedtimecomestooearlyand
youallocatedtoomuchtimeforsleep.Ifyouareverysleepyaheadofyourbedtimeandyouhave
nodoubtsyouwillsleeplikealog,gotosleepearlier.Youroptimumbedtimeistheguidance,
youractuallysleepinessistheultimateyardstick.
Startthealgorithm.Ideally,youshouldstartthealgorithmatatimewhenyourwakingtime
precedesyourdesiredwakingtime.Otherwise,youmayneedtotemporarilyresorttousingan
alarmclock.However,eachuseofthealarmclockwilladdtoyourstressandanxietiesrelatedto
earlybedtime.Ifyouhavetouseanalarmclock,andifyoustrugglewithgettingupinthe
morning,youshouldconsidertakingafullfreerunningcyclewithadailydelayof2040min.until
youarriveatgettingupcomfortably23hoursbeforeyourchosenwakingtime.Youcouldthentry
torestartthealgorithm.
Protectedzone:AsyousufferfromDSPS,yourprimaryobjectiveistopreventphasedelay.This
meansthat,inyourlast24wakinghours,youneedtoavoidlight,electricity,excitement,stress,
intensesports,TV,computers,socialinteraction,emailing,websurfing,etc.Ifthepresented
algorithmdoesnotworkforyouforalongertime,youmayhavetoextendthis"protectedzone"
uptoapointwheretheresulting"inaction"resultsinmorestressorfrustrationthanitactually
eliminates.Extendingtheprotectedzonebeyond23hoursofdarksilencewillprobablybe
counterproductive.Seeforyourself.Remember,thattheprotectedzoneisnotatimeforlyingin
bed!Unproductivetimeinbedwilladdtoyourstress,andifyoufallasleepearly,youcanmessup
yoursleeponthatnightandactuallydelaythephase!Obviouslythereisaverylimitedrangeof
activitiesyoucandointheprotectedzone.Ileaveituptoyourimagination.Perhapsmoderate
exerciseindimlight.Orsex?Orwalkingandthinking?SethRobertsswearsbyonelegged
standingbeforesleep.
Morninglight:Oneofthemostpowerfulzeitgebersislight.Ifsunlightcanstreamintoyourroom
atthetimewhenyoushouldwakeup,youmighteliminatehalfofthedifficultyinachievinga24h
balancedcycle.Ifthisisimpossibleduetotheseason,oryourearlywakinghour,oryourliving
arrangements,youmightconsiderusingoneofthecommercialdevicesusedinthe"brightlight
therapy",esp.ifyouturnonthelightswiththetimer(ifyourdevicehasnotimer,youcanusea
timerthatcutsoffthesupplyofelectricityforthenight).Pleasebesureyoureadalltherelevant
safetyinstructionstopreventanylongtermimpactonyourhealth.
Morningexercise:Anotherpowerfulzeitgeberisoutdoorexercise.Ifpossible,youshould
schedulethatexerciseearlyinthemorning,oratleastinthefirst5hoursoftheday.Morning
exercisewillaffectyourintellectualperformance.Youwillmostlikelytirefaster.However,thisis
alsooneofthefactorswhyexerciseshouldhelpyousleepbetter.Intenseexerciselateintheday
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mayhavetheoppositeeffectandmightdelayyourphase.However,someformsofexercisewill
nothavethiseffectasthephaseshiftingstimuliwillbecounterbalancedbytheamplificationofthe
homeostaticsleepdriveandthe"fastingeffect"thatwillhelpyousleepearly.Thoseevening
exercisesshouldbefreeofstress,injury,emotion,etc.Gentlecalisthenics,yoga,orstretching
wouldbeanexampleofharmlesseveningexercise.Perhapsevenbodybuilding,ifnottooexciting
orstrenuous.Thislateexercisewouldbestbeperformedindimlightandinabsenceofother
rousingstimuli.Ifyoucanswearthateveningexercisehelpsyoufallasleepfaster,evenif
strenuous,rememberthatsleepitselfhasaphaseshiftingpowerandcanactuallyoutweighthe
oppositeeffectofadrenalineorlocomotoractivity.Ifyouarenotsure,experimentonyourown.
Eveningfasting:Unlessyouarearavenoustypethatcannotsleepwithoutasnack,giveupmeals
inthelastcoupleofhoursoftheday.AsexplainedintheDMHsection,foodmayhavean
additionalimpactonthepositioningofyourcircadiancycle,andyoudonotwantyourbrainto
thinkthateveningisanopportunetimetogetfood.Ahealthybreakfastinthemorningshouldhave
theoppositeeffectonthesleepphaseandisalwaysrecommendedbynutritionistsevenifsleep
phasedelaysarenotinthecards(notethatSethRobertsrecommendsskippingbreakfast,butthis
shouldapplytothosewhosufferfromearlywakingorASPS,notforonsetinsomniacsorDSPS).
Don'tbediscouragedbyresearchthatmayclaimthateveningfastingwillnotaffectyourcircadian
cycle.Forexample,Sensifoundthatmorningmealsseemtofavorcarbohydratemetabolism,and
mealtiming,withinthestudiedrange,didnotimpactcircadiancycles(SensiandCapani1987[36]).
Fastinghasmanyotheraddedbenefits,incl.slimmerwaistline.Tryitforyourselfandseethe
impactofeveningfastingonyoursleepandhealthwithinaweek!Readmore:Fasting.
Addingpressure:Ifyoukeepfailingbywakinguptoolate,ornotbeingsleepyatthedesired
bedtime,keepaddinguppressureatbothendsofyournightsleep.Moreexerciseinthemorning,
brighterlightsinthemorning,longerprotectedzoneintheevening(freeofstress,computers,
lights,TV,etc.).Theharderyourcase,themoreyouneedtoadd.Chooseadayfreefromother
obligationforanexhaustiveexercisemarathon(which,foryou,maybejustafewhoursofbrisk
walking),andspendtheeveningonundemandingrelaxingactivitiesthatwillhelpyouadvance
yourbedtime.Youwillneedtofigureoutforyourselfwhatexerciseintensityensuresyoudonot
wakeupprematurelyandwhatadvanceyoucanactuallyaffordwithoutmakingthesituation
worse.
Emergency:Melatonin:Ifyour"protectedzone"isstretchedtothelimit.Youmayconsideran
occasionalpillofmelatonin(e.g.2hoursbeforeyouroptimumbedtime).Rememberthat
melatoninwillaffectyourcreativityandalertness,andshouldnotbeusedonaregularbasis.You
couldresorttomelatoninondayswhenyouareparticularlywounduporwhenyourwakingtime
wasparticularlylate.Rememberalsothatlargedosesofmelatoninmaybackfire.Iguessyou
shouldnoteverexceed3mg,however,youwouldbetterconsultyoursleepexperttomakethe
finaldecisionastothedosageandtiming.Ifyoukeepfailingwiththealgorithm,youshouldrather
increasethefrequencyoftakingmelatonin.Youshouldnotincreasethedosage!Donotuse
marijuanaasa"melatoninsubstitute"!Ifyouthinkthatyoursleepandyourbrainperformancedo
notsufferonMJ,youarewrong!
Emergency:Radiotimer:Asthealgorithmissupposedtoletyousleepwithoutanalarmclock,
youcannotexpecttowakeupatthesametimeeveryday.Actually,thelargeryourDSPSproblem,
thelargerthevariationsyoumayexpect.Achievingaveryregularwakingtimeisamatterof
practicethatsomegoodsleepersdevelopovermanyyearsofrepeatedhabits.However,ifyou
regularlyoversleepbymorethananhour,orevenstillexperiencethedreadedphaseshift,youmay
considersomeoccasionalmildformofartificialsleepregulationsuchasturningonyouralarm
radioattheminimumsoundlevel.Suchagentlealarmisonlytohelpyouwakeearlyfromthe
shalloweststagesofsleepearlyinthemorning.ItshouldnotdepriveyouofvaluableREMsleep,
anditshouldabsolutelybesetbelowthelevelthatcouldrouseyoufromdeepsleep.Yourgoalwill
alwaysbetogetridofanyinterruptionorinterventioninthemorning.Considerthisonlyasa
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temporarymeasurethatmayhelpyouintheinitialadaptationperiodthatisboundtoincludeminor
failures.Youhaveprobablyheardofalarmclocksthatreadyoursleepphaseandhelpyou
minimizethepainofwaking.Iamnotagreatenthusiastofsuchsolutions.Theconceptmakes
sense,however,itonlyminimizesthepainofpossiblycuttingavitalportionofyoursleep.Setup
anOntimerinyourTV,onyourfavoritechannel,ataminimumvolume.Ifitfailstowakeyouup,
youwillknowyouneedtoworkonotherpointsofthisalgorithm.Tryingtowakeupforaspecific
hourisstressfulenoughtoactasasubstitutealarmclockthatworksformanypeopleprettywell.
SomescientistsbelievethatACTHsecretionissettoensuretimelywaking.Ibelievethatthistype
ofcompactedsleepisstillbetterthantheoneinterruptedbyalarmclock.Attheveryleast,natural
wakingaftershortsleepdefinitelyfeelsbetterthansleepinterruptedatitsdeeperstageswithan
alarmclock.Inconclusion,youshouldrememberthatyourdeterminationtosucceedisalsoan
importantcomponentofthealgorithm.Determinationmaybeunhealthy,itmightaffectyour
hormonalprofileinsleep,itmayweakenyourimmunesystem,however,balancingDSPSwithout
givingupmodernlifestylewillalwayshavesomeresidualnegativehealtheffects.Onlyareturnto
anancientlifestylewouldprovideahermeticsolution.
Napping:AverycontroversialissueinDSPSisnapping.Manyexpertswilltellyouthatyou
shouldavoidnappingaltogether.Idisagree.Napsmaycauseaphaseshiftiftheyaretakentoolate.
Earlynaps,e.g.takeninthe6thhourofyourwakingday,willnothavethiseffect.Napswillhelp
yougetyoureveningproductivity,esp.ifearlywakinginbrightsunlightorearlyexercisearen't
toogoodforyourmorningalertness.Ifyoukeepfailingtoachieveyour24hbalancedcycle,you
cangraduallyshiftyournapstoearlierhours.Thiswillreducetheirlengthandtheirefficiency,
however,thiswillalsominimizetheirphaseshiftingeffect.Onlyifallothersuggestionsfail,you
shoulddropnappingaltogether.Ifyoubemoanthelossofmentalacuity,rememberthatwehave
notevolvedtobealertandproductiveallday.100%sharpmindisonlyourdesirethathas,among
others,contributedtotheDSPSprobleminthefirstplace.See:Bestnaptiming
Caffeine:Sleepexpertswilloftentellyoutoweanyourselfoffcaffeine.However,Ibegto
disagree.Acupofearlymorningcoffeeorteawilllikelyhaveabeneficialeffect.Itsimpactonthe
homeostaticsleepdrivewillincreaseyouralertness,whichonitsownhasaphaseshiftingpower.
Earlycaffeinewillhelpyouadvanceyourphase!Youshouldavoidcaffeineinthelaterpartsofthe
daythough.Beforesleepyouwillalreadybeinmildwithdrawal,which,theoretically,should
boostyourhomeostaticsleepdriveandallowforaslightlyearlierbedtime.Thisway,caffeinemay
helpyouachievephaseadvancesatbothendsofyournightsleep.
Alcohol:Drinkingalcoholbeforesleepmayhavedisastrouseffectsonyourefforttobalancethe
cycle.Oneofyourmajorenemieswillbeprematurewakingafterprematurebedtime.Alcoholwill
increasethatriskmanifold.Prematureawakeningwillresultininsomnia,inpowerfulphaseshifts,
indifficultyinwaking,insleepdeprivation,andinanearlycollapseofallyourefforts!Western
cultureisgenerallytolerantofmoderatedrinkingintheeveningasopposedtothemorningwhen
wearesupposedtobeproductive.Ithinkthistoleranceshouldchange.Asmuchasearlydrinking
underminesthethinking,eveningalcoholmightdoevenmoredamagebydestroyingsleep.
Stress:Stresscanruinalleffortspresentedinthisalgorithm.Whereverpossible,trytopileup
stressinthemorning,andletthesecondhalfofthedaybealwaysfreefromworriesandanxieties.
Naturally,stressthatlastsfordaysisageneralenemyofhealthyandproductiveliving.Ifthisis
yourproblem,pleasehaveapeekatthestresssectionofthisarticletoseeifyoucanfindany
usefulhintsthere.
Myopia:Ifyouareshortsighted,youshouldconsidergettingacorrectprescription.Sometheories
ofmyopiafavorunderprescription(Rehm1981[37]),however,youwillalsofindevidencetothe
contrary(CoghlanandLePage2002[38]).Ifyouleantotheunderprescriptionside,considerusing
thecorrectprescriptiononlyinthemorning.Onlythefirst24hoursmatter.Youmayrecallfrom
yourphysicsclassthattheamountoflightreachingtheretinawillactuallybereducedwiththe
increasetothefocalpower.However,wellfocusedlightwillbemorelikelytoproducestrong
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maximawithaphaseshiftingpower.Analogously,youmightalsoconsiderusingdimmed
spectaclesintheevening.Naturally,thesearenotrecommendedfor"closeworld"applications
(suchasreadingthecomputerscreen)asthesemightacceleratetheprogressionofmyopia.
Computerscreen:Therearecomputerscreenfiltersandapplicationsthatcanhelpyoufilter
phaseshiftinglightfrequenciesthatcandimyourmonitorinthelateevening.Ihearfromusersof
thoseapplicationsthattheyarehelpfulintheirDSPSbattles.Asalwaysthereisariskthismightbe
aplaceboeffect.However,thecostoftryingisn'thigh.
Difficulties:Ifyoukeepexperiencingphaseshifts,moveyoursiestatoanearliertime,orgiveitup
altogether(atlastuntilyouregainthebalance).Useemergencymeasures(melatonin,radionews)
onlyasalastresort.Ifthoselastresortsolutionskeepbeingnecessary,itmayappearthatashifting
freerunningsleepcycledoeslessdamagethantryingtosticktoa"healthy"stablerhythm.Review
alltherecommendationsonthislist.Didyouemploythemall?Didyoushowselfdiscipline?Ifso,
itshouldworkinmostcases.AllthefailuresIhaveseencamefromratherflimsyexcusesand
minorviolations.AllthesuccessIhaveseencamefromtreatingsleepregimenasareligious
routine.Ifallelsefails,writetomewithyourstory.
Target:Intheinitialperiod,lackofexperience,misalignmentofsleepcontrolvariables,sleep
debt,lackofconviction,etc.willmakeitabithardertosticktothepresentedalgorithm.Thisis
particularlydifficultforthosewhodonotneedtogetupearlyforwork.Theirmindmight
vacillate.Isearlyrisingworththeeffort?Itmaythereforebepsychologicallyhelpfultobeginone's
sleepreform34weeksbeforeanimportanteventthatrequiresearlyrising.Thethoughtof
participatinginanimportanteventwithafreshmindwillincreasethemotivationtoadheretothe
rules.
Creativitydip:Oncethepresentedalgorithmworksforyou,youmaybedisappointedtonotice
thatyourcreativityisn'tasrampantasonthoseweekendswhenyougetyoursolid8hoursofsleep,
orwhenyougotosleepat5am(whicheverisyourcupoftea).That'stheunavoidablecostofsleep
phaseresettingandphaseadvancemeasures.Wehaveevolvedtolive24hliveswithaprimary
concernforsurviving,gettingfood,etc.Crisporcreativemindisn'tthatimportantwhenyouareto
runawayfromapredator.Whenyoumeetaliononastreet,youareboundtobeinyourtopshape
forflight.Thedegreeofyourcreativedeclinemaybeproportionaltothedegreeoftheoriginal
problemaswellasthelengthoftheperiodinwhichyoutinkeredwithyoursleepcontrolsystems
usingthealarmclock,sleepingpillsandotherbrainhealthenemies.
Itworks!Rememberthateveryhealthyindividualcansticktoa24hourcycleonafarmer's
lifestyle.Somedisabilities,e.g.blindness,maymakeitimpossible,buttheseshouldonlybean
exceptiontotherule.Atworstyoucouldtryoutthefarmer'slifestyletorealizethatitsolvesyour
sleepproblem,andthentrytoreconcilethatextremewiththepresentedalgorithm.Thereisan
optimumforyousomewhereinbetweenanditdoesnotneedtobeunhealthy.
Ultimatecure?ThetitleofthischaptershouldnotmakeyouthinkthatyoucancureDSPSfor
good.Itisalwaysthere.Youcantemperyourresponsetothetemptationsofmodernlifeandreturn
toabalancedsleeppatternasyourreward.Yourlifestyleisyourcure.
Outcome:Balanced24hsleepcycle!
IfyouuseSleepChart,youcanseetheimpactofthepresentedalgorithminthecircadiangraph.
Exemplaryoutcomeoftheapplicationofthepresentedalgorithmispresentedbelow:
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Perfectlybalanced24hcycleinDSPS.
Inthisexample:
the greenline determinestheconditionsforthebalanced24hourcycle(wakingtime+sleeptime
=24hours)
thenapistakeninthe7thhourfromarising( theleftbluepeak )andlasts1.2hours( theleftpurple
verticalline ).Thenapisusedtopartlycompensateforashortnighttimesleep
theoptimumlengthofthewakingdayis18.3hoursandisdeterminedbythecrossingofthe green
line thatdeterminesthe24hsleepwakecycleandtheaveragesleeptimedepictedbythe red
curve .Shorterdayispossiblebutentailsariskofsleeponsetinsomnia.Longerdaywillresultin
phasedelays(theareawherethe redline islocatedabovethe greenline )
theoptimumlengthofthenightsleepis5.7hour( horizontalorangeline ).
thecycleimplies5.7hoursofsleepinthenightandnearly6.9hoursoftotalsleep,whichmightbe
equivalentto9hoursofnighttimesleepinmonophasicsleep(see:Optimumnapduration)
Summary
Inthepresentedalgorithm,youtrytosticktoyouroptimumbedtimeandwakingtimeeveryday.You
establishaprotectedzoneintheeveningtofavorphaseadvance(minimumlight,computers,stress,
excitement,etc.).Youwakeuptobrightsunlightandusemorningexercisetoadvancethephaseinthe
morning.Youingestcaffeineonlyinthemorning.Youavoidalcoholintheevening.Ifyounap,younap
early.Ifyourphasekeepsshifting,youaddmorelightandexerciseinthemorning.Youalsoextendyour
protectedzoneintheevening.Inemergency,whenyoufearfallingoutofsynch,youcouldoccasionally
usemelatoninintheevening,ordelicatesoundsinthemorningastheminimumeffectivedeparturefrom
thefreerunningsleepprinciple.
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AdvancedSleepPhaseSyndrome(ASPS)
AdvancedSleepPhaseSyndrome(ASPS)istheoppositeofDSPS.PeoplesufferingfromASPSgetvery
sleepyearlyintheeveningandwakeupveryearlyinthenight.Theircircadianclockrunsatlessthan24
hourperiodorgeteasilyresetinthemorning(e.g.bystress).ASPSpeopleconstantlystruggletosurvive
awaketoareasonableeveninghour,sleepless,wakeupearly,andexperienceincreasedtirednessduring
theday.
GenesandlifestyleinASPS
ASPSoftenrunsinfamiliesandisthencalledfamilialASPSorFASPS.Somemutationsthatmaycause
ASPSarelistedinthistable.
WhileatypicalDSPSpersonisanadolescentstudent,atypicalASPSpersonisaretireeoramiddleaged
womanwithlowstresstolerance.Thelinkbetweentheageandsleepphasedisordersmayberelatedto
agingitself,however,itmayalsobearesultoflifestylechangesthatcomewithage.
Remarkably,whileIhavereceiveddozensofSleepChartsubmissionsshowingafreerunningDSPS
pattern,IhadtoactivelyseeksubmissionsthatwouldillustrateASPS.Thisalonecanserveasan
illustrationofpersonalityandlifestyledifferencesbetweenthetwogroups.ItistheDSPSgroupthat
keepssurfingthenettilltheearlymorninghoursinsearchforasolutiontotheirsleepproblem.Inthe
end,theyoftenarriveatsupermemo.com,downloadSleepChart,andbeginloggingtheirsleepinan
efforttounderstandtheirownsleeppatterns.TheASPSgroupisusuallyinbedearlyandoftennot
refreshedenoughduringthedaytoseekasolutionontheweb.Ihavenotreceivedevenasinglereverse
ASPSpatternwithsleepstartingprogressivelyearlierintheday!
Example1:ASPSandsubstanceabuse
ThepresentedSleepChartlogillustratesastabilizedASPSsleeppatternofapostmenopausal
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unemployedfemalewithalifelonghistoryofsubstanceabuse,currentlyinaperiodofabstentionand
recovery.Withoutmedication,thesubjectstrugglestostayuppast5pm.Sheoftenwakesupat13am
andfindsitimpossibletofallbackasleep.Shereportsaperpetualtiredness.Theonlysolutiontoher
sleepproblemsseemstobesleepingpillsregularlyprescribedbyherGPand/orpsychiatrist(s).Those
pillshavealsobeenapartofaviciouscycleofaddictiontobenzodiazepinesandalcohol.
Superficially,thelogseemstolooklikeapictureofaperfectlyhealthysleep.However,theentire
scheduleandthesleepphasearekeptincheckwithacocktailofpsychoactivedrugs.Themain
differencebetweenthisASPScaseandasimilarlylookingperfectsleepcaseisthesaidpersistent
tirednessthroughouttheday.Thesubjectreportsthatherchiefpreoccupationisto"somehowgetthrough
theday"whencombatingtiredness,andstrugglingwithaneverpresentthreatofafallbackinto
addiction.
Thedifferenceinsleeplengthonindividualdays(89hoursongooddays,03hoursonbaddays)comes
fromthefactthatthesubjectsleepsatdifferentfamilylocationsondifferentdays.Someofthoseare
consideredbetter(resultinginbettersleep),othersareconsideredmorestressful.Oneofthenightswas
sleeplessduetofamilystress.Thisillustratesagainhowlifestyledeterminessleeppatterns.
Sleepmaintainedwithdrugsalwaysyieldsfractionalcognitivebenefits.Inthiscasethough,theeffectis
trulydramaticwithcognitiveperformancecomparablewiththatencounteredinastateofsevere
intoxication.Thedrugsschedule,whichchangesperiodicallyforvariousreasons,isinvariablycomposed
ofpickmeupsinthemorning,andputmedownsintheevening,aswellassome"extras"forcontrolling
variousneuralsideeffectsofthe"sleepcontrolcocktail".Individualdrugsinterferewitheachother
producingaconstellationofsideeffectsthatresultinahorrendouschaosinthesystem,andlongterm
consequencesthatinturnresultinaninevitablespiraltowardsapsychiatricdeclineanddramatically
reducedwellbeing,abilitytofunctioninsociety,andlongevity.Thehalflifeofopposingdrugsresults
intheireffectscancellingeachotherandproducingunpredictableresultantconsequences.Whyisthen
thispharmacologicalhorrortolerated?Foranunemployedindividualwithahistoryofsubstanceabuse,
forhisorherfamily,andforthedoctorsinvolved,anythingthatresemblesnormalitytodaytakes
precedenceoverthelongtermconsequences.Naturally,fornearlyeveryoneinvolved,thiszombified
statusquoispreferredtoactualintoxicationeventhoughthatbothareboundtodestroythebraininthe
longrun.EEGfindingsindicatelongtermandlargelyirreversiblechangesinthefunctionofthecentral
nervoussystemcausedbysubstanceabuseand/orpsychoactivemedication.
Aswithallmedicalinterventioningeneral,psychiatryisparticularlytroubledwithtunnelvisionthat
failstoseethebigpictureofindividual'slifeandpopulationhealthingeneral.Newdrugspopuptoofast
toeffectivelystudytheirlongtermconsequences.Theyaresubjecttoprescriptionfashionsthatwaxand
wane.Asbarbituratesgavewaytobenzodiazepines,andbenzodiazepinestoProzac,awellmeaning
psychiatristisoftenconfusedbyawelterofcontradictorydata,neverendinglistsofcontradictoryside
effectsandthescourgeofscientificobservation:guaranteedfalsedatacomingfrompatientswhoalways
havemultiplereasonsforlyingtotheirdoctor.Makingallpatienthistoryrecordsneartouseless.Patients
oftenchangedoctorstosuittheirdreamprescription,orseekparalleladviceandcontradictory
prescriptionfromdifferentsources.Theyrarelysticktothedrugtiminganddosage.
Fortherecord,atthemomentofwriting,thedrugarrayinuseinthepresentedexamplewas:
antidepressantvenlafaxinethatisabletolengthentheperiodofthecircadiancycle(8am,halflife
10hours)
antipsychoticaripiprazole(8am,halflife75hours)
anxiolyticbenzodiazapinelorazepam(6pm,2.5mg,halflife15hours):inuseforyearsinsteadof
therecommendedweeks,despitevarioussideeffectsincludingseveresleepapneapossiblythe
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prescribingphysicianwasnotawareofthefact
antipsychoticolanzapine(8pm,20mg)
inaddition:anticonvulsantlamotrigine(50mg)
Asofthemomentofwriting,Iwasnotabletoascertainifthesehavebeenprescribedbyasingle
psychiatristandiftheprescribingphysician(s)hadaninsightintothepatient'sfullmedicalhistory.
Example2:Overmedicationanddaytimedrowsiness
Thesecondexampleshowsanotherseverelymedicatedcase.56yearoldmaleretireecarriesononan
equallypotentcocktailofdrugs.Inthiscase,poorlyplannedirregularfreerunningsleephelpsrevealthe
degreeofdaytimesleepinesswithsleepepisodesinitiatedregularlystartingwiththe3rdhourof
wakefulness,shortandearlyforbiddenzoneinthehours79,andpreferenceforshortwakingdayof12
18hours:
Perhapsduetotheimpactofthesedatives,thelengthofsleepepisodesmayreachanequivalentofafull
night'ssleepatpracticallyanytimeoftheday.Needlesstosay,thesubjectishardlyabletofunction
cognitivelyandcomplainsofneverendingtiredness.Thedrugsusedinthiscase:
between78amantidepressants:aripiprazole(5mg)andbupropion(150mg)
around11:30am:anantipsychoticquetiapine(25mg)
around9pm:benzodiazepineclonazepam(1mg),antidepressantescitalopram(40mg),
lamotrigine(200mg),quetiapine(50mg)
inaddition:tamsulosintoavoidnighttimeurinaryincontinence
Phaseshiftgraph
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ThephaseshiftgraphmaybeusedbypeopleinfreerunningsleepsufferingfromASPSorDSPS.This
graphshowsthedegreeofphaseshiftaswellasitsdependenceonthetimeofday.Thegraphcanbe
usedtoseetheexpectedbedtimegivenaspecificnaturalwakingtime:
Blueline showsthebedtime(verticalaxis)fordayswithagivenwakinghour(horizontalaxis). Red

line showsthenextday'swakinghours(whichareshiftedby12hoursinDSPS). Fuchsia and gray
linesindicatethesiestaperiod.Eventhoughthe redwakingline beginsattheoriginofthegraph,it
showsasubstantialphaseshiftatlaterhours(DSPS).Fromthepresentedexemplarygraphonecanread
thatforthewakingtimeequalto7am(horizontalaxis),theexpectedtimetogotobed,asindicatedby
the blueline ,is1am(verticalaxis),whileoptimumsiestatimeoccursbetween15:00and16:00.
However,ifthewaketimeis11am,thebedtimeislikelytocomeonlyat5amthenextday.
Remember!Eachindividualwillhaveahisorherownuniquegraph.Moreover,thegraphwilllook
differentlyifitistakenattimesofworkorattimesofsummervacation.Itwillbeaffectedbystressesat
workandathome.Itmayevenchangewhenyoumovefromonehousetoanother,orwhenyouchange
theclimatezone.Thegraphwillaccuratelyreflectyourrhythmonlyifyouadheretofreerunningsleep.
Ifyouuseanalarmclock,thisgraphwillbemeaningless!
Correlatesofsleepphasesyndromes
Itisnotknownwhicharethepredominantunderlyingphysiologicalfactorsthatresultinsleepphase
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disorders.Familyclustersshowthatgenesmayaffectthelengthofthecircadianperiod.Thelifestylewill
affectthelevelsofneurotransmittersandviatheirimpactonthesleepphasewillaffecttheperiodofthe
circadianclockaswell.Lifestylealsoaffectsthetimingofzeitgebers(e.g.latenightwebsurfingin
DSPS).Conversely,thelevelofneurotransmittersmayselectforaspecificlifestylechoices.Agemay
haveadirectimpactontheclockcircuits,itmayaffectneurotransmitters,oritcanaffectthelifestyle.
Lastbutnotleast,sleepphasedisorderswillaffectthemoodandthelevelsofneurotransmittersin
varyingwaysdependingonwhetherfreerunningsleepisusedtoremedythedisorder,orwhetherthe
individualattemptstofitapredetermineddesirablesleepschedule.
Subsetsofcircadianrhythmsleepdisorders(CRSDs)arestronglycorrelatedwithcertainpersonality
characteristics,andmayhaveastronggeneticbackground.DSPSismoreprevalentamongadolescents,
whileASPSismorefrequentlyobservedinanagingpopulation.WomenprevailinASPS,whilea
slightlylargerproportionofmalessufferfromDSPS(Sacketal.2007[39]).Impairedvisionoftenleadsto
DSPSduetoalesserimpactoflightonthecircadianclock.
DSPSisbyfarmorefrequentamongstudents,programmers,avidreaders,passionateartists,writers,
computergameaddicts,etc.Itispossiblethatthesamecharacteristicsthathelpindividual'screativity
mayalsoleadtoproblemswithfallingasleepearly.ASPSseemsmorelikelyinindividualswhoselifeis
deprivedofintensestimulation(esp.intheevening),whomeetfewernewchallenges,whoareless
passionateabouttheirjoborhobbies,orwhoarenotfacinginformationoverloadandtherelatedstress,
etc.PerhapsthisiswhyASPSismoreprevalentintheelderly.Forhormonalreasons,itsprevalencealso
showsasharpincreasearoundthetimeofmenopauseinwomen.ASPStendstoruninfamilies.A
numberofgeneshavebeenidentifiedtobeinvolvedinFASPS(familialASPS)(see:Clockgenesand
mutationsaffectingtheclockperiod(GolombekandRosenstein2010[40]).
ThereisacomplexrelationshipbetweenDSPS/ASPSandpsychiatricdisorders.25%ofpeoplewho
couldnotmaintaintheir24hsleepwakecycleweresufferingfromapsychiatricdisorder(Hayakawaet
al.1998[41]).SomepsychiatricdisordersortheprescribedmedicationmayinduceDSPS,while,atthe
sametime,DSPSconverselymaycausevariouspsychiatricsymptoms.Ononehand,theremaybealink
betweenDSPSandmanicpersonalities.Antidepressantstendtoincreasetheperiodofthebodyclock
(e.g.clorgyline,imipramine).Ontheother,paradoxically,DSPSindividualsmaybemorelikelytosuffer
fromdepression(e.g.whensufferingfrompersistentinsomnia,sleepdeprivation,andtheresultingsocial
problems,etc.).DrDanielKripkeconcludedthatDSPSphenotypeisfamilialandisassociatedwith
unipolardepression(Kripkeetal.2008[42]).However,theepidemicofDSPSincreativeindividuals
suggeststhatthosecorrelatesneedfurtherinvestigation.Perhapssomecontradictionscanbeexplained
bythefactthatthestateofmindofaDSPSsuffererdependslargelyonhisorherabilitytogetsufficient
andproperlytimedsleep?Thusmoreonanaturallymanicsidewhensleepsatisfied,e.g.onafree
runningsleepschedule,andmoreonthedepressedsidewhenincircadiantrouble(e.g.whenforcedtoan
earlywakingschedule)?
Similarly,lowstresstolerancedepressedindividualsaremorelikelytosufferfromASPS.Again,when
theyareforcedtoadaptto"normal"life,theirsymptomsofdepressiontendtoweakeneitherduetoa
senseofhigherproductivityorduetothefactthatmildsleepdeprivationcounteractsthedepression.The
causeeffectrelationshipbetweensleepphasedisordersandmooddisordersiscomplex.Understandingit
willcontributesubstantiallytomitigatingtheescalatingepidemicofsleepproblems.
Babysleep
Howtomakebabiessleepwell?
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Peopleoftensay"Isleptlikeababy?"Ajokesaysthatitmeansthatyouwakeupevery2hoursand
scream.Indeed,babiestendtowakeupinthenightandseemunhappy(unlessimmediatelysoothedwith
mama'sbreast).Thisseemsunnatural,unnecessary,andworrying.Andyetbabieshavebeendesignedto
wakeupmanytimesduringthenighttofeed.
Thenetisjampackedwithanassortmentofadvicefromandforyoungparentswhoseekgoodsleepfor
theirbabiesandforthemselves.Agreatdealofthatadviceisbasedonmythand/orpseudoscience.Ifthe
adviceincludestheword"train"or"schedule",youneedtotripleyourskepticism!Evenworldrenowned
pediatriciansoveremphasizethe"routine"overtheactualnaturalsleepmechanisms.Asmuchasadult's,
babysleepisruledbyhomeostaticandcircadianmechanisms,andanyattempttooverridethoseisfutile
andpotentiallyharmful.Allroutinessuchasrockingthebaby,quietroom,feeding,quiettalking,music,
etc.arewelcomeaslongastheyarenotattemptstoenforceasleepingscheduleonababy.These
routinesarelittlemoreefficientininducingsleepasallthegrandma'sadviceagainstinsomnia.Neither
homeostaticnorcircadianmechanismistrainable(beyondnaturalphaseshifts,etc.).Babiesshouldsleep
ondemand(adlibitum),i.e.onlythenwhentheyaresleepyandwanttosleep.Nevertheless,
understandingtheircircadianpatternscanbeveryhelpfulinassistingtheroutine.Asbabysleepismore
complexthanadultsleep,youcanuseSleepCharttoseethroughthechaos.Thiscanhelpasguidance.
Nevertheless,observingthesymptomsofsleepinessistheoldestandthebestpractice.
Somemomsclaimproudly"mybabysleepsthroughthenight".However,whenactualsleeplogsor
hypnogramsareanalyzed,thisappearsnottobetrue.Agreatproportionofparentswillgotoanylength
tomaketheirbabysleepthroughthenight.Alltoooften,parentalconvenienceandcomforttake
precedencetobaby'shealth.Manypediatriciansareprettyignorantinreferencetotherulesof
chronobiology,whichisnotprominentenoughinschoolcurricula.Someacclaimedmethodsareplain
scary.
ThecryitoutmethodmusthavebeeninspiredbyPavlov'smethodsinconditioningdogs.Thereislittle
doubtthatprolongedcryingandstresswillinhibitbaby'sdevelopment.Forexample,ifprolongedcrying
correlateswithlatercognitivedeficits,itis,atleasttoadegree,relatedtotheimpactofstresson
development(Raoetal.2004[43]).Intheend,Ferber'smethodseemstoservetheparent,notthechild.
Noparent'sheartshouldstandbaby'scry,esp.thatitisentirelyunnecessary.
Sleepingthroughoutthenight
Ittakesroughly12monthsforthebabysleeptoalignintoarudimentarycircadianpattern.Thismeans
thatinitiallyanewbornbabydoesnotseemuchdifferencebetweenthenightandtheday!
Consolidationofthefastingassociatedwakefulnessprecedesthatofthebreastfeedingrhythmdueto
highfeedingdemandsinthefirstfewweeksoflife(Odaaetal.2008[44]).
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Anexemplarycircadiangraphofhomeostaticandcircadiansleeppreferencesinthefirst2monthsof
life.Theaveragelengthofunconsolidatedsleepepisode( redline ,leftverticalnumberline)varies
from0.5hourat4pmto1.5hoursat9pm.Thereisaslightcircadianpreferenceforinitiatingsleep
intheearlyeveninghours(6.2%at5pm)( blueline ,rightverticalnumberline)asopposedtothe
morning(below3%at67am).Usingvarioussleepconsolidationmethods(i.e.methodsforadding
upepisodesthatfollowinashortsuccession),thepreferencefortheeveningsleepmaybeshownto
bemorepronounced.
Yourbabymayredistributeitssleepepisodesequallyinthedayandinthenight.Foraneversleepy
mother,itcanleadtotheillusionthatthebabystubbornlytendstosleepduringtheday,andjustkeeps
cryingthroughoutthenight.Nowonderthatmanymomskeepasking:WhatamIdoingwrong?,How
canImakemybabysleepinthenight?Theshortansweris:nothing(unlessthereisanorganiccause
disruptingsleep)!Sleepinshort14hburststhroughoutthe24hourperiodisnormalinnewborns,and
nothingcanbedoneaboutit!Effortstomakeababysleepthroughthenightinitsfirstmonthsarea
wasteoftime!Moreover,whateverparentstrytoaccomplishthatgoalislikelytobeharmfulforthe
baby.
Intheexemplarysleeplogbelow,wecanseehowthechaosofthefirstmonthsslowlyconsolidatesinto
asleeppatternwithamajornocturnalsleepepisodeandseveralnapsduringtheday.Aroundfivemonths
ofage,aprettyconsistentpatternemergeswithtwodaytimenapsonmostofdays.Finally,ataroundone
yearold,anadultlikebiphasicrhythmdevelops.Thebreakthroughusuallycomeswhenparents,
unawareoftheconsolidationprocess,realizethatthebabydoesnotwanttotaketheearlynapandsoon
putthekidtosleeponlyonceperday.Multiplenapsduringtheday,atthisstage,areoftenaresultof
healthproblems,missingsomeofthenightsleep(e.g.duetoearlywakingforinfantnursery),bad"baby
sleepmanagement"(i.e.mostlynotrespondingtobabysleepsignals),ortemporaryvariationsresulting
fromlifestylechanges(e.g.travel,exhaustingplay,meetingpeople,etc.).Unlesstheinfantclearly
demandsmultiplenaps,asinglesiestanapafterpassingtheageof1216monthsisprobablyaprettysafe
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bet.Someparentstrytopushthekidtostayawakethroughoutthedaytoensureamoresolidnighttime
sleep.However,stickingtochild'snaturalpreferenceisalwaysasaferoption.
Anexemplaryfreerunningsleeploginthefirstyearoflife
Interestingly,inthepresentedgraphthereisa3monthsoldlongperiodinwhichtheinfanttendstogoto
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sleepverylate.Suchasleeppatternmaybeaworryingpreludetofuturedevelopmental,psychologicalor
sleepproblems.However,inthiscaseitmighthaveaswellbeenexplainedbylesserresettingimpactof
morningsunlightinwintermonths.Spectralanalysisofsleepinthefirstmonthsshowsthatbaby
circadiancyclemightpossiblybequadriphasicwithconstituentfrequenciesgettingdampedovertimeto
developatypicalbiphasicrhythmwithamajornighttimeandaminordaytimecrests.
Foranotherexampleofthecrystallizationofthecircadiancycle,seethisonefather'sefforttomapthe
regularitiesinhisbaby'ssleep.Thisparticularchartbeginsatastagewhenthebabyisprimarily
nocturnal,butstilldiurnallypolyphasic(4thmonth).Aroundthe10thmonth,daytimenapping
consolidatesshowingaquadriphasicmodewithnocturnal"naps"consolidatedintoasinglelongnight
timesleepepisode.Finally,aroundthe16thmonth,thechilddevelopsacrispbiphasicpattern.That
transitiontothebiphasicmodemighthavebeendelayedsomewhatbyparentaldecisionsthatoften
determineinfant'ssleepslots.
Parentaldecisionsastothetimingofsleepwilllargelydeterminethebabysleeppattern.Thisis
whytheunderstandingofthenaturaldevelopmentofthecircadiancycleandrespondingto
naturalbabysleepsignalsisvitalforhealthybabysleep!
Developmentofahealthycircadiancycle
Therearetwomainfactorsthatwillaffectthedevelopmentofahealthycircadianpatterninababy:
1. Exposuretothenatural24hourcycleofdaylightanddarkness,andalltheassociateddaily
routines.
2. Exposuretomother'scircadianroutines,amplifiedbycosleeping
Inmanyanimals,thedevelopmentandtheinitialentrainmentofthecircadiancycleisprimarily
dependentontheinteractionwiththefeedingmother(Rivkeesetal.1988[45]).Cosleepingshouldassist
inthedevelopmentofahealthycircadiancycle.Mother'spresenceinbedaswellasbreastfeedingcan
bothactaspowerfulcues.TheyactasbothPRCrelatedandPRCindependentzeitgebers(see:Phase
responsecurve(PRC)).Thismeansthatcosleepingwillaffectthesleepphaseaswellasthedegreeof
nocturnalawakeningandtotalsleep.Inadditiontosensorycues,breastfeedingplaysalsoahormonalrole
asthecircadiancycleoftryptophaninbreastmilkcorrelateswiththelevelsofmelatonininthechild's
blood(asevidencedby6sulfatoxymelatonininurineCuberoetal.2005[46]).Thisnaturallycallsinto
questionthepractiseofcollectingexpressedmilkforlateruse.Thedevelopmentofahealthysleepwake
cyclewillnaturallyalsodependonthefactwhetherthemomherselfappliestheadequateprinciplesof
sleephygiene.Millionsofchildrenareforcedtosleepaloneintheircots.Thispractiseissowidespread
intheindustrializednationsthatwemaysafelyconcludethatitdoesnotirreversiblyruinthebaby's
circadiancycle,but,theoretically,itmightunderlietheepidemicofsleepdisordersinmodernsocieties.
Inadditiontothepostnatalperiod,mother'scircadiancyclesexerttheirimpactonthebaby'sbrain
alreadyinpregnancy.Thisaddstotheutmostimportanceofsleephygieneingestation.
Itremainscontroversialifnighttimeexposuretoartificiallightcanslowdownordisrupttheprocessof
thecircadiancycledevelopment.ResearchontheimpactoflightonthedevelopmentoftheSCN
suggeststhatitispossibletochangerhythmicityorsensitivitytolightofthebodyclock.Thechanges
occurringinthecourseofdevelopmentmightaffectthepropertiesoftheclockforalifetime.However,it
isalsopossiblethatlifestylecanreverseormagnifythosechanges.ThedevelopmentoftheSCNhas
beenstudiedinmanyanimalsandresultsdiffer.Forexample,ratSCNperiodicitydevelopsinutero
(AltmanandBayer1978[47]),whilethesleepwakecycleintheSCNinanopossumdevelopsinthefirst
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3postnatalweeks(Rivkeesetal.1988[45]).Theshapeofthephaseresponsecurve,whichlaysattheroot
ofsleepphasedisorders,mayactuallybeinfluencedbyilluminationconditionsduringthedevelopment,
atleastincockroaches(Page1991[48])[graph:
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/johnsonlab/prcatlas/carltext/figure3.htm].Whatevertheimpactoflight
andlocomotoractivityinbabies,untilweknowmore,weshouldalwaysaimatminimizingnighttime
exposuretoartificiallight,andtominimizeitsluminance.
Despitetheusualclaimstothecontrary,nighttimeplaymightactuallyacceleratethereturntosleepas
longastheemphasisisputonphysicalasopposedtotheemotional.However,asmotoractivityisalso
abletophaseshiftthecircadiancycle,nighttimeplayondemandshouldprobablybeminimized.
Formoremoresee:Polyphasicsleepinbabies
Cosleepingasacircadiansolution
Theprocessofmaturingthecircadianrhythmisneuralandlargelybeyondparentalcontrol.However,the
entrainmentofmom'sandbaby'scyclesisessential,andmaydeterminetheultimateoutcomeofthe
process.Newbornsaredriventosleephomeostatically,andwokenupprimarilybytheirfeedingneeds.
Factorssuchastemperature,hunger,play,lighting,socialinteraction,etc.onlyaddcomplexitytothe
picture.Withanumberofhardtopredictfactorsthataffectsleepneeds,babiesshouldalwayssleepon
demand.Iftheywanttoplay,theplayshouldnotbedenied.Allschedulingintheirlifeshouldbedone
aroundtheirsleep.Thisbasicallymeansthereareonlytwopracticablesolutionstonewborn'sgoodsleep:
Recommended(McKennaetal.2005[49]):Momandthebabysleeptogether.Amomneedsto
learntoadapttoperiodicbreastfeedingthroughoutthenight.Mom'ssleepwillsufferabit.
However,withabitofpractice,breastfeedingcanbeminimallydisruptive,andactuallyactasa
soporificforboththebabyandthemom.Inotherwords,afterashortbreastfeedingsession,both
themomandthebabyshouldquicklyfallasleepcontentedwiththejobwelldone.Eventhough
thedevelopmentofthecircadiancycleshouldproceedregardless,cosleepingshouldassistthat
vitalbiologicalprocess.Babysafetyissuesrelatedtosleepingtogethermustbeaddressed
beforehand(youcangoogleforthatinminutesexample1,example2).Evenastrongoneyear
oldcanbesuffocatedeasily.Ifyoubelieveyourpowerbabywillscreamorwriggle,itisnottrue!
Whenitschestiscompressedorbreathingpassagesgetobstructed,ababywillnearlyinstantlylose
strengthandbeunabletodefenditself!Thisiswhysafetyisparamount.Forahealthyandvigilant
mother,statisticsaregood.Abitofanxietyatthestartisunavoidableandperhapsgoodtodevelop
healthyandsafesleepinghabits.Psychologists,behavioristsandallopenmindedpediatricianswill
alladmitthatthenighttimebondingisgreatforbaby'sbraindevelopment.Perfectformulafor
boththemomandthechild.
Emergency:Parentalcareinshiftswiththehelpofbreastmilk.Itmayhappenthatforhealth
reasons,themomandthebabyshouldsleepseparatelyforawhile.Insuchcasesbothparentscan
stillgetexcellentsleepiftheyadapttoavariantofshiftworkwiththehelpofchronotherapy.For
example,oneoftheparentschronobiologicallyadaptstosleepinginthe7pm1ambracket,while
theothertakesthe1am7amshift.Intheperiodwhenthemomisasleep,breastmilk,extracted
inadvance(orformula)canbeusedinsteadofbreastfeedingtoavoidmajordisruptionstomom's
sleep(rememberthatmilkpropertiesalsochangealongthesleepwakecycle).Ifthatsolutionis
notfeasibleforanyreasonparentswillprobablyneedtochoosebetween:
1. theirowngoodsleep,and
2. employinganighttimenanny.
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Needlesstosay,baby'ssleepshouldneverbeatstakehere.Sleepisvitalforadulthealth.However,fora
babyitisliterallyamatteroflifeanddeathassleepdisruptionwillhaveaneffectonmanycausesof
newbornmortality.
Besttimingforfeeding
Unlessspecificallyindicatedbyaqualifiedpediatricianforspecifichealthreasons,feeding"onthe
clock"shouldbebanished.Neverwakeyourbabyupforfeeding!Feedingondemandisbaby'sbest
option!
Oneofthecardinalsinsofparenthoodisoverfeeding!
Itiseasytoobservethatafteraheftydoseofformulasuckeddowninahurry,babiesgetdrowsy
forreasonsthathavelittletodowithactualsleepiness.Itmaythenbetemptingtofeedthebabyto
sleep.Suchapracticeisbadforbaby'shealthandwillnothelphimorhersleepovernight.Itmay
onlyassistashortlastingsleepthatwillclearthehomeostaticsleepinessandmakebabyevenless
sleepythanbeforefeeding.
Anotherreasonforoverfeedingismom'sconvenience.Inhopeofgettingsomemoreuninterrupted
sleep,momwillfeedababyextraformulabeforethenightorduringanighttimefeedingsession.
Again,parent'sconveniencemaybeharmfulforthechild!
Child'sownbed
TheAmericanAcademyofPediatricshasamazinglycomeupagainstcosleeping!Manymomswill
sweartheirbabiescansleepaloneinacotwithoutanydistress.Andyetmostbehavioristsand
anthropologistswillagree:themomandthebabyshouldsleepinclosecontactasithasbeenpractised
bythehumanraceformillennia,andbynestingmammalsformillionsofyears.Therecouldbe
exceptionsonhealthorsafetygrounds.However,foranaveragemom,sleepingwiththebabyshouldbe
apleasure,aprivilegeandaduty.Theyoungmomonlyneedstoreadaboutbasicsafetymeasures.Fora
baby,sleepingwiththemomshouldbeabasichumanright!Manypediatricians,nurses,midwivesand
"oldschool"grandmaswillstillinsistthatthebabyshouldsleepititsownbedforsafety,disciplineor
conveniencereasons.Youmayhearamedicalprofessionaladvise:"Don'trewardthebaby!Youare
makingarodforyourownback".Thisisverysurprisinginthelightofthefactthatbabyrewardsystem
isprettywelltunedtosatisfyingitsbiologicalneeds.Anaverageadultwithanumberofcontrol
mechanismsmessedupbythemodernlifestyleshouldoftenbedenieditsrewards(afatdoughnut,a
morningshotofwhiskey,etc.).However,allnaturalrewardsshouldbeconsideredbiologically
advantageousforababy.Asforthesafetyissues,babiesdodiewhensleepingwithmomsinsoftbeds,
duetoalcohol,etc.Theydosotoowhensleepingalone.Simplepreventivemeasuresdramaticallyreduce
therisksofthedreadedmishap.Theideathatweshouldtrainupachildtosleepalonefrombirthishard
touproot.Oneneedstolookcloselyatthebiologyofbreastfeedingandbabysleeptoquicklyrealizethat
trainingupatthatstageamountstolittlelessthancruelty(exceptforcasesandmomentswherethebaby
doesnotseemtoobjectsleepinginacotorinmom'sabsencefromthecommonbed).Alittlebabyis
basicallyafeeding,growingandlearningmachine.Allitsinbornreflexesaretargettedatensuringsafety,
growthandbraindevelopment.Thereflexesinvolvedinrooting,suckingandbreastfeedingbelongtothe
strongestdrivesinalittlebaby.Awholeseriesofbraincentersisinvolvedandthereisaclose
relationshipbetweenthesecenters,sleepcenters,andthesenseofwellbeingandpleasure.Eventhough
thecomplexityofthemechanismsinvolvedisfarfrombeingrevealedtoourunderstanding,denyinga
babymom'sbreastandclosenessisboundtohavelongtermdevelopmentalconsequences.
Metaphorically,youcouldtrytoputyourselfinbaby'sbootsbytryingtosleepnakedoncoldconcrete
withhorrormoviesblastingloudthroughoutthenight.Imightbeoverlydramatichere.Ifababygoesto
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sleeponitsownwithoutmuchado,itsproximitycravingisdefinitelynotaspowerfulasdescribedhere.
However,whenababy'sgrowthisatstake,youshouldalwayserronthesafeside.Thisiswhyitmakes
sensetoassumetheworstcasescenario.Iwouldnotbesurprised,ifovertimeresearchersdiscovereda
needtoextendthetwoprocessmodelofsleeppropensityinbabiesbyafactorinvolvedinbreastfeeding.
Ithasbeenshownthatatitisasoporific.Iwouldnotbesurprisedifitworkedasanintegralcontributor
tobaby'shomeostaticsleeppropensity,orevenahomeostatictrigger,esp.attimewherethecircadian
cycleisnotyetfullyexpressed.Needlesstosay,babiesneedsleepevenmorethanadults.Thedegreeof
neuralgrowth,networkremodellingandlearninginayoungbrainisstaggering.BothNREMandREM
sleepcomponentsareessentialinthatprocess.Changingthesleepstructurewillaffectneurogenesis
(Strykeretal.2001[10]).Inotherwords,anyformofstressbeforeorduringsleepwillaffectbaby'sbrain
growth.Thisiswhybaby'ssleepshouldbethezoneofhighestprotection.Traininguptosleepalonecan
wait.Pigletsweanedearlyhavebeenshowntosufferdamagetotheirhippocampusthatresultsin
personalitychanges,fearofexploration,andlowstresstolerance.
Manyparentsopposeattachmentparentingastooexpensivetimewise.Itishardtoarguewithsomeone
whoneedstochoosebetweenfeedingthefamilyandbehavioristicallycorrectapproaches.Hereagain,
modernlifestyleencroachesonhumanbiologyinaviciouscycleoflongtermconsequencesinwhich
babiesbroughtupusinganassemblylineapproachareemotionallyandintellectuallylesslikelytostand
uptochallengesofreconcilingtechnologicalandsocietalprogresswiththeneedsofthehumanbodyand
brain.Formoresee:Issleepingwithmybabysafe?(McKenna1995[50])andTheScienceofAttachment
Parenting.
Whataboutthemom?
Iscosleepinggoodforthemom?Ibelieveeveryoneshouldtastetheblessingsoffreerunningsleep.
However,someofmygoodsleepadvocacyneedstotakeanexceptionhereasmom'shealthtakesa
secondaryimportancewherebabysleepisatstake.Everymotherisequippedwithhiddenorovert
instinctsthatshouldmaketheexperienceofcosleepingpleasurable.Naturally,inthemodernworld,
stress,mobilephones,TV,Internet,ratrace,andotherfactorscanmakeitveryhard.Ifamomclaims"I
hatebreastfeeding",or"Icannotsleepwithmybaby",sheshouldstartfromathoroughexaminationof
herownlife.Breastfeedingandcosleepingcanbeveryrewardingifthehouseholdissufficiently
shelteredfromthestormsragingoutdoors.
Whybabiessleepsomuch?
Dobabiessleepsomuchbecausethey'relearningsomuchoraretheylearningsomuchbecausetheyare
gettingsomuchsleep?Babiessleepsomuchbecausetheirbrainshavebeendesignedtodosointhefirst
monthsoftheirlife.Theydolearnalot,andlearningdoesincreasethedemandforsleep,butthisisnot
themainregulatoryfactor.Sleepcontrolsystemsinbabiessimplyworkdifferently,andyouprobably
wouldnotbeabletomakebabiessleeplessbymakingthemlearnless.Ontheotherhand,longboutsof
sleepareusedtoreorganizeneuralnetworksinthebrain.Inshort,sleephelpslearning,learninginduces
sleep,butthewholesleepsequenceisadirectoutcomeofgeneticallyprogrammedpropertiesofayoung
sleepcontrolsystem.Consideringthefactthatbabiesspendaround50%oftheirsleeptimeintheREM
phase(ascomparedtoaround20%foradults),oneofthetheoriessaysthatevenwhenbabiesdonot
learnmuchduringthedaywhileexploringtheirsurroundings,thatfunctionisfilledupbytheexploratory
functionoftheREMsleepwhichhelpsthemdiscovernewpropertiesandrulesinthingstheyhave
learnedthusfar.
Youwilloftenhearthatnewbornssleepmostofthetime.Actualmeasurementsmayshowthatbabiesare
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morelikelytosleepthroughjusthalfoftheirdays,whilespendingonlyasmallproportionofthatin
deeperstagesofNREMsleep.
AnexemplarySleepChartlogofsleepinthefirstmonthoflife.Sumtotalofallsleepblocksis
displayedontherightandaveragestoslightlyabove10hoursperdaywithsubstantialdaytoday
variationsreflectingtheimpactofrichhomeostaticinputchangessuchasawalk,familyvisit,diaper
rashepisode,formulasupplementation,etc.
Conclusion:Perfectformulaforbabysleep
Babiessleepbestiftheysleepondemandandiftheyarefedondemand!Allformsofartificial
interventioninthosehomeostaticallyregulatedpatternsshouldbeconsideredpotentiallyharmful.Itis
helpfultospotregularitiesandpayextraattentiontobabysignalsathisorherpreferredfeedingand
sleeptimes,however,itisthebaby'sneedsthatshoulddeterminetheactualtiming.Assleepisvitalfor
thedevelopmentofneuralstructuresinthegrowingbrain(Strykeretal.2001[10]),anyformof
interventionandartificialcontrolshouldbeconsideredpotentiallyharmfulinthelongterm.
Ifyouwantyourbabytobesmartandhealthy,letitplayondemand,feedondemand,and
sleepondemand.
Insomnia
Insomniaisadifficultyinfallingasleeporinstayingasleep.Psychophysiologicalinsomniacanoften
persistforyears,andresultinuntolddamagetoaperson'slife.Thosewhoaredesperateenoughtovisita
doctorareoftenprescribedslippingpillsthatareusuallynotmuchbetterthaninsomniaitself!Thegood
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newsisthatinmostcasesinsomniacanberemediedeasilywithasleepphaseadjustmentasdescribed
below.Badnewsisthatsuchanadjustmentmaybeincompatiblewithone'sdesiredworkorschool
schedule.
Halfofthepopulationintheindustrializednationshasproblemswithfallingasleep!Thisiscalleda
sleeponsetinsomnia.Exceptforvariousunderlyingorganicreasons,theoverwhelmingmajorityof
casesofsleeponsetinsomniaresultfromtheinabilitytoentrainone'ssleephourstomatchthedesired
wakingtime.
Inotherwords,mostofotherwisehealthypeoplewhocannotfallasleepintheeveningsufferfromthe
combinationoftwochieffactors:
goingtosleeptooearlyinreferencetotheirnaturalcircadiancycle
sufferingfromtheassociatedstress:ifIdonotfallasleepimmediately,Iwillbetotallywastedin
themorning
Ifthesamepeoplewereallowedtosleepasmuchastheywantedandgotosleeponlythenwhentheyare
reallytired(perhaps25hourslater),inavastmajorityofcases,theproblemwouldnotexist!Some
scientistsspeakofinsomniaastheinhibitionofdearousalprocesses.Insleepphaseproblems,the
problemofdearousaldoesnotexist!Dearousalproceedscorrectly.Itsimplyproceedsatalaterphase.
Fortheyoungstudyingpopulation,thesleepphaseproblemisthemostfrequentcauseofinsomnia.For
studentswhoneedtogetupforschoolearly,theirsleepphaseisoftenpositionedtoolateinreferenceto
thedesiredwakinghour.Inotherwords,theoptimumsleeptimecomestoolate.Sleepinessarrivestoo
late,andnaturalwakingcomeslaterbythesamedegree.Suchastudentwillalwaysbattlewithsleep
deprivationwhengoingtosleeplate,oradegreeofinsomniawhengoingtosleepearly.Inthatsense,
thereisaphysical/biologicalunderlyingcause.However,assleepdeprivationisprettyunpleasant,a
studentmaytrytogotosleepearly(toensurethenightislongenough),butbeunabletofallasleepdue
totheearlycircadianhour.Ifthisoccursagainandagain,apsychologicalcomponentmaycompoundthe
originalproblemofinsomnia.Therecurringsleepdeprivationwillproduceafearofnotfallingasleepin
timeandmakingthingsevenworse.Inotherwords,inavastmajorityofcasestheproblemisboth
biologicalandpsychological.Theonlytrueremedyistogotosleeplaterandwakeuplaterthusbeing
lateforschool(almostcertainlyalesserevilgivensomeunderstandingonthepartoftheeducators).The
onlynaturalhalfremedyistomeasureaspreciselyaspossibletheoptimumtimeofgoingtosleep,and
stickingtothattimereligiouslyeveryday.Thatoptimumtimeistheearliesttimethatroughlyprovides
95%ormorecertaintythatsleeplatencywillbelessthan1015min.(i.e.nomorethanaquarterofan
houroftossingandturning).Veryoften,thisoptimumtimewillprovideforamere46hoursofsleep.
However,thissleepismostlikelytobethebestqualitysleepachievableinsuchconditions.Naturally,
affectedindividualswillsufferadegreeofsleepdeprivationonadailybasis.Thisisstillbetterthan
futiletossingandturning,wasteoftime,andfitfulsleepassociatedwithinsomnia.Ifyousufferfrom
sleeponsetinsomnia,andyoususpectitcouldbecausedbyDSPS,youcouldresearchadditional
remediessuchasmorningsports,strongmorninglights,eveningmelatonin,andradicalsolutionssuchas
...givingupelectricityafter19:00.
Anothertypeofinsomnia,nocturnalawakening,isalsooftenrelatedtogoingtosleepatawrongtime.
Peoplewhoneedtogetupearlierthanindicatedbytheirbodyclock,oftentrytocompensateforthe
shortnightbygoingtosleepearly.Iftheysucceedinfallingasleep,theywilloftenexperiencepremature
awakeningthatisnearlyalwaysaccompaniedbyadifficultyofreinitiatingsleep.Ifthesamepeople
wereallowedtogotosleeponlythenwhentheywerereallytired(perhaps25hourslater),theproblem
wouldlikelynotexist!
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Ifyouwakeupoftenduringthenight,youshouldidentifyandeliminatepossiblereasons,esp.ifyou
appeartowakeuptired.Thereasonsandthewaytodiagnosethemaretoomanytodescribe.However,
youshouldalwaysstartfromthesimplestone:problemwiththecircadianphase.Insimplewords,the
timingofyoursleepmaybewrong.Partitioningofsleepisatypicalsymptomofgoingtosleeptooearly.
Ifyouarehealthy,infreerunningsleep,youwillrarelywakeupduringthenight,andifyoudo,youwill
fallbackasleepfast,andifyouwon'tbeableto,thereasonswillbequiteobvioussuchas:stress,noise,
thirst,cold,fullbladder,etc.However,ifyouattempttoregulatethetimingofyoursleep,thepartitioning
ofsleep(i.e.interruptedsleep)willbeafrequentresult.Itispossibletopushyoursleepslightlyaheador
back(e.g.1525minutesperday)withoutthisnegativeoutcome.However,onceyoutrytopushtoohard
(e.g.morethananhourperday),partitioningisalmostinevitable.Ifyoupushbackwards(i.e.goingto
sleepearlierandearlier),youwilllikelywakeupearlyinthenight,i.e.beforeyourcircadianlowensures
deepsleep.Ontheotherhand,ifyoupushforward(i.e.goingtosleeplaterandlater),yourcircadianlow
willendbeforeyoucompleteyoursleepcycle.Asaresult,youwilloftenwakeupearlierthanexpected.
Ifthiswakinguphappensveryearly(whenyoupushaheadveryhard),youwillbetiredenoughtofall
asleepagain.Inotherwords,whicheverwayyoupushyoursleep,itwillnotbeproperlyalignedwith
yourcircadianrhythm.Youwillthenwakeupearlyorlateinthesleepcycledependingonatwhichend
themisalignmentoccurs.Inavastmajorityofcases,wakingupproblemcanberesolvedbygoingto
sleepatthetimewhenyourbodycallsforit.
Thesolutionformostofcasesofsleeponsetinsomniaandnocturnalawakeningis:Gotosleeponly
whenyouaretrulysleepy!Amazingly,mostpeopledonotcaretolistentotheirbody.Manystruggle
withsleepinesstogetmorelifeintheevening.Othersforcethemselvestobedlongbeforetheiroptimum
bedtimeandthentossandturnforhours.Thisprematurelandinginbedisattherootoftheepidemicof
insomnia(eventhoughtheofficialfiguresputcircadiandisordersatonly10%amongstthecausesof
insomnia).Theonlysensibleandhealthytimetogotosleepiswhenyoufeelyoustartgettingsleepy.If
thisnaturaltimeisoutrageouslylate,seeCuringDSPSandinsomnia.
Earlywakingisalsoaproblemforalargenumberofpeople.ThosepeoplemaysufferfromtheASPS
syndrome.Intheircase,goingtosleepearlierwilloftenbeasufficientremedy.Ifyouhappentowakeup
earlyinthemorning,yourfurthersleepdecisionshouldprobablybemadeonthebasisofhowfastyou
believeyouwouldbeabletofallasleep.Ifyoudonotthinkthesleepiscomingsoon,itisdefinitely
bettertogetupanddosomework.Thiswayyouwillgaininthreeways:
1. gettiredandsleepyfaster(workismorelikelytomakeyoutiredagain)
2. youwillnotgetanxiousaboutfallingbacktosleepassoonaspossible
3. youwillnotwastetimeonfutiletossingandturning
Insomniavs.electricity
Insomniahasreachedepidemicproportionssincetheadventofelectriclighting.Seehowlifetimecosts
ofinsomniamatchthedegreeofindustrialization.
nodata
less
than25
25
30.25
30.25
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36
3641.5
41.547
4752.5
52.558
5863.5
63.569
6974.5
74.580
more
than80
Disabilityadjustedlifeyearforinsomniaper100,000inhabitantsin2002
Howtofallasleepfaster?
Therearetonsoflengthybookswrittenaboutsleeponsetinsomniaandthereareazilliontricksthat
peopleusetobesuretheyfallasleep"intime".Thesadtruthisthatallthosetricksonlyfightthe
inevitable:thenaturalsleepmechanism.Theyarebasedonslowingdownthebrainatthetimewhenthe
brainsimplydoesnotwanttoslowdown.Yetthesetricksrathertendtoblowtheproblemofinsomnia
outofproportionbyaddingtothesleeper'sstress:somucheffort,somanytricksinuse,anditstilldoes
notwork...Iwillprobablyjusthavetolivewiththisscourgeforever!
Ifyoufollowaconventionalinsomniaadvice(seeanexample),youwillquicklyrealizethatmost
measuresworkgreatatthebeginning,andthen,whentheplaceboeffectwearsoff,youarebackto
squareone.Somehotelsoffer$1000pernightservicesincuringinsomniainjetlaggers.Allthose
servicesareabigwasteoftimeandmoney.Withoutaphaseadjustment,insomniawillpersist.Itcan
onlybemaskedforawhile.
Hereissometypicalunworkableadvicethatyoumaygetfromyoursleep"expert"orfromyour
grandma:
Ineffective!Countsheepthisisnothingelsethantryingtoslowneuralfiringinthebrain.This
willoftenworkbutthereisanincreasedriskofwakingupafter2060minutesofsleep.Asa
result,thechancesforearlyslumbermaybegoneforgood.Theslowdowninfiringcancome
naturally.However,itcanonlycomeattherightcircadiantimewhichmaybe25hourslaterthan
youwouldwant
Ineffective!Thoughtdispersionbytryingto"thinkaboutnothing"youcanindeedincreasethe
chancesoffallingasleephowever,thismaybeofvalueonlyinashortperiodthatprecedesthe
ascendingcircadiansleeppropensityslope.Ifyoutryitearly,youwilllikelyhoverinasuperficial
sleepwithsubstantialchancesofawakeningspontaneously.Itisthecircadiansleepinessthat
standsforyourabilitytomaintainsleep
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Ineffective!Cutdownonsleepthishassomepowertoresetthecircadiancycle,however,you
willfeelmoretired,yourcognitivepowerswilldrop,yourinsomniac'sstressfactorwilltriple,and
mostofall...yourcreativebrainwillnotbenefitfromthelastREMrichhoursofsleep!Cutting
downonsleepmaybeanunavoidablesolutionamongthosewhoexperienceDSPSandcannotfree
runtheirsleep
Harmful!Sleepingpills(esp.benzodiazepines)pillschangethesleepphysiologyandmayaffect
thequalityofsleep.Astheyoftenhavelittleimpactonmodifyingtheactualcircadiancycle,they
canquicklybecomeaseriousaddiction.Additionally,theyaffectshorttermmemoryandthe
reactiontime.Sleepingpillsareamajorenemyofacreativeindividual!
Ineffective!Warmbath,quietroom,rituals,cupofcocoa,etc.alltheseworktoreducethe
stressfactorandslowdownthebrain.However,againthatwon'tworkwellifyoutryittooearlyin
referencetothecircadiancycle
Ineffective!Drinkmilkoreatturkey(tryptophanisusedinthesynthesisofmelatonin)thisis
againamethodforamildslowdownwithnegligibleeffectiveness
Ineffective!Takevitaminsvitaminsormineralsareastandardplugforwheneversomething
goeswrongwithhealth.Formanypeople,thefirstquestionis"perhapsIdonotgetenough
vitamins?"Doublingupontherecommendeddoseiswhatoftenfollows.Ahealthydietshould
rarelyrequiresupplementation!
Ineffective!Donotnapwelltimedshortnapshavelittleinfluenceonthecircadiancycleandnot
nappingmayonlyhavearesidualhomeostaticinfluenceatthecostofeveningalertness.Itmay
helpslightlybutwillnotsolvetheproblem.Napsshouldbeavoidedonlyattimesofmajor
circadianmisalignmentwhenthebodystartslosingtrackoftimeandcircadianvariablesstart
oscillatingoutofsynchrony
Ineffective!Avoidcaffeinewhentakeninthemorninginreasonablequantities,caffeineshould
havenegligibleeffectonthequalityofsleep.Whenyouarereallytired,itisreallyhardtoprevent
sleepwithcoffee.Naturally,givinguptheaddiction(gradually!)willhelpabitandwon'tdoany
harm.However,itwillneverbeasolution!
Ineffective!Herbs,meditation,yoga,aromatherapy,acupuncture,chamomile,relaxation,
massage,magnesium,......thelistisvirtuallyendless!
Fewthingscanproduceasmuchwastedtimeinhighlyeffectivepeopleastryingtofallasleep
atatimewhenyourbodydoesnotwantto!Donotlistentosleepadvicebasedsolelyon
methodsforslowingdownintheeveningormakingyoumentallyorphysicallytired!Donotgo
tobeduntilyourbodyslowsdownonitsown!Gotobedonlythenwhenyouarereallysleepy!
Thequestionposedinthepresentheadlinewasintentionallyprovocative.Youcannotfallasleepfaster,
butyoucanfallasleepfast.Allyouneedtodoistowaitfortherighttime.Insteadoftryingtofall
asleepfaster,gotosleeplater,andfallasleepfast.
Phaseshiftbasedinsomnia
Inmostcases,therealculpritininsomniaistherelationshipofyourworkinghoursvs.thecircadian
rhythm!Thisismagnifiedmanifoldbytheassociatedstressfactor.Formany,insomniaproducesan
unsolvableviciouscirclethatjusthastobelivedwith.However,everyonewithachanceforaflextime
worksystemortelecommutingshouldrealizethatthegreatestbenefitofthesemaycomefromincreased
productivityasaresultofbettersleepthatcomplieswithnaturalbodyrhythms.
AveryspecificdegreeofmorningmiseryisneededtoresettheclocksufficientlyinpeoplewithDSPS.
Intheequilibriumstateinwhichmiseryissufficienttokeeparegularschedule,thewholenightsleepis
cutsubstantially.Dailysleepdeficitanddailystrugglewithtirednessresult.Insuchcircumstances,itis
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besttogotosleeponlyshortlybeforetheexpectedsleephour!Thiswayyoucanreducestress,onone
hand,andhelpyourhomeostaticcomponentontheother(bymakingyourselftiredforsleep).
DrKripke(seeacriticalchapteronshortsleep)says:"Thefalsebeliefthatpeoplegenerallyneedeight
hoursofsleepisoneofthecommoncausesofinsomnia.Spendinglesstimeinbedisanimportant
solutionformanywithinsomnia".Thatstatementisonlypartlytrue.Indeed,tryingtoget8hoursof
sleepbygoingtosleepearlierwillbackfire.Itisbettertogetlesssleepwhenitisinitiatedintheright
phasethantoforceextrahoursprematurely.However,thekeyisnotinsleepingless,butinsleepingat
therighttime!Ifyousleepintherightphaseanddonotneedtogetupearlyinthemorning,youmight
actuallygetyoureighthourswithzeroriskofinsomnia.
Ifyoucannotfreerunyoursleepmakeyourmorningmiseryasregularaspossibletoreachthe
equilibriumstate.Onceyouknowtheequilibrium,sticktoyourstandardbedtimehour.Morningmisery
solutionshouldonlybeusedasalastresort!
Thereremainsthequestionofweekends.Manypeoplecatchuponlostsleepduringweekends.This
naturallyunbalancesthesystemandresultsintheMondayMorningBlues.Sleepingitoutonweekends,
youshouldweighupyourprosandcons:
ononehand,youentrainyoursleepingcycletolaterhoursandmakeithardertosticktoyour
miseryequilibrium
ontheother,thisisyouronlychanceforqualitysleep
Thereisnosimpleanswertotheweekenddilemma!Ifyouwanttomaximizetheeffectsofsleepon
learning,skillsandexperience,youwouldneedtoquantifyhowmuchyouloseasaresultonnever
actuallygettingenoughsleep(thelossescouldbedramatic!)andhowmuchyouloseasaresultof
departingfromthemiseryequilibriumonweekendsthustriplingsleepdisturbancesearlyintheweek.
Forhealthypeople,themosteffectivesolutionforpersistentinsomniaorworkschedulerelated
sleepdeprivationisfreerunningsleep!
Freerunningsleepissimpletodefine,butabithardertoexecuteforbeginners.Itwilloftenconflictwith
one'sexpectationsandneedsastothetimingofsleep.Youwillknowthatfreerunningsleepworkedfor
youifyoureplaceinsomniawithnomorethan35min.inbedbeforeyoufallasleep(without
medication).
Inhealthypeople,thetimetofallasleepshouldnotbelongerthan5min!
Ifyousucceedwithfreerunningsleepanddiscoverthatyoucanfallasleepin5min.aslongasyougoto
sleepatyournaturalhour,youmaydiscoveranewproblem.Youmightshowatendencytowakeup
latereachday.Ifthisisthecaseread:CuringDSPSandinsomnia.
Hypersomnia
Hypersomniaisexcessivesleepinessinconditionsofgettingphysiologicallysufficientsleep.
Hypersomniamayberelatedtoserioushealthproblems.However,ifyoukeepbattlingdrowsiness,your
problemdoesnotneedtohaveaseriousorganiccause.Thereisasimplehomegrowndiagnosticmethod
thatcanhelpyoueliminateafrequentandlessseverecause:aphaseshiftdisorder.Trytofreerunyour
sleepforafewweeks.Veryoften,thephaseadjustmentwillresolveperpetualtiredness!Quite
frequently,sleepinitiatedtooearlyinreferencetothecircadiansleepinesswilllastverylongand
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paradoxicallyresultinthefeelingofnotbeingrefreshedinthemorning.Ifthesubjectivecircadiannight
periodoverlapswiththeactualwakingtime,youmayexperienceoverwhelmingdrowsiness,yetyouwill
notbeabletofallasleepforlongerthan2030minutesandyouwillstillwakeupunrefreshed.Even
bucketsofcoffeemaynothelpinsuchcircumstances.Ifyoudonotnoticeasignificantimprovementin
thequalityofsleepafter12weeksoffreerunningsleep,youmaysufferfromanunderlyinghealth
problemthatwillrequireaprofessionalconsultation.See:SleepandHypersomniaatWebMD.A
frequentcauseofpoorqualitysleepisObstructiveSleepApnea(OSA).OSAiscausedbybreathing
difficultiesduringsleep(seethenextsection).
Sleepapnea
Sleepapneaisaproblemwithbreathingduringsleep.Inallcasesofgettingunrefreshingsleepdespite
adheringtoalltherulesofsleephygiene(esp.infreerunningsleep),sleepapneaneedstoberuledout.
Aninitialhomemadediagnosismaybemadebyabedpartnerorbyvideotapingone'sownsleep.All
pausesinbreathingorheavysnoringshouldbeworrisomeandconsultedwithasleepexpert.Themost
frequenttypeofsleepapneaistheobstructivesleepapnea(OSA),whichaffectsupto10%ofmale
population(itisabouthalfasfrequentinwomen).OSAinvolvesalossofmuscletoneinthethroatand
tongueareas.Thesestructurestendtocollapseduringsleepandblocktheflowofair.Asaresult,the
patientwillwakeuptemporarily(oftenahundredtimesinasinglenight)withoutcompletingthenatural
NREMREMcycle.PatientswithOSAwakeupfeelingunrefreshed.Youcanalsovideotapeyourself
whensleeping.Mostoften,OSAaffectsobeseandheavilysnoringmales.Therearemultiplesupport
sitesforOSAontheweb(includingrecordingsofsnoringpatientsandtypicalsignsofinterrupted
breathing).Sleepapneaneedstobetreatedwithurgency.Itunderminesone'scognitivepowersina
shortrun(duetoitseffectsonthequalityofsleep)andinalongrun(duetoitsnegativeeffectsonbrain
growthandaging).Ifanyonetellsyouthatyousnoreheavily,donottreatisasanaturalthing:"myuncle
alsosnoreslikeatractorandseemstobeok".Allcasesofsnoringshouldbeinvestigated.Snoringmay
beafirstsignthatyourbrainisnotgettingwhatitneedsduringthenightsleep!Sleepapneacanalsolead
tocardiovasculardisorders,depressionandawholehostofnegativehealthconsequences.Oneofthebest
naturalweaponsagainstsleepapneaisweightlossbycombiningahealthydietandexercise.Exerciseon
itsownmayalsobehelpfulaslongasitischosencarefullytomakesureitdoesnotexacerbatesnoring
(e.g.throughnasalcongestion).
Napping
Nappingisgood
Thenaturalsleepwakecyclemakesyoufeellessalertinmidday.Thisperiodcaneasilybevisualized
usingEEGmeasurements.Inmanytropical,subtropical,andMediterraneancountriesthisisthetimefor
siesta.Thedropinalertnesscanbemagnifiedbyarichmealandashortnapislikelytoquicklyrestore
fullalertness.However,theindustrialnationsdonotseemreadytoadoptthehealthyhabitofa
postprandialnap.Justtheopposite,whentheMexicanparliamentdebatedthelawonstatutorynapping,
politiciansandcomediansnorthoftheborderhadagoodlaughabout"lazyLatinAmericans".Siesta
AwarenessintheUKabruptlycancelledtheirNationalSiestaDay2009uponapublicationfromChina
thatshowedthatdiabeticsnapmore.Mythsgalore.Nappingissmart,andyetnappersareoften
consideredlazy,orweak.Theselfimprovementguru,TonyRobbins,providesatypicalmisguidedget
upandgoadviceonnapping:replaceanapurgewithpressups.Pressupswillimprovecirculationand
raisethelevelofcatecholamines.Thiswillmakeyoufeelmorealertforamoment.However,onlyanap
canprovideatrueneuralboosttoyourcognitivepowers.Napisbetterthanexercise.Napisbetterthan
caffeine.Napisirreplaceable.
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Nappingandevolution
Therearefewtheoriesontheevolutionarypurposeofthemiddaydipinalertness.Mostpeoplebelieve
thathumans,asallotherhighlydevelopedtropicalanimals,havedevelopedasiestahabitasawayof
gettingaroundthemiddayheat.Thisexplanationhasalsosomeculturalbackgroundasnappingisbyfar
lesspopularinmoderateandcoldclimates.However,thealertnessdipcanberesolvedbyashortnapin
minutes.Thiscanmakeusactiveagainlongbeforethemiddayheatisover.
Anotherexplanationisthatthealertnessdipisanatavisticremainderofthepolyphasicsleepingmode
thatmighthavecharacterizedhumanancestors.Manyanimalsandnewbornbabiessleepmanytimes
duringtheday.Thismightseemadvantageousforoptimizingmemorycircuits.However,consolidating
sleepintoasinglenightrestperiodmighthaveofferedsomeevolutionaryadvantagetoo.Earlyhumans
mighthavebeenlessefficientinhuntingandgatheringactivitiesatnighttime.Thisiswhyitmightbe
advantageoustospendnightsonmemoryoptimization.Possibly,theconsolidationofsleepwent
graduallyfrompolyphasicsleep,throughbiphasicsleeptosemimonophasicsleepinmodernhumans.
Actually,similarconsolidationcanbeobservedaswegetolder.Bythetimeofadulthoodwearemoreor
lessmonophasicwithacleardipinalertnessthatmayberesolvedwithashortnap.Aswenear
retirement,weagainseemtotendtobecomebiphasic.Thismaybearesultofthefactthatworking
peopleareforcedtosuppresstheirbiphasictendency.Weremainstronglybiphasicthroughoutthe
lifetime,andthemonophasicmodelhaslargelybeenimposedbyindustrialization.
WhenIlookatlearningperformancedatacollectedwithSuperMemo,Iseethatthehomeostaticdecline
incognitivepowersthroughoutthedayissteepenoughtoprovideanalternativeexplanation:napis
cognitivelybeneficial,butnotessentialenoughtoboostitwithafullswingcircadiansupport.Asa
result,wehavedevelopedahalfwaysleepsystemthatensurestheessentialfullyblownnighttimesleep,
andawindowforanoptionalmiddayalertnessbooster.Asthecircadiancomponentofsleepdriveis
associatedwithsomephysiologicalfunctionsofsleep,asystemwithhomeostaticnappingmightnothave
beenequallybeneficial.Asforthespeedofhomeostaticdeclineinalertness,itcouldbeinherenttothe
networksinvolvedandmightdependonenergyreserves,supplyofneurotransmitters,sizeofthe
networksinvolved,etc.Itshouldalsodependonthedegreeofuse.Theheavierthementaleffort,the
fasterthedeclineincognitiveperformance.Inotherwords,forthebrainasitis,andforheavymental
loads,slowerhomeostaticdeclinemaysimplynotbephysicallypossible.Thetimingofthemiddaynap
comesfromthefactthatsplittingthedayintotwoexacthalvesmaximizesoverallalertness.Hereagain,
middaytropicalheatmightactuallyprovideanadditionalevolutionaryincentive.
Napsandbrainpower
Thefatherofthenappingscience,Dr.D.F.Dingeshasspentmanyyearsinvestigatingtheproblemof
alertnessatworkplaceandhasshownsubstantialbenefitsofnappinginprofessionswherethealertness
maybethedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.Hisresearchshowedasubstantialalertnessboostcoming
fromanap(Dinges1989[23]).Hehasalsonoticedrelativelylittleimpactofnappingonthenighttime
sleepinregularnappers:
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However,whenDrMatthewWalkerpublishedhisresearchprovingthevalueofnappingforcognition
(WalkerandStickgold2005[51]WalkerandNishida2007[52]).ProfessorDerkJanDijkcommented
surprisingly:"therewasnoclearevidencethatdaytimenappingofferedadistinctadvantageover
sleepingjustonceover24hours(...)whilethebraineffectreportedinthestudymightbespottedina
laboratorysetting,thepicturebecamemorecloudedinthe"realworld"".Today,youcanmeasurethe
benefitsonnappingonyourownusingSuperMemo.Comparingrecallgraphsofnappersandnon
nappers,wecanclearlyseehownonnapperspowerathalfsteamthroughthesecondhalfoftheirwaking
day(see:Biphasicnatureofhumansleep).DrWalker,whoconfirmedhispointwithlaterresearch,says
convincingly:"It'sasthoughtheemailinboxinyourhippocampusisfull,and,untilyousleepandclear
outallthosefactemails,you'renotgoingtoreceiveanymoremail".TakeitfromareligiousnapperMr
WinstonChurchill:"yougettwodaysinone"!Thevalueofthenapincreasesinproportiontothedegree
inwhichyourworkdependsonyourbrainandthequalityofyourthinking.
Tonapornottonap?Nap!
Hereisashortsummaryofprosandconsofafternoonnapping:
Pros:
Siestanaps,richinNREMsleep,resultinasignificantincreaseinalertnessthatwillbehighly
appreciatedbypeopleincreativeprofessions.Byvariousmeasuresthatboostmaybeashighas
50%!
AsshownwithSleepChart,nappingimprovesrecallandmemoryconsolidationinthesecondhalf
oftheday
Welltimednappingmayhelpcombatsleepdeprivation.Somepeopleevenprefertosleepintwo
34hourportionsthroughouttheirlives!
Napsreducebloodpressure,improvecardiovascularhealth,andmight,asaresult,prolongyour
life!
Cons:
Badlytimed(late)napsmayworseninsomnia.Thisiswhysomanysleepexpertscounter
recommendnaps.However,propertimingmitigatesthisproblem
Badlytimed(late)napsmayresultinsleepinertia.Thiscanberesolvedeasilywithpropernap
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timing.
Nappingrequiresgoodrestconditions,conducivenappingculture,andsolidnappingskillsand
habits.Allthesemaybehardtocomebyinindustrializednations.
Ifyoueverhesitate,tonapornottonap,takeawelltimednapandseehowitimpactsyourlife.Ifyou
wakeupgroggy,rememberthatnappingisalsoanart.Readaboutbesttimingofnaps.Chancesare,
nappingmightbecomeabelovedhabitthatwillincreaseyourproductivity.Manygreatmindsnapped
habitually.InadditiontoChurchill,notablenappersincludedNapoleon,BillClinton,andJ.F.Kennedy.
Interestingly,thisgroupalsoincludesafamouslongsleeper,AlbertEinsteinandafamousshortsleeper
ThomasEdison.EvenBillGatesenjoyedtakingnapsunderhisdeskinhiscreativeprogrammingyears.
Nappinginthecorporateworld
MoreandmorecompaniesintheUShavealreadydecidedtomakeaswitchfromacoffeebreaktoa
nappingbreakwithspecialcubiclesdesignedfornappers.Inthefuture,thistrendislikelytobecome
moreprominentascaffeineisnotafractionaseffectiveasanapincombatingfatigue.Forneural
reasons,coffee,doughnuts,pressups,andothermethodstakentogetherwillneverproveasefficientin
mentalrestorationasanap.Atthesametime,oursocietydriftsstronglytowardsinformationprocessing
wherealertnessiscentraltoproductivity.Andwhentheproductivitycomesintotheequation,
corporationswilldefinitelyavailoftheuptodateresearchonnapping.
Important!Donotconfusethehealthyconceptofasiestanapwithaveryunhealthyideaofpolyphasic
sleep.
Nappingrulebook
Donotusethealarmclock!Contrarytopopularbelief,wellschedulednapwillnotresultinsleep
inertia(unlessyouareseriouslysleepdeprived).Alarmclockcanseriouslyunderminethevalueof
thenap!
Measureexactlytheoptimumlengthoftheperiodbetweenthenaturalawakeningandthenapto
maximizetheeffectivenessofanap.Thenapshouldcomeatthenadirofalertness,whichusually
comes78hoursfromnaturalwaking.Nappingbeginnersoftenmisstherighttiming!Choosing7
hoursasyourstartingpointwillallowofa60min.marginincaseyouwerelateforonereasonor
another.
Drinkcoffeeorothercaffeinedrinksonlyafterthenap.Eventhetiniestamountsofcaffeineinthe
systemmightinterferewiththequalityofsleep.
Ifyoudrinkalcoholbeforethenap,itshouldbelargelymetabolized(i.e.outofyoursystem)by
thetimeyoufallasleep
Ifyounapformorethan100minutes,youprobablyneedmoresleepinthenight(oryounaptoo
late)
Avoidstress12hoursbeforethenap.Eventhingsyoulovecanmakeyouexcitedandmakeit
hardertoavailofthebenefitsofnapping
Exerciseisgood.Trytofinishyourexerciseatleast45minutesbeforethenap.Ifyoufailtocool
down,yournapmayendupprematurely
Mealbeforethenapisrecommended.Unlessyourdoctorsaysotherwise,yourmainmealofthe
dayshouldactuallycomebeforethenap(aroundthe6thhourofyourwakingday)!
Sexbeforethenapisrecommended
Sticktoyourritual(e.g.sticktoyourbestsequence:exercise,beer,bath,meal,quietplace,nap,
music,orsimilar)
Iftheaboveadvicedoesnotwork,youmayneedamonthorsooftrying.Mentalslowdownis
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criticalhere!Manypeopledonotdiscoverthebenefitofnappinguntilsomecircumstancesput
themintotheroutine(e.g.heartconditiondiagnosis).Evenifyoucannotfallasleep,youmaystill
needanap!Sleeplessnessmayonlybearesultofahabitoryourinabilitytoforgettheworriesof
theday.Youmaysimplynotfullyunderstandyouractualsleepneeds.
Ifitallwon'tmakeyoufallasleepin10minutesevenafteramonthoftrying,youcanprobably
safelygiveupnappingforgood
Nappingmyths
Myth#1:Onlylazypeopletakenaps
Insomecultures,thisharmfulmythmakespeoplefeelashamedthattheyareweakenoughtoneedanap.
Thismythmustbeabolishedpromptly.Napshaveagreateffectoncognitivefunctionandproductivity.
Ifyouwanttotakeanap,takeitandannounceitproudly.Youaredoingasmartthing.Napsmakeyou
smarter!
WhenNewtGingrichwascaughtasleeponcamera,commentatorspointedfingersinallwrong
directions:heisgettingold,heistiredofthecampaign,hemightbesufferingfromAlzheimer's,etc.
GingrichwassettovideostreamliveviasatellitehookuptotheAmericanIsraelPublicAffairs
Committee.DuringaprecedingPanettaspeech,heoptedforaquicknapinasittingposition.Hisageor
healthdidnotneedtohavetoplayanyrolehere.Infact,Newtwasdoingasmartthing:hewasclearing
uphisbrainbeforeappearingbeforeademandingaudience.However,despiteashortspanoftime
available,hemanagedtolaunchdeepsleepandwokeupwithclearsignsofsleepinertia.Hedidnot
knowwherehewasandwhathewasabouttodo!Herecoveredprettyfastwithstumplinesattacking
radicalIslam.Thosesleepinertiasymptomsdidnotneedtoindicatehewastiredofthecampaignorthat
hissleepdeprivationcarriedoverfrommanydaysofsleepdebt.Evenasinglenightoflostsleepwould
beenoughtoputanyoneinhisposition.Hisbeingapoliticaloldtimerworkedagainsthim.Nonovice
wouldbeabletoovercomethestressofpublicsleepingtogetafewzzzs.Theonlyobviousmistake
Gingrichmadewastofailtogethisfullloadofsleepontheprecedingnight.Formoresee:Whynaps
causesleepinertia?
Myth#2:Anapisanapisanap
Thismythsaysthateverynapisagoodnap.Itdoesnotmatterwhenitistakenandhowlongitlasts.
Thismythlivesdeepinthepsycheofinexperiencednapperswhooftendonotrealizethemyriadof
genetic,metabolic,neural,andhormonalprocessesthatcyclethroughthehumanbodythroughoutthe
roughly24hourperiod.InthesectiontitledBestnaptiming,Iincludeageneralpartitioningofthe
circadiancyclewithashortanalysisofwhatprocessesoccurwhenanapistakenateachselectedpoint
ofthecycle.Napstakenatdifferentpointsofthecircadiancyclesareasdifferentaschalkfromcheese.
Somearerefreshing.Someareawasteoftime.Somemaybeunhealthy(oratleastinefficient).Some
willlastseveralhours!
Myth#3:MakesureyouwakeupfromStage2NREM
Somenapping"experts"willtellyoutouseanalarmclocktomakesureyouwakeupafter1520min
fromStage2NREM.Supposedly,longernapssendyouintodeepsleep(Stage3/4NREM),andyou
wakeupgroggy.Inreality,itisthetimingofnapsinreferencetothecircadiancycle,aswellastheprior
sleepdeprivationandREMsleepdeficitthatwilldeterminethenapdurationandtheeffectsofthenap.
Onsomeoccasions,itmayhappenthatanapcutshortwithanalarmclockwillbesomewhatrefreshing
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andwillpreventtheripplesofawronglytimedprolongednap.However,itisalwaysbettertochoosethe
appropriatetimeforanap.Itwillusuallybearound78thhourofthesubjectiveday.Thistranslatesto7
8hoursfromwakinginfreerunningsleep.However,inconditionsofsleepdeprivation,ormisaligned
sleepcycle,itissafertotakeanearliernaporevenskipthenapentirelytohelpcycleresynchronization.
DidyouhearastoryinwhichEinsteinsupposedlynappedwithapenciltowakeupassoonasthepencil
dropped?Idoubtagreatgeniuswouldmakethismistakeonaregularbasis.Iamsurehehadachanceto
comparethevaluesofawelltimednaturalnapandaninterruptednap.Perhapsapencildroppedindeed.
Once?Perhapsthegeniusbrainwasthusdeprivedofsomenewcreativeinsight?Orconverselyhewas
inspiredbyaninterruptedmentation?Perhapsitwasjustanicestorytotelloveracupoftea?Whatever
thetruth,donotfollowthisexample!Letyourbraindecidehowlongthenapshouldlast!
Myth#4:Thecircadiancyclecanbeignoredorabolished
Aharmfulmythsaysthatwecouldignorethecircadiancycle,sothatthesleepcanbereducedtoone
dimensionalhomeostaticprocess.Thismythcomesfromthelackofunderstandingofthetwoprocess
natureofsleep.Itmademanytobelievethatpolyphasicsleepisagoodlongtermlifestylechoice.The
mythcomesfromthelackofappreciationoftheoverwhelmingpoweroftheprimarycircadiansleep
component.Consequently,themythbearsabeliefthatnapscanbeinducedatwillatanytimethatis
sufficientlyfarawayfromthepriornap.
HaveapeekatthefollowingamazingpictureobtainedwiththehelpofSuperMemo.
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Thegraphshowsthepowerfullybiphasicnatureofthehumancircadiancycle.Thehorizontalaxisshows
thecircadiantime,i.e.thetimethatelapsesfromphase0,i.e.thepredicted"endofthenight"time.The
predictioncomesfromthecircadianmodelemployedinSleepChart,andisderivedfromthesleeplog
collectedinSuperMemo.The redline isthepredictedalertnessderivedfromthesamesleeplogdata
usingthetwoprocessmodelofsleepdevelopedforthepurposeofsleepoptimizationinSuperMemo(the
modelisinspiredbysimilarworkofAlexanderA.BorbelyandPeterAchermann).Thealertnessisa
resultantofthestatusofthetwosleepdriveprocesses:
1. thehomeostaticprocessand
2. thecircadianprocess.
The bluedots arerecalldatatakenfromanactuallearningprocessinSuperMemo.Inotherwords: red
isthemodel, blue isthedata.Bothtellthesamestory!Forskepticswhodonotbelieveinscientific
models, bluedot unprejudiceddatashouldbetheultimateclinchingargument.Thegraphsays
unequivocallythatwegottwomajorpeaksofalertnessduringtheday.Italsostatesclearlythatthereare
onlytwovalleysconduciveforsleepandnapping.
Bestnaptiming
Napsareablessingforatiredbrain.However,iftakenatawrongtime,theycanalsocontributeto
messingupyoursleepcycle.Manypeoplebelievethatanapisanapisanap.Whateveritstiming,the
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napwillrefreshyourmind.Thisisfalse.Understandingtheoptimumcircadiantimingofnapsisessential
fornapstobeyourfriend,notyourenemy!Thebeliefintheuniversalityofnapssparkedadangerous
ideavirus:lifestylebasedonpolyphasicsleep.
Nappingisaskill.Manypeoplecannotnapeveniftheyaresleepy.Measuringthetimebetweenyour
naturalwakingandthenapshouldhelpyouoptimizethequalityofanap.Optimally,yourtiredness
mightnotevenbeperceptibleenoughtoeasilyguesstheoptimumtiming.Ifyoumeasurethetime
betweennightsleepandthenap,youwillnoticethatthelengthisalwaysthesame(minorvariations
dependonthequalityofsleepinthenight).Inotherwords,themeasurementhelpsyoufigureoutthe
timingofyourcircadiandipevenondayswhenyoudonotfeeltiredatmidday.Youmaywonder,why
napinthefirstplacethen?Theboostincognitivepowersisworththeinvestment(whichmaybeaslittle
as1020min.onagoodday).
Inahealthybiphasicsleep,anaptakenatsiestatimeisanexcellentboosttoyourmentalenergyand
creativepowers.Itisimportanttoknowthatthetimingofthenapshouldnotbedeterminedbytheclock
thathangsonyourwall.Yournapshouldcomeataround78hourofyournaturalwakingtime.Tobe
precise,onlyyoucandeterminethatvaluepreciselybycomparingwhathappensifyoutrytotakenapsa
bitearlierorabitlater.Theoptimumvaluemaynotholdifyoucutyoursleepshortwithanalarmclock,
orfallasleepearlierthanusual(e.g.becauseofanexhaustingday),ordelaygoingtosleepbeyondyour
naturalsleephour.
Circadiantimingofnaps
Tooptimizeyournaptaking,youneedtounderstandtheimpactofthesleepcyclephase.Below,I
explainwhathappensifyoutakenapsatdifferentphases.Inthetextbelow,Phase7Napdenotesanap
thatistaken7hoursafternaturalawakeningfromsleeptakenatnaturalhours.Refertothefollowing
graphwhichillustratesthebiphasicnatureofhumansleeppropensity.Thisgraphshowsthatthereisonly
oneoptimumalertnessvalley(inred)conductivetosleep,usuallyinhours78:
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Phase0:Wakingtime
NappinginPhase0isnappingthattakesplaceimmediatelyafterwaking,i.e.CircadianTime0inthe
graphabove.NappinginPhase0ispossible,andlargelydependsonthehistoryofpriorsleep.Phase0
napsafteranormalnightsleepcanbeconsideredasacomplementtothenightsleepifitwasnot
effectiveenough.Suchnapsconsolidatewiththenightsleepinsleepmodelsandareanefficientwayof
extendingthenightsleepincaseswhenitwasinterrupted(e.g.bynoises,burstingbladder,healthissues,
etc.).Phase0napsafterasleeplessnightcanserveasaninefficientsubstituteforthenightsleep.Such
sleepwillbeshort,unrefreshingandleaveasleepdebt.Itwillalsointroduceunwelcomeoscillationsin
thecircadiansystemthatmaytakeafewdaystoclearup.Suchsleepisoftenusedbynightshiftworkers
togetsomementalboostforaday.Itisstillfarbetterthannosleepatall.Theruleissimple:ifyouare
sleepyatPhase0,napatwill.Yourbrainclearlyneedsmoresleep.
Phase3:Creativitytime
NappinginPhase3shouldnoteverbepossibleinahealthywellregulatedsystem(seetheredpeakin
hour3onthehorizontalaxisinthegraphabove).Successfulsleepatthistimeisanindicationofsleep
deprivation,poorqualitysleep(e.g.duetosleepapnea),sleepinawrongphase(e.g.takentooearly),
sleepdisorder(e.g.narcolepsy),etc.Thisisprobablythehardesttimetonapofall.However,Iamnot
awareofanybadeffectsofsuchnapsforhealthorforsleepcontrolsystems.
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Phase5:Presiesta
Nappinginpresiestaslotispossible.However,suchnapsarelikelytobeshortandnotasrefreshingas
Phase7naps.TheyarealsomorelikelytobeREMrichforcircadianreasons.Thoseearlynapscan
probablyberecommendedtopeoplewhosufferfromsleeponsetinsomnia,andwhostillwanttoboost
thesecondhalfoftheirdayintermsofalertnessandcreativity.Thosenapscanalsobeexecuted"ina
hurry"duetotheirshortdurationincaseswherelongernappingisundesirable,orlatertimingdoesnot
fittheday'sschedule.
Phase7:Siesta
Perfecttimefornapping.Asitcanbeseeninthegraph,thisistheperiodwhenthementalperformanceis
atitsmiddaynadir(aimatPhase7tomakesurebeinglatewillstillplacethenapwithinthenadir).Itis
nottruethatthenadiriscausedbyaheftylunch(eventhoughmealshaveabigimpactonsleepcontrol).
Thenadirisanaturalexpressionofthecircadianwave.Thiscircadianlowtimecomesattheroughly
sameclocktimeasthesubjectivenightnadirataroughly12hourshift(e.g.ifthemiddleofyournight
fallsat3am,napsat3pmcouldbemosteffective).Thisiswellexplainedin"Howtonap".Thebenefits
ofasiestahavebeenconfirmedbynumerousstudies.Ithasbeenpractisedforagesinmanyregionsof
theworld.Itwilldefinitelytrickleintothecorporateworldashumanproductivitybecomesincreasingly
dependentonourcreativepowers.
Phase11:Evening
Thisisnotagoodtimefornapping.Inahealthycycle,nappingmightbehardtoachieveorimpossible.
However,evenaminordegreeofsleepdeprivationwillproduceanapthatmighttriggerthecontrol
mechanismsresponsibleforthefullnightsleep.LatenapsarelikelytoberichinNREMsleepandrob
yournightsleepofthevitalSWScomponent(Werthetal.1996[53]).Thosenapscanlastfarlongerthan
siestanaps.Theycanmakeyougroggy.Worstofall,theycancompoundinsomnia.Unfortunately,thisis
atypeofanapthatahugeproportionofstudentstake!Forcedtowakeupatindecentlyearlytimesfor
school,kidsandstudentsstrugglesemiconsciousthroughschoolhourswithnegligibleprogressin
learning.Learninginsuchastateonlymagnifiestheprettyuniversalhatredofschool.Phase11napis
thentheonlywaytosurvivethedayandgetsomeactuallearningdoneintheevening.Thebodyclock
shiftsthesubjectivenighttothemorninghours.Thepositivesideeffectisthateveningscanbefilled
witheffectivestudying.Thenegativesideeffectisthatthestudentfindsitimpossibletofallasleep
before34am,andwelcomesthenewbrightschooldaywithanalarmclockthatringsinthemiddleof
thesubjectivenight.Thisperpetuatesthecycleofsufferingandschoolhate.Nobodyhaseverestimated
theglobalconsequencesofthisphenomenonthatincludesanimpactonadolescentattitudesthatare
notoriouslyfraughtwithproblems.Neitherhasanyonecomeupwithapracticalsolution(shiftingschool
hoursusuallyresultsinkids"adapting"tothenewcyclebyshiftingtheirbedtimeaswell).Iamnotable
torecommendasolutionhereeither.Skippingeveningnapsmightbebetterforthequalityofnightsleep
andforthestabilizationofthecircadiancycleintheearlierphase,however,thatwouldeffectivelyrob
thosestudentsoftheironlytimeinwhichtheycanlearn.Thoseeveningnapsarealsotheonlymeager
substituteforfreerunningsleepthatthoseyoungbrainscrave.Theonlytimewhenthebraingetswhatit
wants.IfIwastoanswer:tonapornottonap,Iwouldprobablyhavetoadmitthateveningnappingis
thelesserevilinamajorityofcases.
Phase13:Presleep
Thisisaparticularlybadtimefornapping.Initiatingnapsatthistimeshouldberelativelyeasy.
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However,presleepnapsarelikelytoproduceoneofthefollowingunwelcomeoutcomes:longnap
shortnightorlongnightearlywaking(dependingonthecurrentstatusofthesleepcontrolsystem).A
presleepnapislikelytoresultintriggeringthenightsleepsequence.However,thissequenceisnot
unbreakable,andcanresultinearlyawakeningcombinedwiththedifficultyinlaunchingbacktosleep.
Thisisparticularlylikelyifthehomeostaticsleepprocessgeneratessubstantialsleepinesswhilethe
circadianprocessisnotyetmatureforthenightsleep.Asaresult,suchapresleepnapcanyieldless
totalsleepthananormalnightsleep.Thislongnapshortnightwillnotentirelyfulfillthephysiological
functionofsleep.Consequently,youralertnesslevelsforthenextdayarelikelytodipsubstantially.The
lessunfortunateoutcomeofapresleepnapisifyousuccessfullytriggertheuninterruptednightsleep
sequence.However,youwilllikelyprematurelyrunoutofthehomeostaticprocessbeforethecircadian
functionofsleepiscompleted.Youwillprobablywakeupearlierthanusual.Thisisthelongnight
earlywakingoutcomethatproducesnightsthatareamazinglyunrefreshingconsideringthefactthat
prematuresleepisoftenmuchlongerthananordinarynightsleep.Thereasonforthislowsleep
efficiencyisprobablythescarcityofREMsleepwhichisstronglycircadian.Moreover,forcircadian
reasons,yourmorningislikelytobeunusuallysleepy!
Phase15:Segmentedsleep
Phase15nappingshouldbeconsidered"earlynightsleep".Ifyougotosleepatthistimeyoucanexpect
anyofthefollowing(dependingonthedegreeofsleepdebt):
ifyoucarrynosleepdebt:someunproductivetimeinbed,asyoumightnotbeabletofallasleep.
presleepoutcomeasinPhase13sleep:longnapwithashortnight,orlongnightwithearly
waking.Thisoutcomeislikelytoleaveyoulessrefreshed.
segmentedsleep:youwillfallasleep,butwillwakeupfor12hoursinthenightonlytofallback
asleep.Thisluckyoutcomewillleaveyouprettyrefreshed.
longnight:onrareoccasions,esp.ifyouaresleepdeprived,earlybedtimewillresultinanice
longrefreshingnightsleep.
DuetotheprecariousnatureofPhase15sleep,itshouldratherbeemployedonlyinconditionsofsleep
deprivation,whichprovidesgoodchancesforapositiveoutcome.Otherwise,earlybedtimemaybe
unproductiveatbest,andbadforthequalityofsleep,atworst.
Phase1824:Nightsleep
IfyoutrytonapinPhase1824,youareboundtotriggeranormalhealthynightsleep.Thisisokaslong
asyoudonotgetdownto"napping"withtheevilintentofstoppingtheprocessin2040min.Hereis
wherethepainofpolyphasicsleepingbecomeshardesttobear.AsDrStampinoticedtwodecadesago,it
isnottheproblemwithstayingawakeorwithfallingasleepthatismostexasperating.Themostpainful
partofapolyphasiclifeiswhenyourbrainwantstotriggerthenightsleepsequenceandapolyphasic
adeptstubbornlydisallowsit(Stampi1992[54])!Thisisasbadaninterruptionasanyotherabruptstopto
anallornothingphysiologicalprocess(urination,defecation,orgasm,swallowing,heartbeat,sneezing,
coughing,childbirth,andthelike).Manypolyphasicbloggersnote:"Inoticedthatwhenmynapsget
longer,Igetgroggy.SoItrytokeepthemunder20min".Duh!Ifyoudonotlaunchthenightsleep
sequence,youwillnotsufferthepainofinterruption.Whynapinthefirstplacethen?It'seasiertodelay
defecationthantostopitinthemiddle.ThemostunusualnighttimenapcontrolmethodIhave
encounteredwas..."Ikeeplotsofjunkinmybed.Thatkeepsmynapsshort"!
Important!
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Thenappingphasereferstotheoptimumnaturalwakingtime.Nottheactualwakingtime!
Forexample,inaprematuresleep,orinaninterruptedsleep,anefficientnapcantakeplace10
hoursfromwaking.Ifyoursleepisnotentirelynatural,youneedtotakeacorrectionforyour
inherentcircadiancyclethatmightberunninginthebackgroundindependentlyofyouractual
sleepinghours.Unfortunately,avastmajorityofpeoplewithsleepphaseproblemshavenoidea
howtoefficientlymeasureandplottheirnaturalcycle.
Thetwoalertnessvalleysarebiologicallydissimilar!Asitwillbeshownlater,onlythenight
timevalleycanproduceatypicallongdrawnperiodicNREMREMinterplaywithagradual
increaseintheproportionofREM.Thesubjectivenightperiodismarkedbyacharacteristic
increaseinthereleaseofmelatonin.Thelengthofsiestasleep,asshownbelow,inthebiphasic
sleepgraph,is420timesshorterthanthenaturalnightsleep.Phaseresponseiselicitedbystimuli
thatprecedeorfollowthenightsleep.However,thesamestimulimayaffectthetimingofthe
siestanap,whichinturnmayhaveanindirectimpactonthecyclephase.
Timingofnapswilldeterminetheirstructure.Someresearchersbelievethatthiscanalsoaffect
theefficiencyofnapsforaparticulartypeofmentaltaskduetothefactthatnaptimingdetermines
theproportionofNREMtoREM.Thismightbetrueifyouwanttomaximizevalue/timefor
specifictasks.However,withsleepoptimizations,youshouldalwaysgoforthemaximumtotal
value.Thisiswhythebestnapisanapwellalignedwithyourmiddaycircadiandipinalertness.
Goodconditionsforanapareimportant.Anapinasemirecliningposition,orinanoisyroom,orin
brightlights,willalsobringbenefitstoyouralertness(onconditionyouactuallymanagetofallasleep,
andperhapspassStage1NREM).However,anapinasleepconduciveenvironmentwilloftenlast
longerandbefarmorerefreshing.
Onenapperdayisenough
Manypeoplebelievethateveryextrasuccessfulnapcanbepreciouslyhelpfulinrestoringtheirmental
energy.Inanormalsleeper,whoisnotsleepdeprived,anadditionalnapisindeedlikelytobring
increasedalertnessandimprovementalperformance.However,onahealthyschedule,allnapsoutside
thesiestaperiodshouldbeveryhardtoaccomplish.Ifthegoalofsleepisdefinedasachievingmaximum
creativeproductivity,andifthenightsleepcanrunitshealthycourse(i.e.thereisnosleepdeprivation),
thenanynapattemptattimesotherthanthesiestatimewillbewasteful.Thisisbecausefallingasleep
shouldbedifficult,andsimplyrestingwiththeeyescloseddoesnotyieldafractionoftheneuralbenefit
ofanactualsuccessfulnap.Moreover,evenifsuccessful,anextranapforcedininthemorningislikely
tointerferewiththeafternoonnap.Similarly,aneveningnapmayresultinshorteningofthenightsleep.
Thoseextranapsmaybringincrementalimprovementinperformance,butwillreducetheoverall
efficiencyofsleepandmaycauseripplesinthecircadiansystem.Ourbiphasicnaturemakesitquite
clear,weshouldstriveatasinglenapintheafternoon(inthe7thhourofwaking).Forsomepeople,even
thiswillbetoomuch,andmonophasicpatternistheiroptimum.
Manyyoungcreativeindividualscomeupwiththeirowndesignersleepschedules.Ioftengetmailwith
submissionsofnewsleeppatternpropositions.Forexample,triphasicsleep:onemainsleepepisodeof6
hours(00:0006:00)withtwo30minutenapsaftermeals(12:0012:30,and18:0018:30).Likemostof
artificialwaysofmakingthesleepsystemworktodesign,thisscheduleisnotlikelytobeefficient.Most
peoplearestronglybiphasic,andonlybiphasicormonophasicsleepworkswellforadults.However,if
onethrowsawaythesecondnap,thepropositionwillbeprettyclosetoanaturalbiphasicrhythm:0:00
6:00and13:0014:00.Eventhough,designerschedulesshouldalwaysbeavoided.Theonlyexceptionis
fordesignsthatareanapproximationofwhatSleepChartshowsinfreerunningsleep.Aspeopledifferin
variousparametersoftheirsleepcontrolsystem,thosewhoareveryregularsleepersmightindeed
considerwiringaspecifictimingtotheirscheduleaslongasthetimingisderivedfromtheiractualsleep
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patternmeasurement.Ifsleepepisodesinadesignerschedulearenotalignedwiththecircadianneeds
thentheywilloftenleadtoacircadianchaos.
Ifyouwanttosleepwellandbeproductive,choosebiphasicsleep,monophasicsleep,orfreerunning
sleep,whicheverworksbestforyou,andwhicheveryoucanafford.Freerunningsleepsynchronized
withthedaylightcycleisthehealthiestandwillresultinhighestproductivity.Onceyourunfree,
youwilldeterminequicklyifyourprefertosleepbiphasicallyormonophasically.
Polyphasicsleep
Thelawofacceleratingreturns
Weliveinthetimesofacceleratingacceleration.TheMoore'sLawmakestheworldsmaller,faster,more
connectedandmoreefficient.WearenowabletotouchandfeelKurzweil'sgeneralization:thelawof
acceleratingreturns.Thefastlivingyounggenerationishungryformore.Morefun,moreinformation,
moreaccomplishment,moreeducationand...morewakingtime.Itisprettyamazingtoseehowmany
peoplewillleanoverbackwardstoshortentheirsleeptoincreaseproductivity.Youngselfexperimenters
keepcuttingsleepshortwithalarmclock,usingcontrolledsubstances,pullingregularallnighters,or
tryingtousethesleeptimefor"usefulpurposes"(e.g.learninginsleep).
Inablogofayoungentrepreneurattemptingtosavelifebysleepingless,Iread(boldfaceemphasisis
mine):"Sleepisnotmyfriend.AsabuddingyoungentrepreneurIhaveadesiretogoaboutlifewithless
sleepandmorewakingmomentsinlife.Ialwaysfeellikethosemomentsinbedaremomentsthatcould
beusedforamorenoblepurpose.[...]AsanygoodIndustrialTechnologistknowsforsomethingtobe
controllableitmustbemeasurable.SoIwrotedownthetimeIwenttosleepandtimeIwokeupevery
morningforayear.Measuringitgavemeagoodbenchmarktoimproveupon".Apraiseworthyoneyear
recordofmeasurementsfollowedandproducedanicegraphofhealthyandregularsleepaveragingan
enviable8hourspernight(slightlylessinsummertime).Asleepexpertmightexclaim:"Goodforyou!
Keepitup!"Butabuddingentrepreneurgoesonto"improveupon"millionsofyearsofevolution."This
isatotalof112daysasleepand253daysawake.Or,toputitanotherway,Isleptaway31%ofthe
year,[...]ItriedafewexperimentswithmydaytoseeifIcouldreducethetimeIspentsleeping.For
example,Ioncetriedstrictlylimitingmysleepto5hourseachnightitlastedabout2weeksandIgave
myselfafever.ThenItriedpullinganallnighteronceaweekforasmanyweeksasIcouldmanage.
Thatdidnotlastlongeither.Mostnotablybecausethe2nddayaftertheallnighterwasalwaysso
unproductivethattheextratimeIwasawakedidnotproduceanetincreaseinmyproductivity.[...]I
haveyettofindagoodwaytosleeplessonaconsistentbasis".IwonderwhyagoodIndustrial
Technologistdidnotbothertospend5min.togoogleforthefunctionandthenoblepurposeofsleep.
Afterall,youdonotneedanhonorsdegreeinbiologytoknowthatifthebodydoessomething,itis
nearlyalwaysforanimportantpurpose.
Inadditiontothesaidhungerformoreproductivityandmorewakingtime,themythmakingpowerof
thehumanmindisnowgrotesquelyamplifiedbytheallmightyInternet.Ifthereisanideathatcould
makelifebetterormorebearable,itquicklytakesonitsownInternetlifeassoonasitisinvented.Along
therulesofthememeticscience,theideagrows,mutatesandevolves.Itfeedsfreelyonscienceaswell
asonrumor,selfexperiment,andunscrupuloussourcesbiasedbyselfinterestreadytotradetruthfor
profits.Itsnowballsaddingnewpleasingfactsandhypothesesasitrumblesovertheunpreparedminds.
Likeanewmessiah,itdragsbehindnewfollowers,advocates,apostlesanddiehardguerillasreadyto
contributetotheultimatevictoryofthecause.
Aroundtheyear2000,anewmemecroppedupinseveralblogsonthenet:TheUberman'sSleep
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Schedule.Duetomyinterestintheroleofsleepinmemoryandlearning,itdidnottakelongforthe
memetohitmyinbox.Astheconceptkeptballooningonamonthlybasis,itleftmewithlittlechoicebut
totakeastand.
TheUberman'sSleepSchedule
TheideabehindtheUberman'sSleepScheduleistogainwakinghoursbysleepingthetotalofjust3
hoursin6portionsdistributedequallythroughouttheday.Therearemanyvariantsofthescheme
proposedbythosewhotriedtosleepalongtheschedule.Thescheduleissupposedtocompress
physiologicallylessimportantstagesofsleepandhomeostaticallyupregulatestagesvitalformental
health.TheUberman'sSleepSchedulewasproposedinthisblogatEverything2byawomanhiding
behindanickPureDoxyk.Theblogreportedasleepexperimentwithaninnocentadmissionthatthe
Ubermanschedulewasincompatiblewiththeexperimenter'sscheduleandgoals.Yetthememewas
pickedupinaKuro5hinarticlein2002.Phrasedinasimpleandwellstructuredlanguage,thistimeit
wasnoticed.Again,thepostendedwith"Uberman'ssleepscheduleisapotentiallydangerouswayto
increaseyourwakinghours".Thatdidnotpreventafrenzyofnewfollowersreadytogainyearsof
wakingtime.Thecatchythemeoftheconceptisthat,indeed,ifyousucceededinsleeping3hoursper
dayinsteadoftheprescribed8,startingat20yearsofage,youwouldgainover11yearsinanaverage
Westernlifespan.Theideaisveryattractive.Nowonderthenthatassuchitseemedtokeepgaining
momentumforquiteawhile.
Polyphasicsleep
Moreandmorefrequently,Uberman'sSleepSchedulewasbeingreferredtoaspolyphasicsleep(theterm
popularizedbyresearchandbookbyanItalianchronobiologistDr.ClaudioStampi).Polyphasicsleepis
knowntosleepresearchersasavariantofasleeppatternthatissetinoppositiontomonophasicor
biphasicsleep.Inmonophasicsleep,anindividualorananimalsleepsinasingleblockduringasingle
wakesleepcycleof24hours.Innaturalbiphasicsleep,therearetwoblocksofsleepin24hours:the
nightsleepandthetypicalLatinsiesta(the"7thhournap").
Polyphasicsleepisquitewidespreadinanimalkingdom.Inarecapitulationofphylogeny,humanbabies
alsosleeppolyphasically,andgraduallylosetheirnappingpropensityuntiltheybecomeroughlybiphasic
aroundtheageofone.Humanadults,asmuchasallgreatapes,arelargelybiphasic.Althoughamajority
ofwesternersdonotnaponaregularbasistheiralertnessshowsaslumpinthemiddleofthesubjective
day.Thisslumpcanconsolidateinashortsleepepisodeinfreerunningconditions.
ThetheorybehindtheUberman'sSleepScheduleisthatwithsomeeffort,wecanentrainourbrainto
sleepalongtheancientpolyphasiccycleandgainlotsofwakingtimeontheway,mostlybysheddingthe
lessimportantstagesofsleep(e.g.shorteningStage1ofNREM,whichseemstobejustatransitionstate
tothemore"useful"stagesofslowwavesleep).Thattheoryisflawedasitdoesnottakeintotheaccount
themagnitudeofthecircadianacrophaseinthesubjectivenight.
Tosleepornottosleeppolyphasically
Havingpresentedpolyphasicsleepasseenbyitsenthusiasticadvocates,letushavealookatits
physiologicalrootsandimplications.Witheverypassingmonth,weaccumulateatremendousbodyof
evidenceofthevitalrolethesleepplaysinmemoryandcreativity.Inaddition,mostofushaveagood
understandingthatwithoutsleepthereislittlechanceforanintellectualaccomplishment.Evenmore,we
findithardtostayawakeunassistedforlongerthan2days.Although,superhumanachievementshave
beenwelldocumented,wherepeoplelikePeterTripp(1959),RandyGardner(1965)andTonyWright
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(2007)stayed(semi)awakefor8,11,and11daysrespectively,mostofthemeremortalscannoteven
sufferthroughthefirst48hoursofwakefulnessandinevitablyfallpreytoslumber.EEGandactigraphy
measurementsindicatethathumansarebasicallybiphasic.Thereisasinglepowerfuldrivetosleep
duringasubjectivenight,andasingledipinalertnessinthemiddleofthesubjectiveday.EEG
measurementsareconfirmedbymanyotherphysiologicalvariablessuchastemperaturemeasurements,
cortisollevelsintheblood,melatoninlevelsinthesaliva,levelsofotherhormones,bloodpressure,gene
transcription,immunecellactivity,subjectivealertness,andcountlessotherparameters.In2007,Ihave
finallybeenabletoseethesameeffectinthecircadianchangesinmemoryrecallandconsolidationin
SuperMemo.Attherootofhuman24hperiodicityistheactivityofthesuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN)in
thebrain,whichisdrivenbya24hourcycleofgenetranscriptionchangesrunningaclassicfeedback
loop.Tinymutationsinthegenesresponsibleforthecircadianperiodicitymaylengthenorshortenthe
periodofthecircadiancycle.Theycanalsoleadtocompletearrhythmicity.Manyofsuchmutations
havebeenstudiedinfruitfliesandinmice.Humanmutationsleadingtosleepphasedisordersarealso
known(e.g.familialASPS).However,thosemutationsarerare,andforavastmajorityofhealthy
humansthelengthoftheperiodisslightlylongerthan24hours.DrCharlesCzeislerhasmeasureditto
be24.2hourswithamazinglylittlevariationamongindividualsundertheconditionsandwithinthe
samplestudied(Czeisleretal.1999[55]).Thecircadiancycle(incl.thegenetranscriptionandtheactivity
oftheSCN)canbeproddedandshiftedslightlyonadailybasis.Thedegreeoftheshiftisdeterminedby
thephaseresponsecurve(PRC)andrequiresaveryprecisetimingofthephaseshiftingstimulus(Khalsa
etal.2003[56]).Inotherwords,withastimulussuchaslight,physicalactivity,orsocialinteraction,we
canmovetheperiodofmaximumsleepinessslightly.AlthoughtheprecisemeasurementsofthePRC
speakofthepossibleshiftofupto3hoursinasingledaywithasinglestrongstimulus,itishard,in
practice,toshiftone'scircadianrhythmbymorethan1hourperday.Weallgetalittlebackwardprod
dailywhenwetrytofitthe24hourday.Thisdailyresettingispainlessforthosewhoapplythe
principlesofsleephygiene.Itoccursinthemorningwithlight,activity,and/orstress.Anincreasing
portionofthepopulationusethealarmclocktodothejobthatshouldnaturallybedonebysunlightand
activity.Thisisnotahealthysolutionandisusuallyforcedbyourelectricallylitlifestylewithevening
TV,eveningreading,eveningInternet,eveningpartying,etc.Forthoseoutofphase,itiseasiertoshift
thesleepscheduletolaterhours(e.g.byactivitylateinthenight)thanitistoshiftitback(e.g.bybright
lightinthemorning).Thisasymmetrycomesfromthefactthatwecanconsciouslycontrolthewaking
hours,whichcanonlybeusedforaforwardshift.Itiseasytowilloneselftostayuplate.Itisfarharder
towilloneselftowakeupearly.Naturally,analarmclockcanbeusedtoaccomplishthelatter,butuseof
alarmsshouldbeavoidedinchronotherapyandinhealthysleepduetodisruptiveeffectofalarmsonthe
progressionofsleepcycles.Whileitispossibletoshiftthesleepphase,wedonotknowanybiological
mechanismsthatcouldbeusedtosignificantlyreducethelengthofahealthysleepblockwithout
inducingadegreeofsleepdeprivation.Shortesteffectivesleepcanbeaccomplishedonafreerunning
sleepwithstrongmorningresettingstimuliandstrongeveningphasedelaystimuli.However,even
naturalstimulicaninduceadegreeofsleepdeprivation.Shiftingthesleepphasehasarelativelysmall
effectonthelengthofthemainsleepblock.Thechangeisproportionaltothedegreeofshiftandhasthe
samesign(i.e.shiftdelaysreducethelengthofsubjectivenightsleep).Mostimportantly,thechange
revertstothebaselineshortlyaftertheshift.Thisillustratesthehomeostaticnatureofsleepcontrol
mechanismsthatrespondtophaseshiftingstimulibystabilizingthenewsleepscheduleatthenewoffset
withinaveryshorttimeaslongasshiftsaresmallenoughandaregeneratedbywelltimedphaseshifting
stimuli.Amoredecisiveinterventioninthesleeppatternsmayresultincircadianchaos.InSiberian
hamsters,itcanevencausearrhythmicity(Rubyetal.1996[57]).Thosedramaticchangescanhavea
serioushealtheffectsandmaybedifficultandslowtoreverse.
Thewelldefinedeffectsofnaturalstimulithataffectsleeppatternsleadtoaninstantconclusion:the
claimthathumanscanadapttoanysleepingpatternisfalse.Asuddenshiftintheschedule,asinshift
work,mayleadtoacatastrophicdisruptioninsleepcontrolmechanisms.25%ofNorthAmerican
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populationmayworkinvariantsofshiftschedule.Manyshiftworkersneveradapttheirsleeppatternto
theshiftpattern.Attimes,theyworkpartlyinconditionsofharmfuldisconnectfromtheirbodyclock,
andreturntorestfulsleeponcetheirshiftreturnstotheirpreferredtiming.Atworst,theconstantshiftof
theworkinghoursresultsinalossofsynchronybetweenvariousphysiologicalvariablesandtheworker
nevergetsanyqualitysleep.Thispropelsanindividualonastraightpathtoavolleyofhealthproblems,
whichincludecardiacdisorders,suppressionoftheimmunesystem,diabetes,gastrointestinaldisorders,
obesity,depression,chronicfatigue,sleepdisorders,etc.Shiftworkersarealsoatahigherriskof
accidentsandfamilyproblems(e.g.experiencinghigherdivorcerate).Shiftworkdesignshouldapply
thelawsofchronobiologytominimizetheadverseeffectsofshiftworkonhealth.Itisoftenbetterto
keepworkersworkingbynightonaconstantbasisthantoinducearegularsleepdisruptionandstresson
aweeklybasisbyacycleofneverendingscheduleshifts.Itappearsthatpolyphasicsleepencountersthe
preciselysameproblemsasseeninjetlagorshiftwork.Adulthumanbodyclockisnotadaptedto
sleepinginpatternsotherthanmonophasicorbiphasicsleep.Inotherwords,theonlyknownhealthy
alternativesare:
1. asingle68hourssleepblockinthenight,or
2. anightsleepof57hourscombinedwitha1590min.siestanap.Thosenumbersdiffer
substantiallyacrossthepopulationandthereisnosinglerecommendeddoseofsleepforeveryone.
Ifadegreeofpressureisexertedonthebodyclock,e.g.bygoingtosleeplaterthanthebody'soptimum,
themiddaynapmayserveasacompensatorybuffercounteractingsleepdeprivation.Insuchconditions,
thenapmaylastlongerthantheusual1530minutes.Themorepressureisappliedonthenightsleep,the
longerthesiestanap.Similarbiphasicconsolidationcanalsobeproducedexperimentallyinrats.It
appearsthatwithsufficientpressurethenapmaybecomelongerthanthenightsleep,effectively
reversingthesleeppatternby12hours.Thiseffectconfirmsanimportantbiphasicnatureofthehuman
sleepthatisnotfullyaccountedforbythepresentsleepmodels.Inrarecases,individualsmaylearnto
sleepintwoblocksof34hours.However,inavastmajorityofcases,thepatterninwhichsleepoccurs
intwoequalblockswithin24hoursinunstable.Inotherwords,individualsontheproportionalbiphasic
schedulequicklyfallbacktolongnightsleepandshortsiestasleep,orbacktomonophasicsleep.Often,
theportionofsleepthatoccursduringdarknesstakestheroleofthenightsleep.However,itismore
likelythatthisroleistakenbythatportionofsleepthatwaslongerbeforetheestablishmentofthe
proportionalbiphasicpattern.Thisagainindicatestheunderlyingphysiologicalasymmetrybetweentwo
sleepblocksinabiphasicpattern.Inotherwords,thebodyrememberswhichsleepblockisthe
subjectivenightblock,evenifthatblockhappenstooccurduringthedaylightperiod.Throughsleep
deprivation,byemployingthehomeostaticcomponentofsleepiness,polyphasicsleeperscanincreasethe
numberofnapsduringtheday.However,thepatternofonenightsleepandmultipledailynapsishighly
unstable,andcanbemaintainedonlywithaneverendingdegreeofsleepdeprivation.Naturally,ifyou
happentouseanalarmclock,youcaneasilyrunmultiple"naps"duringyourcircadianlowtimeduring
thesubjectivenight.Thisisnotpossibleduringthesubjectiveday(exceptinconditionsofextremesleep
deprivation).Toadegree,analarmclockcanalsobereplacedwithyourinternalalarm(e.g.thinking"I
mustgetupin20minutes").Noneof"naps"executedinsimilarconditionswilldothejobofnatural
sleep.Theyarenotonlylargelyawasteoftime,buttheyalsocontributetodismantlingyoursleep
controlmechanisms.DrStampi'sresearchonpolyphasicsleephasalsoclearlyidentifiedtheforbidden
zonesforsleepwherenapsareverydifficulttoinitiatewithoutsubstantialsleepdeprivation.Thosezones
mapwellonthebiphasicrhythmwiththesubjectiveeveningnapsprecedingthecorenightsleep
particularlyineffectiveforrestedindividuals.Alltheabovefindingsinevitablyleadtoaconclusionthat
itisnotpossibletomaintainapolyphasicsleepscheduleandretainhighalertnessand/orcreativity!Asit
willbeshownlater,practiceisnolesslenientinjudgingtheimpracticabilityofpolyphasicsleepfor
creativeindividuals.
Anecdotalevidenceseemstoindicatethathighlycreativeindividualsperformbestinabiphasicsleep
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pattern.However,theonlyvalidruleofathumbformaximizingcreativityandalertnessistosleepthen
andonlythenwhenyoufeelsleepy.Whenthisruleisapplied,individualsmayfallintoanumberof
diverseschedules.Theymightbequiteeffectiveinanyoftheseexemplarymonoandbiphasicpatterns:
typical7+2or6+1,longsleeper's9+0,shortsleeper's4+1,oreven4+0,etc.Onlyyoucandetermine
whichscheduleisoptimuminyourcase.However,youcanexpectthatifyouareanormalhealthy
individual,thisschedulewillnotbepolyphasic(otherthanbiphasic).Ifyouattempt3+0.5+0.5+0.5,you
willeitherbeseriouslysleepdeprived(i.e.youwillmaintainthescheduleonlywiththehelpofanalarm
clock),oryouwillrevertto3+0.5,ormorelikely,youwillfallbackontoastandard6+1pattern.The
possibilityofhookingupyournapstotheultradianrhythmwithoutsleepdeprivationisamyth.
5yearssincetheUbermanBigBang
Intheyears20022005,InoticedanexponentialincreaseintheinterestintheUbermanSleepSchedule.I
keptreceivingmoreandmoremailwithquestionsabouttheimpactofUbermanonhealthandlearning.
Asaresult,IwrotePolyphasicSleep:FactsandMyths.Inthecourseofthefiveyearsthatfollowed,I
receivedsome500piecesofmailandgotinpersonaltouchwithmanypolyphasicsleepadepts.Ofthose
attemptsthatIwasgivenachancetomonitor,allwereunsuccessful.Someofthecriticsoftheoriginal
articleclaimedthattheydosleeppolyphasically,butIreceivednodatathatcouldserveasthebasisfor
verification.Themostinterestingconclusioncomingfromthemassofmailreceivedisthatpeopledrift
towardspolyphasicsleeplessasaresultoftheirhungerforachievement,andmorefortheirprior
problemswithsleep.Theyoftenthinkofpolyphasicsleepasapanaceaforalltheirsleepproblems.This
perceptionismagnifiedbymultipleblogclaims.IreceivedacoupleofSleepChartdatasubmissions
demonstratinghowdifficultthestrugglewiththepolyphasicsleepis.Admittedly,Iwasquiteimpressed
withthedegreeofdeterminationsomeofthoseexperimentersshowed.Asthenewestversionof
SleepChartmakesitpossibletomodelthechangesinsleeppropensity,itprovidessomeinsightsintothe
phaseshiftingchaosthatoccursinpolyphasicsleep.Witheverypassingday,weknowmoreabout
polyphasicsleepanditspotentialimpactonhealth.Thenewsisnotgoodfortheproponentsofthe
polyphasicsleepasalifestyle.
ThemailthatIhavereceivedinreferencetomypolyphasicsleeparticlewasmostlycritical,butitshould
notbeusedasameasureofsuccess.Itisnotimportantwhatproportionofreaderswouldagreewithme.
Itisimportanthowmanygaveuptheideaofsleepingpolyphasicallyasaresult.Withinthefivehundred
piecesofmail,Iroughlyestimatethedistributionoftheirnatureasfollows:50%criticism,40%
requestsforhelpinimplementingpolyphasicsleep,and10%wordofgratitudeforthewarningagainst
adoptingpolyphasicsleep.10%mayseemlikeaverylowconversionrate.However,thistranslatesto
hundredsofhoursofsomeone'stime.Iamsureitalsotranslatestotangiblehealthbenefit.Forexample,a
greatdealofpolyphasicattemptsendupwithacoldorinfluenza,whichmustreflecttheimpactofthis
sleepscheduleontheimmunesystem.WhatAaronwroteisprettyrepresentativeofthe10%group:"The
ideaofsleepinginnapsspreadthroughoutthedayintriguedmeasIhavealwayssufferedfromwhatI
wasunabletoproperlyquantify,butnowknowisDSPS.IfIdonotuseanalarmclock,andgotosleep
whenIbecometired,Iseemysleep/waketimesshifttosignificantlylatertimeseveryday(hourslater).
Thishasbeenaconstantsourceoffrustrationforme,andIconsideredapolyphasicscheduleinorderto
helpcorrecttheproblem.However,afterreading"PolyphasicSleep:FactsandMyths",Ihavedecided
thiswouldbeasincerewasteofmytime".Criticismofmyarticlewouldusuallyskirtaroundthescience
argumentandquotefromblogsofpeoplewhoclaimtheyhavesucceededwithpolyphasicsleep.For
exampleKopwrote:"ThereareMANYpeoplewhosuccessfullyadapted.[...]Yousimplyneglectedto
citethem,andyoucitedonlypeoplewhofailed.Ithinkthisisveryunfairandmisleadingtoyourreaders.
Imaysoundlikeabrokenrecord,butevenifyoubelievethateveryonewhoclaimstohavebeen
successfulislyingyoushouldletyourreadersmakethischoiceandyoushoulddefinitelynotjust
completelyleaveoutalltheinformationyoupersonallydon'tagreewith".
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Compressionofsleepstagesinsleepdeprivation
Oneofthemythsof"Ubermansleepschedule"isthatitmakesitpossibletoenterREMsleepandskip
nonREMsleepstagesentirely.Thatmythisderivedfromanotherfalseclaimthatimpliesanon
essentialroleofdeepsleep.Iwillignoretheseclaimsasstandingintotaldisagreementwithlaboratory
findings.Instead,letusfocusonamoreplausibleclaimofthepossibilityofcompressingsleepstagesin
polyphasicsleep.Itistruethatpeoplewhoaresleepdeprivedareabletoenterdeepsleepmuchfaster
thannormalsleepers.Afteraperiodofsleepdeprivation,lessimportantstagesofsleeparecompressed,
whilethecoreSWSpredominates.AlsoREMdeprivationwillresultinREMupregulationatrecovery
time.Initially,thesleepsystemwillworkoncatchingupwiththeoutstandingSWS,andonlylaterwith
theoutstandingREMsleep(oftenonlyonasecondrecoverynight).Itappearsthenthatindeed,weare
moreeffectiveatsleepingafterwehadbeensleepdeprived.Moreover,itispossiblethatthehomeostatic
controlofsleepisnotveryefficientatdetectingthetrueneuralsleepneeds.Ifyoulookatourmammal
relatives,youmaybesurprisedthatagiraffecandowellon2hoursofsleep,whileabatmayneed20.
Smartandfastlearningelephantsneed4timeslesssleepthanlessbrainyfelines.Behavioral
observationswillthenquicklyleadustotheconclusionthattheamountofsleepisnotdirectlycorrelated
withtheamountandcomplexityofmemoryacquisitionandneuralcomputation.Wemaythen
hypothesizethatthesleepcontrolmayemployauxiliaryphysiologicalparametersthatareonlyloosely
relatedtotherequirementsofneuraloptimization.Itisalsopossible,thatevolutiontookaccountofthe
factthatthenighttimeisnotaveryusefultimeforactivityinearlyhominids.Sleepcontrolmechanisms
mightthenhaveattractedanumberofadditionalphysiologicalfunctionsthatmightimprovesurvival
evenifsleeplastedlongerthanwhatisneededformemoryconsolidationandoptimization.Hencethe
possibilityofallsleepmechanismsproceedingatleisurelyratewithlotsofaddedfunctionthatwouldnot
requirelossofconsciousawarenessinthefirstplace.Iftheabovethinkingiscorrect,wemightindeedbe
abletoexecutethesameneuraljobinashortertimegiventhefavorablecircumstances.However,littleis
knownofthetruenatureofthelinkbetweenneuraloptimizationandhomeostaticsleepcontrol.Our
presentknowledgestillseemstofirmlyindicatethatwecanmaximizeourcreativitytosleepcostratio
onlywithfreerunningsleep.Inotherwords,thereisnoevidencethatbyplayingwithsleepdeprivation,
youcanincreaseyourcreativity.Theonlypossibleexceptionmightbeatinydegreeofdeprivation
resultingfromdelayingsleepby3060minutes.Longerdelaysaffectalertnessbeyondwhatmightbe
considereda"gain".Itissimplypossiblethatbetweentheextremesoffreerunningsleepandaslightly
delayedsleepphase,thetradeoffbetween(1)timegainduetosleepcompressionand(2)anaccelerated
homeostaticsleepinessmightproduceanoptimumsomewhereinbetween.Naturally,thistinyprodtoa
sleepcyclehasnothingtodowiththeemploymentofalarmclocks,shatteredscheduleandneverending
battlewithgrogginesstypicaltothosewhoexperimentwithUbermansleep.Moreover,eventhatlittle
hypotheticalinterventioninthesleepcyclewillinevitablyresultinphaseshiftsthatmayhavenumerous
negativesideeffects,including,mostobviously,theinabilitytofunctioneffectivelyinasocietythatis
largelysynchronizedwithdaylight.Wellentrainedandbalancedfreerunningsleepisstillyourbestbet
formaximumcognitiveperformance.
Insleepdeprivationinducedbypolyphasicschedules,REMsleepwilloccurfasterduetosleepstage
compression.Yetitistheslowwavesleepthatistheprimarytargetofhomeostaticupregulationstrongly
determinedbythedurationofpriorwaking.AsREMsleepisfarmoreassociatedwiththecircadian
phase,itsproportioninsleepwillactuallydrop,esp.innapsinitiatedinthesubjectiveeveningperiod.
YoumaywanttostudysleepmodelsbyAlexanderA.BorbelyandPeterAchermannwhichnicely
explainthemechanicsoftheseprocesses.LaboratoryfindingsseemtoindicatethatthedropinREM
graduallyrecoverstowardsthebaselineoversuccessivedaysofsleepdeprivation,butthereversalis
nevercomplete.Inotherwords,youwillgetlessREMsleeponapolyphasicscheduleascomparedwith
afreerunningschedule.ThisREMsleepdietisasmuchabsolute(asmeasuredinminutes)asitis
relative(whencomparedwithdeepsleepNREM).TheproblemofREMdeprivationbecomesmore
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pronouncedifyouuseanalarmclockwhenwakingupfromnaps.Byusingthealarmclock,you
statisticallyhitREMsleepmoreoftenasitsproportionnearlyalwaysincreasesoversleeptime.Thisis
whypolyphasicsleepersoftenremembertheirdreamsonawakening.That'snotasignyougetmore
REM.It'sasignyouaredestroyingREMsleep.Byusingveryshortblocksofsleep,youaffectREM
evenfurtherbyastronghomeostaticupregulationofStage4NREMthatdisplaceswhateverREMyou
canget.
GettingmoreREMinpolyphasicsleepisamyth.YouwillgetlessREMandyourcreative
powerswilldip.
Ifyou(1)donotfightsleepinessand(2)wakeupfromyournapsnaturally,theproblemofsleep
disruptiondoesnotoccur.However,itisimpossibletoregularlyfitapreplannedpolyphasicschedule
withoutsomehelpfromanalarmclock.Thiscomesfromthefactthattheonlystablesleeppatternsin
healthyindividualsaremonoorbiphasic.Polyphasicsleeppatternsmaybestableandsustainablein
variouscasesofhypersomnia,narcolepsy,andothersleepdisorders.Whenthesleepcontrolsystemis
disruptedandthehomeostaticsleepcomponentworksinoverdrive,frequentnappingmayoccurandbe
recommended(e.g.ininfection,chemotherapy,etc.).Needlesstosay,thetotalsleepincreasesinsuch
circumstances.Thisisexactlywhatpolyphasicadeptsaretryingtoavoid.Adegreeofsleep
fragmentationmayalsooccurasaresultofstress,sociallife,excitement,goingtosleeptooearly,etc.
Thosedisturbancesmayoccasionallyallowfordayswithmorethanonenapoccurringnaturally.Ifyou
giveupthealarmclock,youtakeawaythemajorculpritthatmakespolyphasicsleepunhealthy.
However,withoutanalarmclock,itisyourbodythatwilldecidethesleepschedule,notyourpre
planned"rationalized"schedulegraph.ThatschedulewillnotresembleanythingUberman.
IfyourgoalistogetmanynapswithlotsofREM,youmightwanttoknowthatmorethantwonapswith
solidREMsleeparediagnosticfornarcolepsy.
Sleepandcreativity:Lessismore
Polyphasicsleepisbadforyourhealthandbadforyourcreativecapacity.However,evenifyouwantto
maximizetimespentinthewakingstateitmightnotbeyourbestoptionassumingyouneedareasonable
degreeofalertnessforwhateveryoudoinyourwakingtime!Onlywhenapproachingsubstantialsleep
deprivationcanpolyphasicschedulebesuperiortobiphasicscheduleinthatrespect(see:Puredoxyk
law).
Somepeoplelikefirefightersoremergencysurgeonsmaysacrificetheirsleepforthesakeofothers.The
numberofpeoplethatneedtomakeasacrificecanbereducedbyawelldesignedshiftwork.Mostofthe
remainingpopulationshouldoptimizetheirsleepforbesthealthandbestcreativeperformanceduringthe
wakingtime.Polyphasicsleepisdefinitelynottheanswertosuchoptimizationgoals.
ThesearenotthetimesofthepyramidofGizawhenthegeniusofadesignerhadtopairupwith50,000
drudgesreducedtomerebackbreakinglabor.Aswemovetowardstheknowledgeeconomy,itisthe
alertandcreativemindsthatprovidethebasisofsuccessinmostprojects.Oneminuteofinsightmay
beworthacenturyofshoveling!ItmighthavebeenasinglecreativeeurekathatproducedE=mc2.
ProbablyevenEinsteinhimselfwouldnotbeabletotrackbacktheexactmomentwhenhisbrain
producedthatformula.Norwouldhebeabletoformulateasureprescriptionforothersforsimilar
accomplishments.Humancreativityisprimarilyagameofchance.Yetitbreedsonlyonfertilegrounds.
Topnotchmindinatopnotchshapeinconjunctionwithtopnotchsleepisthebestformulaformoreof
suchinsightsinthefuture.Polyphasicsleepistheantithesisofthatformula!Ifyouscantheblogsof
polyphasicexperimentersyouwillseethemchoosean"engagingactivity"againandagainjusttostay
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awake.Whywouldtheyprefertomeetpeopleorgoforajoggingover,forexample,gettingdowntoa
mentallychallengingproject?
TonyWrightinhisattemptatGuinnessRecordofsleepdeprivation(11dayswithoutsleep)realizedthat
hecoulddoanythingbutwriting.After10dayswithoutsleep,hisbrainwasnotuptothechallengeof
writingevenacoupleofwords.Heconcluded:Asitturnsoutwritingwhilesleepdeprivediseasilythe
mostdifficultthingtodo,forthatreasonIhavedecidedIwon'twriteanymore,sothiswillbemylast
entry.
Whywouldlearningadifficultsubjectbesuchamentaldraginsleepdeprivedstate?Assportsorsocial
interactionsstimulatetheaminergicarousalcentersinthebrain,theseareeffectivecounterweightstothe
homeostaticdrivetosleep.Thebrainusesitslastresourcestomobilizethelesserusedportionsofthe
cortextocompensateforoverloadsinthehippocampusandothercentralmemoryareas.Creatively,you
maybebraindead,butyouwillstillbeabletomeetpeopleorgoforajogging.
Learningisapowerfulcontributortothehomeostaticsleepiness.Soporificpoweroflearningisoneof
themostvisibleconnectionsbetweensleepandmemory.Ifyouhaveproblemswithfallingasleep,
nothingservesasabetternaturalhypnoticthanlearning!Notjustpassivereading.Activelearning!The
besthomeostaticsleepingpillIknowisincrementalreading.Naturally,youneedacircadiancomponent
ofsleepinessforthe"pill"towork.Otherwise,learning(orincrementalreading)is,paradoxically,your
best"creativitypill".
Thecircadianphasedeterminesthepositiveneuralfeedbackoflearningthatgeneratesthe
creativeenthusiasm(aftersleep),orthenegativeneuralfeedbackofdrowsiness(beforesleep).
Theremaybemoreatstakethoughthanjustalertness,creativity,andlongtermhealth.Itisconceivable
thatthesleepcontrolcentersinthebrainbecomeaffectedbypolyphasicexperiments.Researchershave
notedcaseswhereshiftworkorotherforcedschedulepatternswereableputthebodyclockoutofkilter.
SomehavespeculatedthatPeterTrippsufferedlongtermconsequencesofhisawakeathon.Polyphasic
scheduleislessdrasticintermsofsleepdeprivation,butmoredrasticincircadiandisruption.DrStampi
hasputoneFrancescoJostthroughadietof3hoursofsleepfor2monthswithoutmeasurableadverse
effects.Yet,lookingatotherneuropathophysiologicalprocesses,wemightworrythatitmightbe
possibletoactuallykillcellsinthenucleiresponsiblefortheSWSswitch,REMonswitch,REMoff
switch,etc.Weknowthatdisregardingmentalhygiene,depression,excessivecellactivity,glutamate,
cortisol,hypoxia,andotherneuralstressescanleadtocellloss.Weknowthatitispossibletouncouple
thecircadiancycleinSiberianhamsterswithlightstimuli(Rubyetal.1996[57]).Aslongasthisarea
remainsgray,playingwithone'ssleepscheduleistantamounttodicingwithone'slongtermabilityto
effectivelycontrolsleepwakecycles.Thismightbenotmuchdifferentfromdieting,onceyouputyour
appetitecontrolcentersoutofservice,youaresentencedtoalifelongstrugglewithdietsandyoyoing
weight.Recentresearchshowshowjunkdietcausesglialdamagetobraincentersthatcontrolthe
appetite(Szwartzetal.2012[58]).Ibetthatchancesareveryhighthatjunksleepwillcauselossof
effectivesleepwakecontrol.Themechanismisthesame:whenyouputabraincenterinoverdrive,you
riskinjury.Wecanseethesamemechanicsinadozenofphysiologicalcontexts.Somepolyphasicadepts
reportedsleepingdifferentlyaftertheirexperimentended.Someofthosereportscouldhintatthe
flatteningofthecircadiancycle,whichisacharacteristicofsleepcontrolintheelderly.Inconclusion:
Bydefyingthenaturalprogressionofsleepwakecycle,youriskapermanentdamagetoyour
abilitytoproducehealthy,regular,entrained,andrefreshingsleep.
Whylessismore?Becausebygivingyourbrainasmuchsleepasitwants,youcanbefarmorecreative
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andproductiveinyourwakingtime.Notjustfarmore.Inapolyphasicsleeper,thecreativitymaydipby
anorderofmagnitude.It'slikewithtopperformancesports.WrongtimingofmealscoulddepriveUsain
BoltofhisOlympicGold.Donotletyourselfbemarginalizedintheraceforintellectualexcellence!
Polyphasicsleepinbabies
Newbornssleeppolyphasically.Clockgenesstartcyclingalreadyearlyindevelopmentinutero.First
circadianrhythmsalsostartshowinginuteroandareentrainedtomother'scircadiancycle(e.g.kicking,
breathing,heartrate,etc.).However,thecircadiansleepwakecycledevelopsonlyafterbirth.TheSCN
keepsgrowingataveryfastrateafterbirth.Forexample,itcontainsonly13%oftheadultnumbersof
vasopressinexpressingneurons(SwaabD.F.etal.1990[59]).Ahypothesissaysthatitistheconnection
betweenthevisualsystemandtheSCNthatdevelopsonlyafterbirth(Swaabetal.1994[60]).Research
conductedinprematurebabywardsshowsthatmoderatedarklightcycleacceleratesthedevelopmentof
thecircadianrhythms,whileconstantlighthasanoppositeeffect,incl.slowingtheoverallchildgrowth
anddevelopment(Mirmiranetal.2000[61]).Therewasevenareportofafulltermbabythatdidnot
developacircadiancycleintheperiodofstudy,possiblyduetothefactthatitwastheonlyinfantfedin
fulllightduringthenight(McMillenatal.1991).ImmaturityoftheSCNanditsafferentsinnewborns
resultsintheirinabilitytoentraintheircyclestodaylightinthefirstmonthofpostnatallife.Inthe
meantime,somepreferencetosleepinginthenightmightberelatedtocyclesentrainedinuteroand/or
postnatalentrainmenttobreastfeedingandmother'scycles,incl.cosleeping.
Someproponentsofpolyphasicsleepclaimthatbabysleepisthemostnaturalwayofsleepingandthat
babiesloseitearlyinlifeduetotheirsocialtraining.Theoppositeistrue.Newbornsshownodiscernible
circadianpreferenceintheirsleeppatterns.Thosepatternsdevelopquicklyoverthefirst13monthsof
life,andhavelittletodowithtraining.Thedevelopmentofthetypicalbiphasiccircadianrhythmisa
biologicalprocessthatisprogrammedinthegenesandislargelyinevitableinnormallightingand
normalsocialsetting.
Babiessleeppolyphasically.Theircircadiansleepcycledevelopsnaturallyinthefirst13
monthsoflife,andhasnothingtodowith"socialtraining".Naturallight,breastfeeding,and
cosleepingassistthedevelopmentofahealthycircadiancycle.
Inadditiontopropagatingthe"socialtraining"myth,proponentsofthepolyphasicsleepoverlookthe
factthatbabiessleepforfarmanymorehoursthantheallegedpolyphasicsleepers(say,1016hours
insteadofthedesired3).Ahealthyindividualcannotpossiblykeepsleepingpolyphasically,norsleepfor
16hours,unlessinastateofserioussleepdeprivation.Babiesdonotusealarmclockstocontroltheir
sleeptiming(excepttheirhungeralarm).Seeanexemplarygraphofanewbornpolyphasicsleepinthe
firstmonthoflifetonoticethatsleepepisodescomeirregularlyasaresultofaconfluenceofvarious
homeostaticfactors:
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Inhealthybabies,thetwoprimaryhomeostatsthatcontrolsleeponsetaresleepandfeeding.Needlessto
say,thereisnosignoftheregularUbermanpattern.Ifthereareultradiancycles,theyarepoorly
expressedanddifficulttofilterout.Ontheotherhand,itispossibletoseeasetofslowlyemerging
circadianpreferences,esp.withsleepepisodeconsolidation.Inthepresentedexample,thedensityof
sleepepisodesishigherinthe22pm5ambracket(seemoreinthenextsection).
Lastbutnotleast,polyphasicsleepadvocates,despiteawidelycirculatedpolyphasicmyth,loseREM
sleepinthefirstorder.Babies,ontheotherhand,mayspendasmuchas65%oftheirsleepinREM,
withoutwhichtheircerebralcortexwouldnotevendevelopcorrectly(asevidencedinsleepdeprived
kittens(Strykeretal.2001[10])).
Ultradianoscillationsinbabies
CircadiangraphsinSleepChartcanbeusedtoseekultradianrhythmicityinthepolyphasicphaseofsleep
ininfants.Thepresentedgraphs,correspondingwiththefirst7weeksoflife,shownoclearultradian
oscillation,eventhoughpeaksinintervalsthataremultiplesof3hoursconstitute75%ofallpeak
intervals:
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The redcircadianline isratherflat,but,asitcanbeseeninthethirdgraph,somepreferenceforevening

andnightsleepcanbedemonstratedwithconsecutiveadjacentsleepepisodeconsolidation:
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DoPirahapeoplesleeppolyphasically?
Whilescientistsdonotknowanynaturalbiologicalmechanismsthatcouldbepracticallyusedtoreduce
thelengthofsleepepisodeswithoutadetrimenttohealth,DanielEverett'sfieldreportonPirahapeople
claimsthatmembersofthetriberarelysleepmorethan2hoursperday.Weknowofunhealthywaysof
reducingthelengthofsleep.Wecanhormonallyreducethelengthofsleep(e.g.bystress).Wecanuse
analarmclock.ThatincludesthenaturalbrainclockbasedonthereleaseofACTH.Wecansleepina
wrongphase.Wecanreducethehomeostaticsleepdrive(e.g.withcoffee,drugs,exercise,etc.).All
unnaturalwaysofshorteningsleeptimewillinducesleepdeprivation,whichisafunctionofthedegree
oftheinterferencewithsleep.Thenetisbuzzingwithanecdotesaboutthemeritsofthepolyphasicsleep,
butnoestablishedscientificfactcanbeusedtoassertthatsleeplengthcanbereduced.Theexampleof
Pirahapeopleshouldcertainlybeofinterestforsleepscience.However,theinaccessibilityofthetribe
leaveslittleroomforresearchbeyondaspeculationonareportbyamissionary.Areportcouldbea
simpleexaggeration.Pirahapeoplecouldalsobeanexampleofthedominanceofcultureover
physiology(asitisthecasewiththe"polyphasicsleep"crowd).Weknowofmanymutationsthataffect
circadiancycles,anditisconceivabletoseeastrongprevalenceofaspecificgeneinanisolated
population.However,thiswouldmakePirahasleepdepartfarawayfromthestandardswellestablished
inourprimategroup.Inshort,ifthereportwascorrect,thesleephabitsofawesternerwouldhavetobe
moredistantfromaPirahatribememberthanfromanorangutan.
Polyphasicsleep:scientificchallenge
Ikeepgarneringcriticismformypopsciencewritingonpolyphasicsleep.However,littleofthat
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criticismaddressesthebasicpremisethatmakesiteasytopredictthatpolyphasicsleepcannotbeusedas
aplausiblelifestylechoice.IamthereforeatapointwhereIneedtoignorethecriticismunlessit
addressesthatbasicscientificpremise:
Humansleeppatternsreflecttheunderlyingcircadianoscillationwhoseperiodisroughlyequal
to24hours.Humancircadiancyclecallsforamajorsleepepisodeevery24hours.Thebody
clockcanbeentrainedwithphaseshiftsofupto3hours.However,thecircadianperiodof
maximumsleeppropensitycannotbepartitioned.Thetimingofthesleeppropensityacrophase
cannotbepositionedinanyotherwaythanbyaphaseshift.Periodicitycannotbeeliminated
withoutadetrimenttohealth.Circadiancycleunderliesthestructureofsleepthatisessential
foritsneuralfunction.Therefore,inindividualswithahealthysleepcontrolsystem,nosleep
schedulecangoaroundthemainperiodoftheprolongednightsleep.
Inpractise,theabovepremisemeansthatonlymonoandbiphasicsleeppatternsarehealthyand
recommended.Iconsidersegmentedsleepavariantofancientmonophasicsleepinducedbyperiodsof
prolongeddarkness.Allformsofnocturnalwakingareanormandshouldbeconsideredpartofthe
nighttimesleepepisode.Thechoicebetweenmonoorbiphasicsleepwilldependonthecircadianwave
function,whichhastwominimaina24hourperiod,onlyoneofwhichhasbeenprovenessentialfor
healthandwellbeing(untilnow).
Areearlyrisersbetteratpolyphasicadaptation?
Earlyriserswillsufferinpolyphasicsleepasmuchasowls.Thechronotypedoesnotmatter.People
sufferingfromirregularsleepwakerhythmcharacterizedbyalossofthecircadiancycledonapat
irregularintervalsbuttheyneitherfeelenergizednorsleeplessthanhealthyindividuals.Neitherearly
risersnorowlsnorshortsleeperscanadapttoaregularpolyphasicschedule.Polyphasicsleepcansave
livesinconditionswherevigilanceisindemand,butitwillalsoshortenlivesofthosewhoareforcedto
practiseit.
Whysolittleresearchintopolyphasicsleep?
FromanecdotalevidenceIcanconcludethatpolyphasicsleepisnotsustainableenoughtodomuch
damage.However,italsohelpsperpetuatelotsofcatchymythsthatmayaffecthowyoungpeople
approachsleepandhealthingeneral.Polyphasicsleepisnotaneatstudysubject.Scientistslike
simplicity.Theyconstructsimpleresearchmodelstomakeiteasiertoarriveatvalidconclusions.I,for
one,lovefreerunningsleepconceptasaresearchmodel.Itspeaksofunadulteratednaturalhealthysleep.
Iwishmoreresearcherspaidmoreattentiontothefreerunningconditionasallformsoflaboratory
designerschedulesintroduceadegreeofchaosintodatathatveryoftenmakesithardtointerpretitor
leadstoafalseinterpretation!Polyphasicsleepwassuggestedforunnaturalsurvivalsituations,andits
Ubermanvariantisawidelymutatedinventionofteenagerswhohopetosavetimeonsleeporsolvetheir
sleepproblems.Choosingapolyphasicsleepasamodelwouldbelikechoosingamultiplanetsystemto
testNewton/Keppler'slaws,whileatwoplanetsystemwoulddoaswellandproduceresultseonsearlier.
InsteadofacomplexFourieranalysis,wehavesimpleandclearformulasthattelltheentirestory.
Medicalsupervisionofpolyphasicsleep
Somepolyphasicadeptskeepwonderingifitwouldn'tmakesensetomakeregularcheckupsattheir
doctorstoavoidpotentialhealthhazardsofapolyphasicsleepschedule.Theproblemisthatafamily
doctor'sabilitytodetecttroubleonpolyphasicregimenisnotmuchdifferentfromhisabilitytosee
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troubleinanovicesmoker.Thedamageisnotdoneinstantlyanditisnotobvious,eventhoughIam
prettysurethatpolyphasicsleepwilldoitsravagesfasterthansmoking.Cognitivetestswouldbefirstto
showthechange.Probablyfollowedcloselybytheimmunefunctionandtheglucosemetabolism.
However,abigpartofthedamageistheopportunitycostofpolyphasicsleep.Itisnotonlywhatitdoes
tohealth,butalsowhatonecouldhaveaccomplishedasaresultoftheintactmentalcapacity.
AGPcannoteasilydetectlongtermeffectsofpossibledamageattheneurallevel,e.g.withinthescope
ofthesleepcontrolsystem.Norcanheorsheseetheimpactofchangesintheneuralfunctiononhisor
herpatients'longtermgrowthandintellectualaccomplishment.Thingsyoudonotlearntodaymay
changetheentirecourseofyourlife.Noonecanestimatethatcost.Evenasubstantialneuraldamagein
Alzheimer'sdiseaseisnoteasilydiagnosedatfirst,anditdoesnotbecomeobviousuntiltheaffected
personenterstheadvancedstagesofthediseasewhensignificantportionsofthebrainaregone!Human
brainisgreatatcompensating,andspottingdamageisnoteasy.
VisitingyourGPforacheckupisalwaysagoodidea.However,itisprettyuselessasawayof
preventingdamagedonebysleepingpolyphasically.Polyphasicsleepersoftenreportsymptomstypical
ofsleepdeprivation:thermoregulationproblems,changesinappetite,immunedeficiency,etc.Itishard
todrivethosetobecomeseriousthreatsinashortrun.Afterall,evenafewhoursof"coresleep"quickly
remedymostofthese.
Someonesuggestedtomethat"sleepdeprivationisbadbecauseitisasourceofstress.Buthowbadit
canbedependsonhowwellonecanhandlestress".Itistruethatthesusceptibilitytostressinsleep
deprivationisincreased,butitisnottruethatstressmanagementcanbeasolutiontosleepdeprivation.It
istruethatagooddietmightimprovethehealthofasmoker,butdietalonedoesnotsolvetheproblemof
smoking.Theonlyultimatesolutiontosmokingisnosmoking.Similarly,theultimatesolutiontosleep
deprivationissleep.
Myownpolyphasicsleeptrial
VeryoftenIambeingaskedhowIcanclaimanyauthorityonpolyphasicsleepwithoutevertryingitfor
myself.Forstarters,Idonotclaimtobeapolyphasicsleepexpert.Asahumblebiologist,Isimplyneed
torecalltheABCofchronobiologytofigureoutthatpolyphasicsleepisnotfeasible.Youdonotneedto
beajunkietostudydrugaddiction,eventhoughaglassofvodkamightbearecommendedonetime
treatmenttoanabstinentinvestigatorofalcoholism.IunderstandthepainofthealarmclockbecauseI
useditsparinglyduringmyuniversityyears.Iunderstandthepainofjetlagandsleepdeprivationfrom
myearlyturbulentyearsofinvolvementintheSuperMemobusiness.However,Ineedafreshbrainfor
mywork.Evenonedayofahazymindisaloss.Icannotpossiblyhopetostrugglethroughapolyphasic
routineinhopeofprovingthattheelusiveandeverremote"adaptation"isjustanurbanmyth.IfIwasto
takeonmyownsleepexperiment,itwouldratherbeasegmentedsleepattempt(Wehr1992[26]).Ican
imagineitcoulddowonderstolearningandcreativity.However,fewpeopleinthisworldcanafforda
10hourwakingday.Itseemsthatonlypaidvolunteersarereadytotastetheblessingsofexcessive
sleeping.BeforeasuperficialreaderconcludesfromWehr'sworkthatpolyphasicsleepispossible,letme
stressthathissegmentedsleepexperimentspokeofchunksofverylongsleep,notUbermanlikemini
naps.
Chartingpolyphasicsleep
Sourceofdata
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Afterpublishing"Polyphasicsleep:FactsandMyths"(Wozniak2005[62]),afewdozenofyoungmen
wrotetomerequestingassistanceinentrainingtopolyphasicsleepschedule.Ethically,Icouldonly
proceedfromanattempttodissuadetheyoungenthusiastsfromproceedingwiththeirexperiment.
Needlesstosay,thesearenotthetypesthatareeasilypersuadedtoveerofftheircourse.AsIwrotein
FactsandMyths,theseare"rebelliousmenreadytoseeknewwaysformaximumproductivity".No
scientificargumentcanbepersuasiveenoughinsuchcircumstances.Afterall,allreasoningcaneasilybe
quashedwith"sciencedoesnotyethavealltheanswers".Noneoftheyoungrebelssucceededin
entrainingpolyphasicsleep,yetsomewerepersistentenoughtoprovidevaluableSleepChartdatathat
helpedshedsomelightontheimplausibilityofthelongtermuseofthepolyphasicsleepschedule.
Stampiyachtingresearch
IndataobtainedbyStampi,weseethetimingofsemipolyphasicsleepofasolosailorinanactual
yachtingrace.Inthiscase,theCircadiangraphrevealstheforbiddensleepzoneinthefirstpartofthe
day,andaclearcircadianpreferenceforinitiatingsleepinthehours1524ofthewakingday( blueline ):
The redcircadiancurve ismeaninglesshereduetothefactthatsleepisartificiallyinterrupted.In

addition,artificialcontrolofsleepisthereasonwhythereisarolereversalbetweenthe sleep
maintenancecurve andthe sleepinitiationcurve .Inthiscase,itisthe sleepinitiationcurve thatbest
expressesthecircadiansleeppropensity.
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Aperiodogramgeneratedforthisseeminglynoisysleepshowsatypicalbiphasicpatternwithpeaksat
23.9hoursand12.1hours.23.9hourdayandtheassociatedphaseadvancearemostlikelycausedbythe
impactofchangeintimezoneswhensailingeastward:
Polyphasicsleepattempt
Inanattempttoentraintoapolyphasicsleepschedule,amaleadeptstartedhisexperimentwitha
scheduleof4napsof30min.,anda"coresleep"of3hoursat20:00withanintenttoreduceitto30min.
in"duecourse".Theentrainment("adaptation")appearedelusiveastheadeptkeptfailingtofallasleep
duringsomenaps,whilecontinuingtostrugglewithalertnessinsomeoftheallocatedwakingperiods.
Thecircadiangraphshowsthe ultradiansleepinitiation witha circadianpreferenceforsleep inthe
periodofthesubjectivenightinhours1422fromtheestimatedbeginningofthesubjectiveday:
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Thecoresleepcouldnotbeshortenedasplannedwithoutaprogressionintomoreandmoreseveresleep
deprivation.Instead,thecoresleepincreasedinlengthslightlyandmovedtoalaterhour.Gradually,
daytimenapsstarteddisappearinguntiltheadeptmovedtoatypicalbiphasicsleepof56hinthe
evening,witha3060min.napinthemorning(andanoccasionalextranapduringthedayifthecore
sleepresultedinheavysleepdeprivation).Oneyearlatertheadeptwasnearlymonophasicwithonlyone
ruleleftover:"trytogotosleepbeforemidnight".Theeffortisdocumentedinthisblog.
Ubermansleeplogs
ThepictureshowsSleepChartlogsofthethreemostdisciplinedUbermansleepadaptationattemptsthatI
managedtocollectfromprospectivepolyphasicsleepers.ThegraphillustratestheeffortsofGreg(A),
Bryan(B)andClaudiu(C):
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At9days,Greg'sattemptwasquashedbytheclusteringof"core"sleepintheearlymorninghours
towardstheendoftheexperiment(logA).Thisclusteringwascertainlycausedbythemountingsleep
deprivationaddingtothepeakofcircadiansleeppropensityintheperiodsofthesubjectivenight.
At22daystotal,and13dayswithout"coresleep",Bryan'sattemptwasthelongest(logB)(fulllogis
includedinthenextsection).Thisattemptstartedshowingsignsof"strain"alreadyonthefirstdaywith
fourextranapsinthefirstfourdays.Someoversleepingstartedshowingconsolidationintheperiodof
thesubjectivenightonDay7.Finally,atmidday,onDay14,thesubjectfellintoalongrestorative11
hoursleepbout.Theattemptcontinuedforsome8moredayswithnumerousextranaps,oversleeping,
periodsofgrogginessalternatingwithelation.Intheend,Bryan'sdetailednotesallowedofaninteresting
conclusion:thecircadiancycleofsleeppropensitywasmostlikelyrunningfreeinthebackground
duringtheentireexperimentshowinganearlyperfect25hourcycleperiod.Foradetailedanalysis
andexplanationsee:Freerunningcircadiancycleinpolyphasicsleep.
Atnearly5fulldays,Claudiu'sattemptwasthelongest"pureUberman"beforeexperiencinghisfirst
lapseintoanextranap(logC).ItisequallynotableforitsneverhavingmissedasinglenapbeyondDay
1.Itisimportanttonote,however,thatmanynappersfinditdifficulttodetermineiftheyactuallyfell
asleepduringnapsthatcomeinforbiddenzones.Whattheymarkasanapmighthaveactuallybeena
fewshortmomentsofmicrosleep.
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Mostbloggerswhoclaimsuccesswithpolyphasicsleepseemtohavetrimmedtheirstandardsof
satisfactoryalertnessandcreativity.Whenstatementssuchas"mysuccessfulexperiment"and"groggy"
cometogether,youcanbecertainthat"theexperiment"doesnoteffectivelymaximizetheiralertnessand
productivity.Sleepinertiashouldbeforeigntoahealthysleeper.
Therecouldbemanyinterpretationsof"successful"Ubermansleepclaimsthatareprettynumerousin
theblogosphere.Noneofthese"successes",however,islikelytobeexplainedbythedisappearanceof
thenaturalcircadianrhythmicitythatmakespolyphasicsleepsohardtobear.Iftheadeptwasindeedto
becomearrhythmic,thiswouldspellaserioushealthandlongevityrisk.Atbest,thiscouldimplya
dysregulationanddecouplingofsleepcontrolcenters(see:Sleepwakeflipflop).Atworst,thismight
involveaglialinjurytothebraincentersresponsibleforsleepcontrol.Needlesstosay,such
dysregulationorinjurychangeswouldbedifficulttoreverseandwouldresultinseriousproblemswith
achievingrefreshingsleep.ThatwouldbetheantithesisofthegoalsofUbermanhopefuls.
Twoprocesssleepmodelvs.polyphasicsleep
PolyphasicsleepdatacollectedfromGreg(A),Bryan(B)andClaudiu(C)(seeearlier)wasprocessed
withSuperMemoinanattempttoseehowthetimingofnapsinanunpredictablecircadianphaseaffects
thesleeppropensity:
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SuperMemoimplementsavariantofthetwoprocessmodelBorbelymodelthatmakesitpossibleto
predictalertnessand/orsleeppropensityonthebasisofthehistoryofsleepandwakefulness.Usersof
SuperMemo15(orlater)caninspecttheirownsleeppropensitypredictiondatausingShift+clickinthe
sleeplogatanyselectedpointinthetimeline.
Inthepresentedpicture,the thickredline representsestimatedalertness,andaninverseofsleep
propensity.Thecircadiansleeppropensityismarkedin aquablue .Itiseasytoseethattheshapeofthe
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alertnesscurvedependsonthecircadianphaseatwhichanapoccurs.Thegraphswerejuxtaposedsothat
toalignnaptimingwhilehavingthemoccuratdifferentcircadianphasesthatproducedifferentalertness
estimates.Thegraphsshowthatthesamenaptimingmayproduceentirelydifferentalertness
profiles.Thisexplainswhythe"energizingpower"ofpolyphasicsleepisaneasilypropagatedmyth.
Inpolyphasicsleep,dependingonthecircadianphase,napsmayproduceahighdegreeof
alertnessoraseveresleepinertia.
EventhoughthesleepmodelusedinSleepChartappliestofreerunningsleep,thesymmetryofUberman
nappingnullifiestheneedtocorrectlypredictthecircadianpeaksandvalleys.Wherevertheacrophase
peaksoccur,theywilllargelyintersectwiththenapgridatrandom.Inaddition,ifregularsleepdatahad
beencollectedbeforethepolyphasicsleepexperiment,correctsubjectivenighttimeacrophase
estimationsfromthatperiodwouldcarryoveracrossthefirstfewdaysofthepolyphasicexperiment.
Afterall,onlyconsistentphaseshiftscanrepositionthecircadiansinewavephase.Thesamemechanism
thatmakespolyphasicsleepingsohardtosustaincanalsobeusedtoexplainitwiththemodeldesigned
toserveafreerunningsleepcondition.
Polyphasicrollercoaster
Whatprimarilyemergesfromtheapplicationofthetwocomponentmodelto"Ubermansleep"data
presentedaboveisatypical"rollercoastereffect"ofalternatingalertnessandgrogginess.Unlikeatypical
sleeperwhowakesuprefreshedandgoestosleeptired,apolyphasicsleeperwillexperiencemomentsof
extremeeuphoria(e.g.at4aminthegraphB)anddiscouragingdowners(e.g.at3pminthegraphC).
Thepresentedalertnessestimatescorrelatewellwiththesubjective"focusandmotivation"assessments
madebythesleepersthemselves.InthegraphC,whereanapat11pmproducedamajorsurgein
alertness,thenapat3am,just4hourslater,deliverednearlynothing.Thisproducesatypical
rollercoasterofenthusiasmandselfdoubtinapolyphasicsleeper.Aftershortnapsthatoccuratthe
minimaofcircadiansleeppropensity,apolyphasicsleepermayreachheightsthatarenotknownto
ordinarysleepers.Thosesurgesofenthusiasmvergingoneuphoriaareprettyuniqueduetothefactthat
anordinarysleepernearlynevernapsatcircadiansleeppropensityminima.Thosemomentscanmakea
polyphasicexperimenterupdatetheblogwith"neverfeltbettercreativityatitsmaximum".Atthesame
time,somenapscanonlymakethingsworse.Forexample,thenapat3pminthegraphCtakenonJune
23,2009doesnotseemtoproduceanyboostinalertness.Itwasthenfollowedbyanhourlong
"correction"thatwouldnotboostthealertnesseither.Moreover,thecrestingcircadianwavealways
producestheunpleasantfeelingofgrogginessduetoacircadiansleepinertia.Thisisthetypeofinertia
thatisprettyfamiliartoshiftworkers.Thatcombinationofsleepprocessvariablesisalsoresponsiblefor
thefoggyheadofthejetlag.ThisillustrateswhatDrStampinoticedinhisexperimentsthatitisnothard
tostayawakeonapolyphasicsleepschedule.Thehardestpartofapolyphasicregimenistheprocessof
wakingupfromnapsthatoccuratthecircadianacrophase(Stampi1992[54])
Freerunningcircadiancycleinpolyphasicsleep
Bryan'spolyphasicattempt(mentionedearlier)broughtthemostinterestingobservation:thecircadian
cyclewasmostlikelyrunninginthebackgroundasifinzeitgeberfreeconditions.Inlinewiththe
chaoticimpactofpolyphasicsleepepisodesonthesleepcontrolsystem(see:Phaseresponsecurvein
polyphasicsleep),theepisodeslargelycanceleachotheroutandallowofafreerunningcircadiancycle
runinthebackground.Moreover,returntothemonophasiclifestylecanbenearlypainlessiftheright
phaseforsleeptimeischosen.
BryanwouldkeephisloginExcelwithdetailedannotations.Interestingly,heusedcoloringtodenote
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periodsof alertnessoreveneuphoria ,aswellasperiodsof grogginessorsleepiness(yellow):
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periodsof alertnessoreveneuphoria ,aswellasperiodsof grogginessorsleepiness(yellow):

sleep
persistentsleepiness,fatigue,
lackoffocus&motivation
normal/neutralstate,not
overlysleepyorawake
heightenedmentalclarity,
focus,motivation,enthusiasm
Thecolumnscorrespondwithsuccessivedaysoftheexperimentsandincludeprecedingandsucceeding
monophasicsleepblocks.Therowscorrespondwithhalfhourperiods.Sleepblocksaremarkedwith
theirdurationinminutes.Inthegraph,Bryan'sExcelnoteshavebeenmodifiedslightlytovisualizethe
extentofthesubjectivenight.Mostimportantly,hisoversleepblocksweremarked yellow insteadof
blue todifferentiatethemfromanartificialityenforcedpolyphasicsleep,whichtellsusnothingabout
hisactualsleeppropensity.Thiswayavisuallydistinct diagonalyellowband emergeswherethe
presumablemaximumcircadiansleeppropensityismarkedwithoutadistinctionbetweentheoversleep
episodesandperiodsofgrogginess.Idemarcatedthat yellowband with blue and red bedtimeand
wakinglinesofputativeboundariesofthesubjectivenightinthesamewayasitisdoneinSleepChart.
The blueline istheactualoptimumtimewhereBryanshouldbestgotosleep(insteadofsleeping
polyphasically).Theangleofthoselines,andtherelatedphaseshiftofthecircadiancyclepointtoa
nearlyperfect23dayturnaround,whichroughlycorrespondswitha25hourbodyclockperiod.Inother
words,wecanguessthatthecircadiancyclewasrunningfreeinthebackgrounddespitemultiplechaotic
andunpredictableinputstothephaseshiftingsystem.ItisalsoremarkabletoseehoweasilyBryan
returnedtohismonophasiclifestylebyhittingtheexactbracketsofthesubjectivenightinhisfree
runningcircadiancycle.
Bryan'sSleepChartlogshowsthatstatisticalapproachusedindemarcatingthesubjectivenightbrackets
(SleepChart1.0)failedtotrackhishypotheticalfreerunningcircadiancycle:
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Red and blue linesinthegraphshowaphaseadvance,whiletherhythmalmostcertainlyshoweda

phasedelay.ThereasonforthatfailureisthatthestatisticalmethodofSleepChart1.0usessleepblocks
asmarkersofsleeppropensity.Naturally,inpolyphasicsleep,thosemarkersarefalsified,andthrowthe
algorithmintoconfusion.Ontheotherhand,thenewerapproachusedinSleepChart2.0,basedonthe
phaseresponsecurve(PRC),wasabletoroughlyfollowthecircadiantroughnoticedinBryan'sExcel
file.Here,the yellowcircadiancrestline isthrownintosomeconfusionintheperiodfromFeb20to23.
Thisiswhytheapproximationdoesnotrecoverintimetomatchthereturntomonophasicsleep.
Eventhough,atbest,BryanwasabletosustainthepureUbermanscheduleforonly3daysinastretch,
hisonemonthlongeffortisstillaremarkabledemonstrationofselfdiscipline.IfyoureadBryan'sown
notesonhiscognitivefunction,youwillprobablyagreethatmultipleperiodsofsleepiness,fatigueor
grogginessdisqualifypolyphasicsleepasalifestylechoiceforpeoplewhousetheirbrainforaliving.
StillBryan'sownwordssummarizinghisexperimentareprettysurprising.Hedoesnotseemtobe
botheredby"periodsofsleepiness"or"difficultywakingup",whichshouldneverbepartofawell
managedandhygenicsleeppattern:
Myexperimentdemonstratedtome,unequivocally,thatitispossibletomaintainnormal(subjective)
function(mentallyandphysically)onapolyphasicsleepschedule,ifyouarewillingtoadapttotherigid
scheduleofnaps,andendureaperiodofsleepiness(circadianlow)thatlastsbetween24hourseach
day.InparalleltoStampi'sfindings,theonlysignificantdifficultyIexperiencedwaswakingupfrom
napsastheexperimentprogressed.ItbecameincreasinglydifficulttowakeupsometimesIwouldwake
upandresetmyalarmwithoutanymemoryofdoingsoormygirlfriendwouldhavetoshakemefora
fullminuteuntilIawoke.Onceawake,however,Iusuallyfeltgreat,asifIhadsleptawholenightbut
withoutthesleephangover(lethargy)frombeinginbedfor810hours.Itistemptingtofocusonthe
difficultyofwakingup,tomakeclaimsaboutwhatthatdoesordoesnotindicate,butthenormal,even
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euphoric,functioningduringwakinghoursshouldnotbeignored.Giventhis,Iwashappytoseethatyou
addressthesemattersinyourparagraphtitled,Polyphasicrollercoaster.
Itislikelythatinpolyphasicsleepattempts,thecircadiancycleisrunninginthebackground
asifinzeitgeberfreeconditionswiththechaoticphaseshiftinginputscancellingeachother
out.
ClaudioStampi
ProbablynobodyknowsmoreaboutpolyphasicsleepthanDrClaudioStampi.Hededicatedhislifeto
understandingultradianrhythmsandtheartofnapping.Hispassionfortheideawasbornthreedecades
agowhen,asamedicalstudent,hewasalsoapassionatesolosailor.Hestudiedsleepindozensof
individualstakingpartincompetitivesailing.HestudiedsleeppatternsforNASA.Hestudiedpolyphasic
sleepinlaboratoryconditions.HestrappedhissubjectswithwristwornactivitymonitorsandEEG
electrodes.Heisaworshipperofnappingasnothingcounteractssleepdeprivationandfatiguebetterthan
anap.Inhiswork,helooksforwaystowardsimprovingalertnessandsurvivalinlifethreatening
situations,esp.longdistanceboatracing.Yetheisnotrecommendingthepolyphasicschedulefor
normallyfunctioningcreativeindividualwhocanaffordafullnightofhealthysleep.Hisalleged
"recommendation"isjustoneofthosemythscirculatingalongwiththepolyphasicsleepmeme.Using
polysomnographictools,Stampilooksfortroughsandpeaksinhumanalertness.Hisresearchtriesto
capitalizeonunderstandingthoseultradianrhythmsandmaximizingtheeffectivenessofnapping,
primarilybyoptimizingthetimingofnaps.
Stampi'smethodsareprimarilytargetedatminimizingsleepdeprivation.Heisabiphasicsleeperhimself
andthroughhischronobiologyexpertisecanclaimproudly"Iamnevertired"[63].Whenspeakingabout
EllenMacArthur[64]heputshisresearchinanutshell:"WhatEllenisdoingisfindingthebest
compromisebetweenherneedtosleepandherneedtobeawakeallthetime".
Polyphasicvs.creativelifestyle
Unlikeasolosailor,acreativeindividualneedsnocompromise.Itistheuncompromisingmaximumof
alertness,attention,andcreativepowersthatissought.Stampihasshownthatpolyphasicsleepcan
improvecognitiveperformanceinconditionsofsleepdeprivationascomparedwithmonophasicsleep:
Individualssleepingfor30minuteseveryfourhours,foradailytotalofonly3hoursofsleep,performed
betterandweremorealert,comparedtowhentheyhad3hoursofuninterruptedsleep.Inotherwords,
underconditionsofdramaticsleepreduction,itismoreefficienttorechargethesleep"battery"more
often.Manyusethisastheargumentforthesuperiorityofpolyphasicsleep,whilesilentlyskirting
aroundthefactthatStampialsonotesthattheperformanceonpolyphasicscheduleisstillfarlessthan
thatinfreerunningsleepconditions.
PolyphasicBible
ManyproponentsofpolyphasicsleepwillquotefromtheirBible:ClaudioStampi'sbookWhyWeNap:
Evolution,Chronobiology,andFunctionsofPolyphasicandUltrashortSleepwrittenover20yearsago.
WhyWeNapisanexcellentbook,filledwithpeachynuggetsofinformationaboutsleep,napping,
evolution,andmore.Icanwholeheartedlyrecommendthebookasagreatcompilationofinteresting
textsfromthemostreputableexpertsinthefield.Thebookalsoincludesananecdotalnoteonputative
sleephabitsofLeonardodaVinci.Itispossiblethatthisanecdotalinclusionhadanunintendedside
effectresultingintheUbermanBigBang.Withtheadvantageoftwoextradecadesofsleepresearch
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(e.g.thegeneticaspectsofthecircadiancycle),IdisagreewithsomeofStampi'soriginalhypotheses.
LargelysodoesStampi.Thisdoesnotchangethefactthathisresearchcandefinitelybeconsideredas
pioneeringworkinthestudyoftheextremesofchronobiology.ForthosewhostillbelievethatStampi
advocatespolyphasicsleepasalifestyle,anancientquotefromhisbookshouldclearthingsup:"the
authorwouldliketocautionagainstmisleadinginterpretationsoftheseconclusions.Whatisbeing
proposedhereisnotthatpolyphasicsleepispreferabletomonophasicsleep,northateveryoneshould
nowswitchtoamultiplenappingbehavior"panacea."Itappearsobviousthatquasimonophasicsleep
monophasicsleepplusoccasionalnapsiswhatcomesmostnaturallytothemajorityofadult
humansandafewotherspecies.Ifsomewhereinevolutionsuchspecieshavedevelopedtheabilityto
sustainwakefulnessforrelativelyprolongedperiods,mostlikelythisabilityoccurredinresponsetosome
sortofimportantandadvantageousadaptivepressure".
DrStampiwrites:"manyexperimentshaveprovideddirectevidencethatadulthumanshaveasurprising
abilitytoadapttodifferenttypesanddifferentlevelsofpolyphasicsleepwakebehavior."This
statementisgeneralenoughtobecorrect.Forexample,compressionofsleepstagesisaformof
adaptation.Thisdoesnotimplythatanindividualwillbeabletotakemultiplenaturalnapsduringaday.
Aconsensusemergesinsleepresearchthat,inhealthyadultindividuals,multipleEdisoniannapsrequire
adegreeofsleepdeprivation.Withoutdeprivation,initiatingsleepbecomesprettyhard."Multiplenaps"
shouldbeunderstoodas"morethanoneafterconsolidation",where"consolidation"isaprocessinwhich
multiplenapsspacedcloselytogetherarecountedasone.
Cognitivetestsinpolyphasicsleep
ItisimportanttonotethatDrStampicouldidentifyonlyamodestdeclineincognitivefunctionduring
hispolyphasicsleepexperiments.Thismaystandinseemingcontradictionwithotherresearchorwith
simplecircadianmeasurementsofmemoryperformance,includingthosethatarepossiblewith
SuperMemo.Includingacircadiancomponentinmeasurementsyieldssignificantcognitivedifferences
inthecourseofanormalundeprivedwakingday.Simplememorytests,ifaveraged,mightyielda
seeminglyreasonablecognitiveperformanceassessmentduetotherollercoastereffect.ThetestsStampi
chosetomeasurecognitiveperformanceskirtaroundtheessentialquestionastotheprimarylongterm
neurophysiologicalfunctionofoptimallytimedREMNREMinterplayinsleep.InStampiexperiment
withFrancescoJost,REMandNREMrarelyoccurredtogether.Ifthehypothesizedmemorystorage
optimizationfunctionisconsidered,itisimpossibletoverifythestatusofmemorywithshorttermtests.
Thisisduetothefactthat,intheory,thenetworkfunctionofthebraintakenasablackboxshould
remainunchanged.Theneglectofsleepstructurewouldshowonlyasacumulativelongterminabilityof
thebraintobuildupnewskillsandreasoningpowers.Secondly,thecreativepotentialofanoptimized
storageisalsodifficulttomeasure,andwilldefinitelyshowacumulativeeffectrequiringalongterm
study.Lastbutnotleast,lackofthecircadianeffectcanonlytestifytoaninsufficientsensitivityand/or
timingofthetestschosen.Evenifthehomeostaticcomponentofalertnessensuresthatwecanseemingly
focusonsimplementaltasksandperformthemprettywell(e.g.memorytasks,driving,simple
calculations,etc.),thecircadianlowwillaffecttheabilitytosustainamentaleffortorundermineits
creativeaspect.TeststhatcouldbesufficientforDrStampi'sgoals(e.g.maximizingalertnessinasolo
yachtingrace)cannotbeusedtomakeclaimsaboutthelongtermimpactofultrashortsleeponcognitive
performance.
Insleepscienceliterature,thereisadegreeofconfusionbetweenthehomeostaticandcircadian
componentsofsleepandtheirimpactoncognition.Veryoften,researchersfailtodifferentiatebetween
thetwowheninvestigatingimpactofenvironmentalfactorsonsleep.Weallknowthatcoffeecanhelp
onesurviveasleepymoment.Itisimportanttoaskthoughifitseffectsarehomeostaticorcircadian.Can
coffeedispelsleepinertia?Canithelpovercomecircadianlows?Itisnotenoughtosaythatcoffeehelps
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overcomesleepinessifitsimpactonthecircadiansleepinessisnegligible.Everyonewhoisfamiliarwith
thejetlagcantestifythatthefoggybrainstatedoesnotevidentlydepriveoneofone'sbasicmentalskills,
andyetitcanentirelyruinone'sproductivitybyaffectingselfcontrol,creativity,motivation,andmore.
Thisiswhyglobetrottingpoliticiansareapoormaterialforgroundbreakingpeaceortradedeals,evenif
theybelievetheycanfunctionwellon3hoursofsleeporinajetlaggedcondition.DrStampi'sfindings,
highlyapplicabletoemergencysituations,shouldnotbeusedtodiminishtheimportanceofwelltimed
naturalsleepforthefunctionofthebrain,andthefactthatartificialdesignersleepschedulesarevery
harmful.
Sleepdeprivationislikealcoholintoxication
Sleepresearcherslovetocomparesleepdeprivationtointoxication:bothdisruptone'sselfassessment
abilities.Likeanalcoholicwhoalwaysclaims"Iamnotdrunk.Iamjustinebriated",asleepdeprived
personwilloftensay"Iamfine.Iamcrispandalert",whilehisorherabilitytoperformmentaltasks
maybeseriouslyimpaired.Thesleepierpeopleare,themoreoverconfidenttheyareabouttheirabilityto
performcognitivetasks.Drivingwhensleepdeprivedmaybeasdangerousasdrivingwhileintoxicated.
Thislossofselfassessmentcapacitymayinpartexplainwhysomanypolyphasicsleepbloggerstendto
claimtheyhaveadaptedtothegruelingregimen.Theytendtowriteabouttheirsuccessatthemomentof
lucidityand/oreuphoria(seepolyphasicrollercoaster).Atthesametime,theykeepignoringthosebrain
deadmomentsas"temporarysetbacks",transitoryadaptationstate,etc.Inthosehazymoments,ablogger
maybeunwillingtoupdatetheblog,magnifyingthebiasintheperceptionofhisorherreporting.
Naturaladaptationtoapolyphasicscheduleisnotpossible,butthosewhoboastfullyclaimitneednotbe
brandedasliars.Selfassessmenthandicapandaloweredbarofexpectationsshouldbothbeusedas
exculpatorycircumstances.Asmentionedearlier,itisevenpossibletoflattenordesynchronizethe
circadianfunctionbadenoughtolessenthepainofwakingintheperiodofsubjectivenight.Asthisrelief
comesfrommalfunction,orperhapsevenneuralinjury,itshouldservenocomforttothosewhohopeto
adapt.Withallthegeneticcascadesrestingonthecircadiancycle,suchanoutcomecanonlyleadtoa
healthdisaster.
Sleepdebtandnapping
PureDoxykisthenickofthe"inventor"ofthe"Ubermansleepschedule".Eventhoughsheclaimsto
havesleptpolyphasicallyforalongerwhile,amoredetailedlookatherreportsindicatesthatshesleptin
asortof"messymultinapcompensatorysleepsystem"thatgraduallygravitatedinthedirectionofa
prettynaturalbiphasicsleepthatshelatertermed"Everymansleepschedule".Wereitnotforthat
gravitationandatendencytotakea"coresleep",ImightevensuspectthattheinventoroftheUberman
sleepcyclesufferedfromararemutationthatcausescircadianarrhythmicity.Peoplewiththatdisorder
cannotsleepwellinalongblockoverthenightandtakemultiplenapsduringtheday.Thosenapsaddup
toaprettynormaltotalsleepdurationandproduceaprettyunrefreshedmindthatmakesthedisorder
prettyhardtolivewith.Itwouldbeanironicallysadturnofevents,ifasickpersonsufferingformbad
sleepcouldhaveproposedasleeping"system"thatcausedanepidemicoflifestyleexperimentationsby
teenagerslookingforbettersleeponlytofindmoresleeptimemisery.
PureDoxykLaw
WhatstrikesmeinPureDoxykwritingsisthatsheinstantlyringscredibleandseemstohaveaverygood
senseofthelinkbetweensleepdeprivationandnapping.Let'shaveapeekatherclaimthatIwillcall
PureDoxykLaw.Notethe"sixhoursleep"fragmentthatindicatesthatPureDoxykisnotsufferingfroma
seriouscircadianarrhythmicitydisorderasspeculatedabove:
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Sixnapsnosleep4napsonepointfivehourssleep3napsthreehourssleep2napsfourpoint
fivehourssleeponenapsixhourssleep*.
*Iremovedtwotinymathematicalkinksfromthelawwhichwasoriginallyformulatedas:Sixnapsnosleep45naps
onepointfivehourssleep3napsthreehourssleep12napsfourpointfivehourssleeponenapsixhourssleep
(source)
Obviously,thislawwouldneedtobeparametrizedtofitageneralhealthypopulation.Inparticular,most
monophasicsleeperswillfindithardtonapmorethanonceperdayunlessallsleepepisodesinquestion
areterminatedwithanalarmclockperpetuatingthecycleofsleepdeprivation.
Wecaninstantlyseeanearlyperfectlinearnatureoftherelationshipbetweenthedurationofthenight
sleepandthenumberofnapstaken.
NapNumber=5.60.8*CoreSleep
Minimizingtotalsleeptime
IfPuredoxykLawistrue,thedurationofnapswilldeterminethebreakevenpointfortheoveralltime
gaininpolyphasicsleep.Beyondthebreakevenpointinnapduration,addingextranapswilladdtothe
totalcostofsleep.Obviously,thatbreakevenpointwillcoincidewiththesituationinwhichthetotal
amountofsleepisconstant(i.e.independentofthenumberofnaps).Ifwetaketotalsleepas:
TotalSleep=CoreSleep+NapNumber*NapDuration
substituteNapNumberfromPureDoxykLaw,differentiatefornapduration,andcomparetheresultwith
zero,wewillarriveatthebreakevenpointatNapDuration=75(min),whichcorrespondswiththe
constanttotalsleeptimeof7hours.Inotherwords,addingnapsshorterthan75min.wouldresultinan
overalltimegaininpolyphasicsleep.
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AtheoreticalgraphshowingtheminimizationofthetotalsleeptimealongPureDoxykLaw.The
proximalhorizontalXaxisshowsthenumberofnaps,therecedinghorizontalYaxisshowsthenap
duration,whiletheverticalZaxisshowsthetotalsleeptimeinhours.The breakevennapduration
line islabeled"75min".Thegraphshowsthataddingnapsthatareshorterthan75min.allowsof
achievingatotalgainintime,whileaddingnapslongerthan75min.willresultinanincreaseinthe
totalsleeptime.
Itwouldbeinterestingtoanalyzeirregularsleeplogsthatcomplywiththeabovelawastheycould
answersomequestionsonthewinnerinthetugofwarforsleepefficiencybetweentheregulatory
powersofthefreerunningsleepandtheadaptivepowersofthesleepcompressioninducedbytheuseof
analarmclockinpolyphasicsleep.
Thenettimegaininashortnapregimeobviouslydoesnottranslatetoabraingain,andthisshouldnot
beunderstoodasarecommendationtoseekminimumtotalsleeptime.Iposedtheaboveproblemonlyas
aninterestingmathematicalrelationship,whichprovidesaneatformulaforthetotalsleepdebtthatmight
beofuseinmodelingsleepinconditionswheresleepisterminatedprematurely(e.g.withanalarm
clock).NeitherSleepChartnorSuperMemoaccountforsleepdebtasbothhavebeendesignedforthe
idealfreerunningsleepcondition.Obviously,anyformofsleepdebtisunwelcomeasitimplies
unfulfilledneuralfunctionofsleep.
Insteadofaimingatminimizingthesleeptime,weshouldaimatmaximizingthebraineffectof
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sleep.
Optimumnapduration
Whentheactualcorrelationbetweenthedurationofnighttimecoresleepandthetotaldurationofnapsis
investigated,arathernonlinearrelationshipemerges:
Inthepresentedexample,anegativelyexponentialfunctionprovidesfarbetterfittodatathanalinear
function.However,inthemoststudiedrangecorrespondingwiththenighttimesleeprangingfrom4to8
hours,anearlylinearrelationshipcanbeobservedwhereeachhouroflostnightsleeprequires20min.of
replacementnaptime.Thisshowsthannappinghasapowerfulcompensatorypower.
WecouldthenreformulatePureDoxykLawtomakeitapplicabletoawiderpopulation.Mostofall,one
middaynapshoulddoallthejobincompensatingforlostnightsleep(see:BestnaptimingandOnenap
perdayisenough).Asaresult,itmakesmoresensetoreplaceanumberofnapswithasinglenapwhose
durationwilldependontheamountoflostsleep:
NapDuration=(SleepRequiredSleepObtained)/3
Thisformulawillholdonlyforproperlytimednaps.Earlynapswillnotprovidefullcompensation.
Latenapswilllastlongerandwillshortensleepinthefollowingnight.
Inconditionsofsleepdeprivation,nighttimesleepdebtrequiresextranappingtimeinroughly
3:1ratio.Foreachhouroflostnightsleep,extra20minutesofnappingisneeded.
Again,thisformulashouldonlyhaveatheoreticalvalue.Youshouldnevertrytoterminatea
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replacementnap.Ifitisproperlytimed,itshouldbeallowedtorunitsnaturalcourseanditwillthen
providethebestcompensationforsleeplostinthenight.
Eventhoughnapsprovideanexcellentcompensationforlostsleepinthenight,theycannot
provideafullfunctionalreplacement.Toachieveyourmaximumcognitivecapacity,youneed
torunyournightsleepuninterrupteduntilcompletion!
Personalitycharacteristicsofirregularsleepers
ThatPureDoxykgotsufficientexperienceinsleepingpolyphasicallytoformulatetheabovelawwithout
anyspecificloggingtoolsindicatesthatsheneededaprettyvastarrayofnappingpermutationstoseethe
biggerpicture,whichinthiscaseseemshighlyplausible.PureDoxykLawcanbeinterpretedasa
demonstrationofhowahealthymonoorbiphasicsleepcanbestretchedintoapolyphasicsleepphase
spacewithanincreasingdegreeofsleepdebt.PureDoxykherselfcallshernewsleepingregimethat
includesa"corenap"the3hourEverymanschedule.Thisschedulesoundsprettysustainableifitisnot
tooheavyontheuseofthealarmclock.Afterall,athirdofAmericanscanfunctionreasonablyok
despitecommittingthedailyneuralcrimeofusingthesnoozebuttonfortheaverageof3times.Needless
tosay,thisEverymanscheduleisaprettywidedeparturefromtheoriginalUbermanformulationthatI
foundparticularlytroubling.
Inthepast,Ihavereceivedanumberofsleeplogswithprettyirregularsleeppatterns(includingmultiple
naps).Thoselogswereaccompaniedbysomeanecdotalevidencethatseemstoindicatethatthose
irregularpatternsarestronglycorrelatedwithsomepersonalitycharacteristics.Icanbewidely
speculativehereandsaythatthoseareprettyneuroticandyetquitecreativetypes(excludingcasesthat
couldbeattributedtotheuseofprescriptiondrugs).Ifthatwastobethecase,thosesleeppatternsmight
notbetoogoodforlongevity,butevenfreerunningsleepwillfailtostraightenthemout.Thisindicates
thattherecouldbegeneticfactorsinvolvedhere,andthe"mutationhypothesis"isfarmorelikelyto
explainaperpetualirregularpatternthanaregularfresh&alertUbermanpattern.Iwouldevenavoidthe
useoftheword"mutation"hereasthose"personalitygenes"mustbeprettywidespreadinthe
population.HowcanPureDoxyk'scasebeinterpreted,Ihavenoidea,butitdoesnotseemtobetoo
extremeinitsuniqueness,and,assuchitcanbe,probabilisticallyspeaking,deemedcredible.
Polyphasicgeniuses
AnInternetrumorhasitthatthereweremanygeniuseswhosleptpolyphasically.Theimplicationisthat
ifpolyphasicsleepworkedforthegreatestmindsinhistory,itshouldalsoworkforayoungambitious
studentwithavoraciousappetitetoconquertheworld.Yetonacloserinspection,thosepolyphasic
storiesareveryhardtoconfirm.Somehow,thegroupdoesnotincludecontemporaryNobelwinners,
presidents,orgreatathletes.Inotherwords,youcannotjustemailacelebrityandask.Allgreat
polyphasicsleepersaredead.Therearestillacoupleofindividualswhoboastintheirblogsthattheyare
polyphasicsleepers.Veryoftentheirsleepisjustastretchofthebiphasicsleepdefinitionora
combinationofvarioussleepmodeswithaheavydoseofsleepdeprivation.SomeofthosecasesIcannot
explaininanyotherwaythanbyavestedinterestorabloatedego.Astheir"success"postdatesthe
"invention"oftheUbermansleepschedule,thismightsimplybeanevercrediblewishtobeaddedtothe
listofthegreatbermenschen.Evennarcolepsywouldnotexplainnappinghabitsofsomepolyphasic
adepts.Atanyrate,successfulpolyphasicsleepcasesarenotinanywayverifiable.Naturally,absenceof
proofisnoproofofabsence,andthissectionisnotintendedtoprovethatpolyphasicsleepisnot
possible.Itisthebiologicalargumentabovethatsettlestheissue.Here,Iamonlytryingtoillustratethe
mythmakingpowersoftheInternetandhumannature.
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Thelistofpolyphasicgeniusesseemstobegettinglongeralongwiththesnowballingmythofthe
benefitsofa22hourwakingday.ThelistincludesdaVinci,Edison,Tesla,Churchill,Benjamin
Franklin,ThomasJefferson,andevenBruceLee.IwouldnotbesurprisedifNewtonandAristotlejoined
soon.PerhapsevenJesusmightfollowuplater.Itriedtofindoutifthereisanyrecordofthesleeping
habitsofthegreatestgeniusesinhistory.AllIcouldfindwasratherastandardadherencetoanormal
monophasicorbiphasicsleep,withanexceptionfornumerousallnightersatthetimeofcreativehigh.
BuckminsterFuller
WithBuckminsterFuller,Icameclosesttofindingasortofquasipolyphasicschedule.Buck's
biographerswhoImanagedtogetintouchwithconfirmedthathissleepinghabitswerequiteunusual
andthatheexperimentedalotwithvarioussleepingpatterns.Inparticular,whiletravelingandlecturing
extensively,hewouldenterwhathecalleda"dogsleep".Thatsleep,however,hadnothingtodowith
polyphasicsleep.Itwasasortofimprovisedmixoffreerunningsleepconfoundedbyjetlag,meetings
anddeadlines.Inotherwords,Buckywouldcatnapwheneverhewastiredandhadanopportunity.
However,ifhecouldsqueezeasound6hourshereandthere,hewouldnotmissthechance.This"dog
sleep"didnotfitanyfixedalarmclockedschedule.Itwasjustacompromisebetweencircadianrhythms
andBucky'shecticlifestyle.
LeonardodaVinci
AlthoughevenStampianecdotallyreferstoLeonardodaVinci,Leonardo'spolyphasicsleepisprobably
anurbanmyth.Icouldnotlocateanycrediblesourceswithanynotesonhissleephabits,andyetda
Vinciisnearlyalwaysmentionedwhenevertheartofnappingcomesintoquestion.Itseemsquitestrange
thatsomeonewouldcomeupwithacrazypolyphasicscheduleideaatthetimeofleisurelyRenaissance
lifethatwaswelltimedbythesuperiorityofsunlightovercandlelight.Allegedly,hintingata
monophasicmindset,hespokeofdeath:"Asawellspentdaybringshappysleep,soalifewellused
bringshappydeath".EvenmoretellingisBandello'sreportondaVinci'sworkover"TheLastSupper".
Leonardowouldworkcontinuouslyfromdawntoduskforgettingaboutfoodanddrink.Stunned
Bandellowouldhavedefinitelyreportedtheroundtheclockworkofapolyphasicsleeperasevenmore
amazing.Itseemstomethatusingapoorlyresearchedhistoriccasefrom500yearsagoasapropin
favorofpolyphasicsleepisratheradatedargumentumadverecundiam.
IsuspecttheentireLeonardomythmighthaveoriginatedfroma50yearoldstorytoldbyapsychic!
GiancarloSbragiareportsinhistextonultrashortsleep(1992):Icannotrecallexactlywhereorfrom
whomIgatheredinformationaboutLeonardo'ssleephabits.[...]Ihadafriendwhowasamediumand
capableofextrasensoryperception.[...]ItwasprobablyfromherthatIlearnedaboutthepeculiar
Leonardosleepwakepattern,eventhoughtoday,30yearslater,Iamnotcompletelysure.(Sbragia
1992[65]).
Incidentally,daVinciisalsoanamethatcropsuponmanyothersuspectlists:thelistsofgreatpeople
sufferingfromattentiondeficitdisorder,orthelistsofgreatvegetarians.Heisalsoasuspectfabricatorof
theTurinShroud.ThesamememeticmechanismmustbeplacingdaVinci,Jesus,Einstein,Edison,
Jefferson,Franklin,andHitleralongsideeachotherinanumberofmythsoverandoveragain.Theykeep
poppingupontrumpeduplistsoffamouspeopleaffectedbyX,practicingYorbelievinginZ.
NepoleonBonaparte
NapoleonisnotlessfrequentlyreferredtointhecontextofnappingorpolyphasicsleepthandaVinci.
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Andhiscaseisrathereasytofalsifythroughhistoricalrecords.Whencomparedwithanartisticgeniusof
Leonardo,itseemsevenmorepreposterousthatabrilliantmilitarycommandercouldpossiblyretirefora
napduringaprolongedbattleorduringhisintenselifepepperedwithplethoraofengagements.Heis
indeedsaidtohavesleptlittleandfrequently.Hesufferedfrominsomniaattimesofgreatstress.Hewas
alsoofteninterruptedbymessengersthatmightperhapsincreasehispropensitytonappingatdaylight.
Yethewastobewokenuponlywithbadnews.Thehardrulewasthatthegoodnewscouldwait.His
memoirsindicatethathedidnotminddyingyoung.Consequently,hewoulddisregardhisdoctorsonthe
matterofsleepinglittleanddrinkingbucketsofstrongcoffee.AsNapoleon'slifewasjampackedwith
stress,hisshortsleepmighthavebeenaconsequenceofhislifestyle.Lowsleepdietdidnottranslate
welltoNapoleon'smilitaryskills.SomecontemporariesattributehiserrorsatWaterlootosleep
deprivation.Yet,duringslowerdayshewouldsleepforsoundsevenhours,wakingupat7andoften
lazinguntil8.Thenhewouldyetaddanapintheafternoon.RecordsalsoindicatethatatSaintHelenahe
wasanormalsleeper,andwhilestresswasreplacedwithboredom,heoftensleptlate.
ThomasJefferson
Jeffersonseemseasytofalsifyasapolyphasicsleeperaswell.InletterstoDoctorVineUtley(1819),
ThomasJeffersonwritesabouthissleephabits.Wecanconcludethathissleepwasnotveryregular,he
wouldgotosleepatdifferenttimes(oftenlateintothenight),hewouldalwaysdevoteatleast30min.to
creativereadingbeforesleep,hewouldfallasleeplaterifthereadingwasofparticularinterest,andhe
wouldregularlywakeupatsunrise.Inotherwords,expectedly,therearenotracesofpolyphasicsleeping
inJefferson'slife.
BenjaminFranklin
AsforBenjaminFranklin,wemightconcludethathedidnotholdsleepinhighesteem.Thiswecan
decidefromthefamousquotationssuchas"Therewillbesleepingenoughinthegrave"or"Thesleeping
foxcatchesnopoultry".Thisattituderesemblestheoneofthosewhoarereadytopractisepolyphasic
sleepingtoday.Itisalsoafrequentcharacteristicofhighachieversfromthetimeswhenweknewlittleof
thebiologicalfunctionofsleep.YetFranklinisevenbetterknownforsaying:"Earlytobedandearlyto
risemakesamanhealthy,wealthy,andwise".Fromthiswemightconcludethatifhewantedtosleep
less,hisformulawouldbetogetupearly.Nottoshredsleepintopieces.Moreover,forahighachiever
withlittleregardforsleep,retiringforanapmightfeellikeamajorsignoflazinessorweakness.That
stigmalastsuntiltodayinwesternculture,wherenappingisoftenconsideredahabitoflazybones.Last
butnotleast,FranklinasanadvocateofDSTwouldsay:"Itissillyandwastefulthatpeopleshouldlive
muchbycandlelightandsleepbysunshine".Polyphasicsleeperdefinitelyhewasnot.
WinstonChurchill
WeknowquitealotaboutWinstonChurchill'ssleepinghabits.AsawartimePM,hisdailyroutinewas
watchedcloselybyhisassistants.Churchillcouldworkhisministerstoexhaustionbystayinguplate,but
hewouldalsoroutinelytakeasolid12hournapintheafternoon.Assuch,hewasaclassicalbiphasic
sleeper.AthishouseatChartwell,hisroutinewasquiteregular.Hewouldwakeat8,spendthemorning
inbedreadingpapers,dictatingletters,etc.,takealongnapatteatime,andworktillaslateas3am.He
averaged56hoursofsleepperday.ThosewordsareattributedtoChurchillhimself:"Youmustsleep
sometimebetweenlunchanddinner,andnohalfwaymeasures.Takeoffyourclothesandgetintobed.
That'swhatIalwaysdo.Don'tthinkyouwillbedoinglessworkbecauseyousleepduringtheday.That's
afoolishnotionheldbypeoplewhohavenoimaginations.Youwillbeabletoaccomplishmore.Youget
twodaysinonewell,atleastoneandahalf".Churchill'swelldrilledbiphasichabitsmadehimoneof
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themostenergeticwartimeleaders.Onahumorousnote,F.D.Roosevelt'saidesnotedthataftera
Churchill'svisit,theUSpresidentwassoexhaustedthatheneeded10hoursofsleepfor3daysstraight
torecover.
ThomasAlvaEdison
ThomasAlvaEdisonhadalovehaterelationshipwithsleep.Sleepresearchersblamehimforrobbing
themodernpopulationof12hoursofsleep.Workaholicsliketoquotehimonhiscontemptforsleep.
Advocatesofpolyphasicsleepclaimhewasapolyphasicsleeper.Indeed,Edison'scontemptforsleepis
welldocumented.Yetitcanonlybeattributedtohisignorance.Littlewasknownaboutthebiological
roleofsleepathistime.Hebelievedwronglythat,aswithfood,humanswillalwayssleepmorethan
necessarygivenanopportunity.Asanaturalshortsleeper,hebelievedthatlongsleepisasignof
laziness:"Mostpeopleovereat100percent,andoversleep100percent,becausetheylikeit.Thatextra
100percentmakesthemunhealthyandinefficient.Thepersonwhosleepseightortenhoursanightis
neverfullyasleepandneverfullyawaketheyhaveonlydifferentdegreesofdozethroughthetwenty
fourhours".Inaparallelflashofignorance,Edisoncouldnotseemuchvalueinphysicalexercise.His
winterhomefeaturedoneofthefirstmodernswimmingpools,yetEdisonneverusedit.Hejustdidnot
sharethemodernviewinwhichexerciseandsleepareconsideredagoodinvestmentinmentaland
physicalhealth.HiscoworkersnotedthatEdisonactuallysleptfarmorethanhewouldliketoadmit.
Clearly,hewouldcarrysleepinglittleasabadgeofhonor.Hecatnappedalot,andhisnapcotshave
beenpreservedtothisdayinEdisonmuseums.BynomeanscouldIthoughfindanycredibleevidence
thatEdison'snappingcompliedtoanyregimentotherthan"napwhensleepy",whichusuallyturnsoutto
matchabiphasicpattern,oratleastcomplywithPureDoxykLaw.ThemostreliableinformationIcould
findaboutEdison'ssleepwashisowndiarykeptonlyforashorttimewhileapproachingtheageofforty.
Fromthisdiarywecanlearnalotabouthissleepinghabits.Heseemedratherobsessedwithgettinga
goodnightsleepashisdaywouldoftenstartwithnotesonthequalityofsleep.Likemostofus,the
betterheslept,thehappierheseemed.That'squitetheoppositeofwhatpolyphasicproponentsclaim.
Insteadofmaximizingwakinghours,Edisonwouldrathermaximizethehoursinwhichhecouldusehis
wellrefreshedmind.Andthat'sexactlywhatseemsmostrationalfromthepointofviewofphysiologyof
sleep,mentalhygiene,andproductivity.
NikolaTesla
AfterashortstintunderEdison'sumbrella,NikolaTeslabecameabitterrivalofhisformermentor.We
haveallheardofthe"warofthecurrents",butEdisonandTeslaclashedinanotherbattlefield.Theytried
tooutbideachotherinsleepinglittle.TeslanotedthatEdisonsleptmuchmorethanhewouldwantothers
tobelieve.ThatinjectsadoseofboastfulpersonalityintoTeslaandEdison'sownreportsonhowmuch
theyactuallyslept.Ibetthesamemechanismmakestoday'sbloggersoftenboastofpolyphasic
adaptation.Tesla,whocouldindeedworkthroughoutthenight,wouldoftencrashfortheentiredayof
sleepafterhisexploits.Heexhibitedclassicsignsofmaniccreativity,whichmighthavebeeninterrupted
byshortrecuperativenapsorlongrecoverysleep.Otherwise,Teslawasnothingmorethanashort
sleeper.Hewastoobusywithhispursuitstoeverthinkofanythingresemblingastrictpolyphasic
schedule.Thatwouldbeastraitjacketonhisflamboyantpersonality.
Allinall,thewholelistofpolyphasicgeniusesseemstobelackinganycredibleevidence.Assuch,itis
probablyachildofcollectivewishfulthinkingcommittedbythosewhowouldlovetoaddwakinghours
totheirday.
Sustainabilityofpolyphasicsleep
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Themainproblemswiththepolyphasicsleepresultfromthefactthatitis:
1. hardtofallasleepduringthesleep'sforbiddenzones,
2. hardtowakeupfromdeepsubjectivenightsleep,and
3. thebodyclocktrainabilityhasitslimitsthatmakeitimpossibletocircumventproblems(1)and
(2).
ClockandHourglassmodelofpolyphasicsleep
IfweusetheClockandHourglassmetaphor,wecanexplaininsimpletermswhyadaptationto
polyphasicsleepwillneverhappen:
inthemorning,ifyouarefreshandrested,yoursleepypotion(i.e.circadiansleepiness)iscleared
andyourhourglassisfullofmentalenergy(i.e.yourhomeostaticsleepinessiscleared).Youare
notlikelytofallasleepinthemorning.Tryingtotakeanapatthattimeisawasteoftime.You
willwastetimefornappreparations.Youwillwastetimetryingtofallasleep
intheafternoon,atsiestatime,thereisadipinalertnessgovernedbythebodyclock.Whenyou
hourglassofmentalenergyisgettingempty,youmaybeabletotakeanap.That'sok.Yournap
willbeshortbecausethenighttimesleepypotionisnotthere
intheevening,yoursleepypotionisstillnotthere.Ifyoutookanafternoonnap,yourhourglassis
almostfullofenergy.Ifyoutrytotakeanothernap,youwillbestaringattheceiling.Youwill
wasteyourtimeagain
inthenight,yoursleepypotionisreleased.Nappingshouldbeeasy,butifyoufallasleep,youwill
notwakeup.Notnaturally.Youwillneedanalarmclock.Youmaymanagetorechargeyour
hourglassfast,butthesleepypotionwillmakeyougroggyandtired.Youmayneedadoublealarm
oraloudalarm,orsomehelpfromyourMom(ifsheeveragreedtothispolyphasicexperiment).
Youwillfightandstruggle.Youwillneverwakeupnaturally.Notwhilethesleepypotionisin
action.Notwhenyourcircadiansystemsaysitisthemiddleofthenight
Ifyoudecidetosleeppolyphasicallyyouwillhavetouseanalarmclock.Otherwiseyouwillnotwake
upinthenight.Onceyouusethealarmclock,youwillbesleepdeprived.Thatwillmakeyourhourglass
convenientlydrainedofenergy.Emptyhourglasswillmakenappingeasierindeed.Butitisthehourglass
thatdeterminesyourmentalpowers.Withthehourglassempty,youwillbenothingmorethananempty
headedzombie.Togeneratenapsatequalintervals,youwouldhavetokillthe24hcircadiancomponent
ofsleepiness.Youwouldhavetokillyourbodyclock,andpreventthereleaseofthesleepypotion.That
isnotpossible.Thesleepypotionwillbereleasedevery24hoursandmakeyousleepyhoweverhard
youfightit.Theshortestnaturalnightsleeprarelygoesbeneath3hours.Manybiphasicsleeperscando
wellon4hours.Yetmostadolescentsmayneed7or8hoursofnightsleeptofunctionoptimally.In
healthysleep,daytimenapsareeitherimpossibleorveryshort.IfyoutrackyoursleepwithSleepChart
Freeware,youcanseeitallonyourown.Youwillseehownapstendtoclusteratnighttime(whichmay
bemiddayforyou).That'sexactlywhatpolyphasicguruDrStampiobservedwithsolosailors.
Remember,forthepicturetobetrue,youshouldavoidalarmclock,whichnaturallyisnotpossiblein
polyphasicsleep.Yetevenonaforcedscheduleyouwillseeregularpatternsofnapsbeinglongerand
morefrequentatnighttime(eachtimeyourelaxyourdiscipline,oversleep,etc.).Thedaytimenapswill
beshorter,esp.atsubjectiveeveninghours(whichmaybemidnightforyou).
Thelimitsofthebodyclocktraining
Ihearitagainandagainthatallbiologicalreasoningisofnoconsequencebecausethebodycanalways
adapttotrainingandpressure,andthatsciencehasnotyetstudiedsuccessfulpolyphasicsleepers.Hereis
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areplybasedontheclockhourglassmodel:
bodyclockiscontrolledbygenes,andwedonotknowpharmacologicalfactorsthatcould
significantlyaffectbodyclockperiod.Polyphasicsleepwouldrequireshorteningthebodyclock
periodsixfold!Anotherpossibilityisthecompleteremovalofthebodyclocksothatthehourglass
ofmentalenergycouldgovernsleepcycles
bodyclockphasecanbeshiftedwithlight,activity,melatoninandotherfactors,butthelengthof
theperiodinwhichsleepypotionisreleasedishardtocontrol.Drugscanreducetheimpactof
sleepypotion,butthisshouldbeavoided,asthisaffectsthesleepstagecycles.IntermsoftheDisk
andRAMmetaphor,notallyourPCdatamaygetwrittentotheharddiskandgetdefragmented
thespeedatwhichthehourglassofenergyisemptiedcanbeaffectedbydrugs(e.g.caffeine)
however,fasterhourglasswouldproducemoresleep(insteadofless),whileslowerhourglass
wouldmakemultiplenapsevenlesspossible
polyphasicsleepinlaboratoryconditionsispossibleifthealarmclockisusedtointerruptnatural
sleep.Entrainedfreerunningpolyphasicsleepisnotpossibleinhealthyindividuals
sciencehasnotstudiedsuccessfuladaptedpolyphasicsleeperswithnaturalpolyphasicrhythms
becausetheydonotexist(althoughtherearemanyclaimantstothetitle).DrStampi'sexperiments
donotqualifyastheyalwaysinvolveanalarmclock
Conclusion
Healthybodyclockrunsa24hourcycle.Thiscyclewillmakeyousleepyduringthesubjectivenight
(whichcanbemiddaytoo).Thisiswhyyouwon'tbeabletowakeupfromyournapinyoursubjective
nightwithoutanalarmclock.Alarmclocksareunhealthy.Theypreventsleepfromfulfillingitsfunction.
Thechoiceisyours:either(1)sleeppolyphasicallyor(2)sleepnaturallyandletyourbraindevelopits
fullintellectualpotential.Ifyouarestillnotconvinced,pleasereadthismessagefromtheinventorof
Ubermansleep
Caffeineinpolyphasicsleep
Polyphasicsleepersbelievethatavoidingcaffeinemayeasetheadaptation.Becauseofarelativelyslow
eliminationofcaffeineanditsimpactonadenosinereceptorscancellinghomeostaticsleepiness,ingesting
caffeinelaterthan57hoursbeforeanapissupposedtomaketakinganapmoredifficult(exceptfor
caseswhentheingestiontakesplacedirectlybeforeanap).
Itistruethenthatavoidingcaffeineshallmaketakingmultiplenapssomewhateasier.Yetitwon't
remedytheproblemofgrogginesswhenwakingupintheperiodofsubjectivenight.Theproblemin
sleepingpolyphasicallyistheasymmetryofthecircadiancycle(whichisonlymarginallyaffectedby
caffeine),andaslowbuildupofhomeostaticsleepiness.Evencompleteabstentionfromcaffeinewillnot
generatesufficienthomeostaticsleepinesstoensurenappingatalldesiredtimes.Reversely,taking
powerfuladenosineagonistswouldmorelikelyresultinsleeppatternsthatwouldratherresemble
narcolepsy,notadesiredUbermansleep.Thatwouldgopreciselyagainstthegoalofpolyphasicadepts,
whichistosleepless.Polyphasicsleeppatternisinherentlyunstable,andchanginglevelsofcaffeine
willhavenobearingonthisfactwhatsoever.
Asforthenormalhealthysleep(whichpolyphasicsleepisnot),abstentionfromcaffeineisnot
necessary,butallcaffeinedrinksshouldbeoptimallytakenonlywithinthefirsttwohoursafterwaking.
Polyphasicsleepmutants
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Somepolyphasicsleepadeptswonderedifsingularblogreportsofpolyphasicsuccesscouldbedueto
somemutationthatmadethoseindividualmorelikelytosucceed.Thisistheoreticallypossible,but
highlyunlikely.Tomakethe"mutanttheory"workable,wewouldneedamutationthatwouldproduce
sleepwithoutacircadiancomponent.Suchamutationisactuallyknownandresultsinaseriousdisability
comingfromaperpetualsleepdeprivation.Peopleaffectedbythismutationwillneverbenormal
sleepers(likepolyphasicsleepadepts).Anothermutationmightallowofhomeostaticgenerationofstates
thatresemblecircadianlowsthatperiodicallyoccurinthebrainsofallvertebrates.Itisashardasto
imagineamutationthatwouldallowoneofdefecatingin25gportions.Oramutationallowingofan
asynchronousvoluntaryperistalsis.Oramutationthatwouldreplaceablinkingreflexwithtwoseparate
independentregulatoryblinkingmechanismsforbotheyes.Oraperpetualsyncopatedheartrhythmwith
alternating3:6:3:9:3:6intervalratios.Oraseparatecontractionofatria,orseparaterepolarizationof
ventricles,etc.Oramenstrualcyclethatcanbeentrainedtoshiftworkwithbleedingevery9days.The
closestdisorderthatcanmatchthehypothesisthatpolyphasicsleepmightbeenabledbyamutationis
narcolepsy,inwhichindividualsnodeoffmanytimesduringthedayindeed.However,thisisa
homeostaticdisorderthatdoesnotflattenthecircadianfunction.Assuch,narcolepticssleepmorethan
healthypeople,notless.In1996,researcherswereabletomakeSiberianhamstersarrhythmicbyplaying
withtheirexposuretolight(Rubyetal.1996[57]).However,theirbodyclockwasstillrunningitscycle
andrespondingtolightinducedphaseshifts,whileonlythelocomotoractivityrhythmbecame
decoupled.Weknowthatarrhythmicityinhumanswillcauseaseriousdisabilityduetosleep'sinability
tofulfillitsfunctionwithoutitscircadiancomponent.Moreover,itishardtocomparethegeneticsof
humanswithananimalthatlivesincoldclimatesandspendsperiodsofprolongeddarknessdeep
undergroundinitsburrows.Thechancesofsimilargenetic"adaptation"topolyphasicsleepareprobably
comparabletotheoddsofhumansgettingtheirhairwhiteforwinter.
Lastbutnotleast,howwouldItellapolyphasicmutant?Heorshewouldhavemostlikelybeen
polyphasicfrombirth.EventhoughPureDoxykhasneverbeentrulyUbermanlikepolyphasic,hersleep
patternshavealwaysbeensomewhatirregularlypolyphasic.Thisiswhatmakeshercasecredible.In
geneticterms,biphasicsleepisprettydistantfromthewellentrainedultradianpolyphasicsleep.Even
babiesarehardlyultradian(see:babysleep).Inotherwords,whenanotherwisehealthyhumanbeing
suddenlyclaimsapolyphasicadaptation,Icanonlybeseriouslyskeptical.
Polyphasicsleepblogs
AsIcouldnotrunmyownpolyphasicexperimentsorencourageotherstosleeppolyphasically,I
gatheredalotofinsightintotheUbermanconceptbyreadingpolyphasicblogsontheweb.Thereare
dozensoftheseandtheyprovideaprettyentertainingreading.Inadditiontoaperpetualstrugglewith
sleepinessorgrogginess,thoseblogsalsooozelackofunderstandingoftheprinciplesofhealthysleep
andgrossdisregardfortheimportanceofsleepingeneral.Hereisarepresentativequote:"Ifsomeone
livesfor75years,theywillbeunconsciousfor25ofthem.That'smyentirelifeuntilnowcompletely
wipedaway,unused.Family,school,work,writing,allofyou,noneofithappened.Thatisthecostof
sleepingeighthoursperday.SoIcutmysleeptotwohours,tryingtomilkmyshortlifeforallit's
worth".Forsomeonewhocannotappreciatetheroleofsleep,thissentencemightnotsoundas
outrageousasitshould.However,asmostofusappreciatethevalueofwork,thissoundstomemoreor
lessasfollows:"Ifsomeonelivesfor75years,theywillbeatworkfor25ofthem.That'smostofmylife
untilnowcompletelywipedaway,unused.Family,school,sleep,writing,allofyou,noneofitIhadtime
for.Thatisthecostofworkingeighthoursperday"
Oneofthetheoriesofthebiologicalbasisofhumorsaysthatitisgeneratedbythesenseofsuperiority
overotherindividuals.Allegedly,thosewhoareabletodetecttheignoranceoffellowhumanbeings,
reinforcetheirfindingsthroughthesenseofjoyandwellbeing.Thusseeingothersdoingstupidthingsis
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fun(aslongas,hopefully,nobodygetshurtontheway).Supposedly,theevolutionarymechanismof
pokingfunatthesillyoneshelpedhumanspreservewisdomthroughgenerationslongbeforewritten
recordswereavailable.Inthatcontext,ifyouunderstandthesleepcontrolmechanismsthatimplythe
impossibilityofentrainmenttopolyphasicschedule,youmayfindstudyingtheblogsofpolyphasic
sleepersextremelyfunny.Actually,hilarious.Withcluesandredflagsallovertheplace,thebloggers
keephittingthebrickwall.Luckily,thoseindividualsusuallyseethelightafterafewweeksofpain.We
shouldhopethatnobodygetshurtintheprocess,e.g.asaresultofdrivinginasleepdeprivedstate.All
blogsseemtoroughlyevolvethroughsimilarstages.Theybeginwithayouthfuleuphoriaaboutthe
potentialofUbermansleeptochangeone'slifeforbetter.Thereisacultishauraaroundthewhole
concept.ItparallelstheworkethicandselfimposedorsuperimposedsleepdeprivationofAum,Branch
Davidians,OTS,orPeoplesTemple.Thismonasticappealisaccentuatedbythefactthattheambitious
adoptersoftenrunvariousformsofdietsaspartoftheir"reform".Therearelotsofhopesassociatedwith
the"polyphasicexperiment".Thoseusuallyrevolvearoundbeingabletodomore,andexperiencing
"increasedenergy".Thehopesaremagnifiedbythefactthatmanyvolunteersfinditdifficulttoget
refreshingsleepinthefirstplace.Thenthestrugglebegins,pepperedwithhopefulreferencesto
"temporaryadaptationphase".Itallbeginswithgrogginess,problemswithwakingup,andoversleeping.
Tirednessmountsandthewordcountanalysisshowsthat"tired"isoneofthemostoftenusedwordsin
thoseblogs(along"I"and"nap").Yetthehappy"polynapper"isusuallyabletosurvivetheinitialphase
throughsheerenthusiasmmagnifiedbytheavailabilityofextratimeandtripledenergytoexecutea
majorchangeinhislife.Thenthenegativeaspectsoftheexperimentstartshowingup.Thoseinclude
insurmountablesleepiness,sleepingthroughanelaboratesystemofalarms,problemswith
thermoregulation,negativesomaticsymptoms,selfblameduetorepeatedoversleeping,etc.Repeatedly,
oversleepingoccursinthesubjectivenight,whileproblemswithnappingoccurinthesubjectiveday.Yet
"polynappers"areslowatnoticingthatregularity.Theyarehappytheygettheextrawakingtime,and
yet,insteadofspendingitproductively,theydesperatelylookforanythingtokilltimeto"justsurvivethe
fog".Theywasteprecioustimeonfutileattemptstofallasleepatawrongtime.Whenthingsdonotwork
theirway,theystartexperimentingwithvariousvariantsofthesleepschedule.Thoseinclude:morenaps,
fewernaps,longernaps,shorternaps,"pseudonaps",rigidscheduleor"flexinaps",etc.Astheseare
usuallyfruitless,theconceptof"coresleep"or"recoverysleep"comesintoconsideration.Some
experimentersdecideto"listentothebody".With"coresleep"andsomeattentivenesstoone'sownbody
rhythms,experimentersdrifttowardsvariantsofbiphasicsleep,andmaygraduallyapproachareasonable
sleepingschedule.Yetwithoutunderstandingthebasicsofthetwocomponentmodelofsleepregulation,
itisverydifficulttofigureoutone'soptimumsleeptiming.Thedifficultyiscompoundedbytwofactors:
1. convictionthatpolyphasicsleepmodelwillwork,and
2. lossofsynchronyincircadianrhythms.
Asforthelatter,wellentrainedfreerunningsleepisrelativelyeasytounderstand.However,oncestrong
phaseshiftingstimuliareintroducedintothesystem,esp.ifappliedasynchronouslyor,worse,with
irregularpatterns,thewholesleepcontrolsystembecomeschaoticandisessentiallyunpredictable.In
otherwords,evenaseasonedchronobiologistmightfinditdifficulttointerpretthecorrelationbetween
thetimingofsleepblocksandalertness.Iftheunluckyexperimenterdoesnotseethebiphasiclight,he
beginstheorizingonthecausesofhisinabilitytosticktotheschedule.Thesemightbebadfoods,bad
hormones,lackofselfdiscipline,skippednaps,extranaps,troublesatwork,friends,excesssleep,too
muchREM,toolittleREM,toolittle"Stage4REM"(sic!),etc.Thetheoristsspeakasifonecouldeasily
guessthe"levelofhistamine",orthedurationof"Stage3sleep"inanap(nobloodtestnorEEG
needed).Fallingasleepwithin35min.shouldbeabreezeinahealthyfreerunningindividual,yet
polyphasicsleepersconstantlybattlewithnotbeingabletofallasleepfastenoughwhileincircadian
high.Equallyhard,theybattlewithwakingupfromthenapwhileincircadianlow.Nowonderthenthat
oversleepingcontinues,andthebattlewithdrowsinesstakesitstoll.Intheend,thebloggerusually
postponestheexperimentto"bettertimes"(afterChristmas,aftervacation,afterthecrazyperiod,etc.).
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Sometimestheblogjustendsabruptlywithoutaconclusion.Rarelydoesthe"polynapper"admitdefeat,
orconcludesontheinfeasibilityofpolyphasicsleep.Few,disingenuously,claimthesuccessful
adaptationtothesleepingscheduleandgoontobloggingonothersubjects.
Thoseyoungmentendtobehungryforlife,hungryforexperience,hungryforaccomplishment,unable
toadaptto10pm5amsleepingschedule,rebelliousandreadytoseeknewwaystowardsmaximum
productivity.Thesearemostlynoblecharacteristics.Butinamixwithignorance,theycanleadtobad
health,poordecisionmaking,poormentalperformance,andsocialfrictions.Thesepersonalitytypesare
alsoatahigherriskofdyingyoung.Polyphasicsleepmayalsohaveitscontribution:"Ihavejustdriven
polyphasicallyallthewayfromCanada".Thereisonlyonemajorbenefitofpolyphasicsleep:
polyphasicbloggerscontributetoourunderstandingofsleep.Noresearchercouldethicallysubjectthat
manyindividualstothementaltortureofpolyphasicschedule.Inthisarticle:Polyphasicsleep:Myths
andFacts:ComicRelief,Icompiledalistoffunniestquotesfrompolyphasicblogs.Thoseillustratethe
phasesoftheexperimentwiththespecialfocusonoversleepingandalertness.Naturally,thelistisvery
selectiveandoutofcontext.Bloggersoftenclaimtheyfeelgreat,themethodworks,andtheyplanto
continueindefinitely.Yetinterwovenwiththeenthusiasmareredflagsthatamazinglykeeppassing
unnoticed.Acoupleofblogsevenscreamgreatsuccess.Iwon'tquoteorlinktotheseasIfoundthem
quitedisingenuous,orcarryingahiddenagenda.Thesewoulddilutethetruthandhypeupapotentially
hazardouslifestyle.
Polyphasicmyths
Whenreadingpolyphasicsleepblogs,onecanidentifyanumberofmythsthatkeepgettingtransmitted
fromblogtobloglikeabadVDinfection:
False!mostanimalsarepolyphasicandsomustbehumans
False!adaptationperiodishardbutitendsatsomepoint
False!polyphasicsleepsavesyoutime
False!polyphasicnapsareREMonly
False!youaremorealertifyousleeppolyphasically
False!youaremoreproductiveifyousleeppolyphasically
False!youloseweightonthepolyphasicsleepschedule.Theoppositewilllikelyhappendueto
theimpactofsleepdeprivationonappetitehormones.
False!polyphasicsleepishealthy
False!longnapsarebadforyou
False!manynapsarebetterthanonenapevenifyouarenotsleepdeprived
False!ClaudioStampirecommendspolyphasicsleeptoeveryone
False!polyphasicsleepmaximizestheamountofREManindividualgets
False!manygeniusesofhistorysleptpolyphasically
Toreadsomefunnyextractfrompolyphasicblogs,see:Polyphasicsleep:MythsandFacts:Excerpts
frompolyphasicsleepblogs
Factorsthataffectsleep
Stress
Stressisasleepkiller.Hormonesassociatedwithstress,suchasadrenaline,ACTH,cortisol,etc.increase
alertnessandreducethesleeppropensity.Itismoredifficulttoinitiatesleepinconditionsofstress.
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Nighttimeawakeningsaremorelikely.Thesleepstructuremayalsochange.Thesleepmaybecome
shorterandlessrefreshing.Moreover,sleepdeprivationwillmagnifytheeffectsofstressfulsituations.
Stressandbadsleepconspirehandinhandtomakelifemiserableforquiteanumberofpeoplein
industrializednations.Thosewhoaresleepyandinstressarelesslikelytoachievetheirgoals.Thatonly
addstothemisery.
Inadditiontoitseffectsonsleep,stressmayhaveanegativeinfluenceoncreativework,learning,
problemsolving,etc.Atitsworse,stresscanvirtuallyshrivelyourbrain!Persistentstressandraised
corticosteronelevelshavebeenshowntodecreaseBDNFinratbrains.Thisleadstotheatrophyofthe
hippocampusthechiefmemoryswitchboard!StresscancutdownyourIQ.Notonlyforaday,butalso,
toalesserdegree,foralifetime!
Stressisrootedinouremotionalbrain.Emotionsareverydifficulttocontrolandwilloftendeterminea
person'schancesforsuccessorfailure.Negativeemotions,suchasanger,arecounterproductiveand
contributelittletoaperson'sgrowth.Positiveemotions,suchaswelldosedpassion,helponeovercome
obstaclesthatareboundtobefoundonanyracecourse.Emotionsarealsotransitiveandtendtoamplify
insocialgroups.Angerbegetsanger.Cordialitybegetscordiality.Yourefforttobegetpositiveemotions,
insuitablecircumstances,willsendpositiveripplesthroughthesocialcirclesyouinteractwith.Learnto
capitalizeonpositiveemotionsandcircumventnegativeemotions.Inviteallpositiveemotionsthathelp
youexecuteyourgrandplans.Conditionyourselftoloveyourwork,people,andtheworld.Runaway
fromsourcesofnegativeemotion.
Thepowerofemotioncomesfromthefactthattheyarewiredintothelowlevelbrainstructuresthat
cannoteasilybecontrolledbyrationalthinkinggovernedbytheprefrontalcortex.Anangryindividual
cancommanditsbraintocooldown,however,hecannotinstantlyreducethelevelofadrenalinethathas
alreadybeenreleasedintothebloodstream.Adrugaddictcanrationallydecidetogiveupdrugs,but
whenthephysicaleffectsofthecravinghithissystemhisrationalbrainisoftenpowerless.
Asitishardtocombatone'sreactionstostress,oneofthebestwaystodealwithstressistorunaway
fromit.Stressissoimportanttoyourwellbeingthat,ifpossible,achangeofajob,achangeoffriends,a
changeofresidence,orachangeoflifestylemustbeconsidered!Withoutthese,eventhebestcounter
stressadvicemaynotwork.Somepeopleareinherentlypronetostressandmayfinditimpossibletolive
alifewithoutit.Othersmaythriveonstress(toadegree).Thisarticlecannotpossiblyeventouchthetip
ofthistroublesomeiceberg.Ifyousufferfrombadsleepandstress,tacklingstressmaybeyourtop
prioritythingtodo.Therearetonsofbooksandblogsthatdealwiththeissuesofstress.Itmayseem
redundanttoproduceyetanotherlist.However,IthoughtIwouldmakeaselectionsortedbyhowmuchI
believeitcouldbehelpful,esp.withtheviewtosleepandcreativework.Ibelievethatprioritizationby
informativepowerasopposedtothecurativepowerisimportant.Forexample,goodhealthmightbethe
mostimportantfactorincombatingstress,however,youareprobablyalreadyworkinghardonit.Onthe
otherhand,fewerpeoplerealizetheeffectivenessofpainincuringone'stroubles!Iamnoexpertinstress
management,andIhavebeenblessedwithprettystrongstresstolerancethatcanmakeithardformeto
comeupwithacomprehensivelist.IfyouthinkIcouldaddsomethingworthrecommendingtoothers,
pleaseletmeknow.Hereismylist:
exercise:ifyouimposeapainofexercise,yourotherpainsmaybeseenfromanewperspective.
Trymarathonorwinterswimming.Fewthingscanbringasmuchreliefandpleasureaspain!
Exercisehelpsyougrowthebrainyourbestantistressally.Ontheotherhand,sleepdeprivation
andstressshrivelthebrainmakingithardertostrugglethroughlife.
eliminateinterruption:whereverpossible,createprotectedzonesinyourdaywhenyoucanfocus
oncreativework.Ifpossible,yourentiremorningshouldbeprotectedtokeepyourmindclear.In
thatperiod,email,phonecalls,andmeetingsareallforbidden.Iftheprotectedzonefollowsa
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periodofstress,youmaynevergetbacktoyourbestmentalshape.Takeoccasionalcreative
vacationswhennobodycanreachyou.Ifthisistoomuch,tryitonce.Perhapsyouwillseeyour
entirelifeinanewcontext.
measuretheday:insteadofmeasuringyourdistancetothegoal,measurehowmuchyouhave
accomplishedonagivenday.Ifyourgoalsareambitiousenough,mostofthetimetheywillbe
prettyremotefaronthehorizon.Withyoureyesonthehorizon,youdonothaveagoodsenseof
progress.Ifyoufocusonthejobsfortheday,youwillgetabettersenseofthepositivemotion.Do
notwaitforthegreattrophy.Letthelittlegooddeedbeitsownreward.Onceyoureachahigher
levelofsatisfactionwithlittlethings,yourbrainmayworkonahighergearandperhapscarryyou
beyondyouroriginaltarget.
simplify:simplelivingismorefun.Simplicityisagreatescapefromtheratrace.Someideas:ride
abikeinsteadofdrivingacar,giveupsomeofelectronicmusthavegizmos,trytolivewithout
deadlines,makefewerpromises(includingyourself),turnoffyourcellphone,takeacreative
vacation(onejob,onegoal,nodistractions),etc.Ifyouworkontoomanyprojects,trytofinish
onebeforeyoubeginanother.Learntosay"no"oravoidsituationsinwhichyouhavetosay"no".
Learntodelegate.Ifyouareoverloadedwithinformationoremail,dumpitalltoSuperMemoand
prioritize.
creativework:Ibelievethatfewthingsareasfulfillingascreativeworkforagoodcause.Ifyou
cansacrificelesserthingsforamajorcreativegoal,doiteachtimeyouhaveachance.Inthelong
run,productivityofthemindisoneofthebestformulasforahappyandhealthyliving.
slowdown:ifyoualwayskeeprunningoutoftimefordoingthings,youmightbeloadingtoo
muchonyourplate.Thismagnifiesyourstresslevels,andgivesyouanexcusetodelaysleep.Itis
goodtobefastandefficient,however,thiscannotstretchbeyondacertainbiologicallimitwhere
youshortchangeyourlifefortoday'sminoraccomplishments.
prioritize:oneofgreatwaystopileupstressinthelongrunistoprocrastinateorworkonfun
thingswhileneglectingtherest.Youneedtoalwaysprioritizehonestlyandreligiouslyexecuteby
priority.Therewillalwaysbealongbottomofthelistthatwillneedtobeignored.Ignoringthe
overloadandfocusingontoppriorityjobsisathingeveryoneneedstolearn.Oneofthewaysto
prioritizeeffectivelyistousetasklistsortedbypriority=value/time.Dumpingtasksonatasklistis
bothstressless(youalwayshopetoexecuteatsomepoint)andefficient(youalwaysworkfromthe
topofthelist).
sleep:eventhoughwespeakofsleepasagoal,sleepisalsogreatforclearingupstress.However,
thisweaponiseffectiveonlyifyoucanrunyoursleepfree.Thisisduetothefactthatstressitself
maycausephasedelays.Thismeansthatyoumayneedtodelaysleepslightlyandgetupabit
later.Ifyouneedtogetupearly,sleepislesslikelytobeyourally.Ifyougetintoanunsettling
situationthatspoilstheday,youcanalwayshopeforsomesolidexercisefollowedbysomesolid
sleep.Hangontothecomfortablethoughtthathumanbiologywillworkforyou.Stressful
situationsoftenseemmuchmorestressfulwhenstressaddsup.Stressmultipliesstress.Goodsleep
givesyouanew,morehonestperspectiveontoday'sworries.
benice:ifyouhavesomethingpositivetosaytosomeone,sayit!Helpothersgothroughtheday
withasmile.Ifyouhavesomethingnegativeonyourmind,ponderifexpressingitisnecessary.
Smallthingsarenotworthfightingfor.Whenyouareinabadmood,rememberthanevenifyou
forceontoyourselfabitofnicenessforothers,youwillseethatnicenessisinfectious,youwillget
somebackandadaywillfeelsunnier.Ifthisadvicedoesnotwork,perhapsyouareinawrong
environment?
family:familyisachiefsourceofstressformany.However,itcanalsobethebestformofstress
relief.Ifyouarejustabouttobuildafamilyunit,keepinmindthatstressfreelifeinalongterm
shouldbeoneofyourchiefgoals.Ifyourrelationshipisastringofworrieswithnolightinthe
tunnel,perhapsitisnotyourbestlongterminvestment?
nature:sadly,manyofuslosttheabilitytofeedonthebeautyofthenaturalworld.Forastressed
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workaholic,atriptothewoodsorthemountainsfeelslikeawasteoftimethatonlymagnifiesthe
stress.However,theloveofnatureisatavisticallydormantineveryone.Itcanbereawakened.It
canberelearned.Onceitisrestored,contactwiththenatureisoneofthebeststressrelievers.
Needlesstosay,naturepreservesshouldbemobilephonefreezones!
contentment:oneofthebestwaystoboostone'sresistancetostressisworkonone'soverall
contentment.Researchshowsthatcontentmentisprimarilybasedonselfesteem,relatedness
(relationshipswithotherpeople),autonomy(beingincontrol)andcompetence(beingproductive).
Toadegree,allthesefactorscanbeinfluenced.Contentmentmakesiteasiertoignoreminor
annoyancesandseethebigpictureandbiggoals.
avoidconflict:gotobattleonlyformajorlifechangingcauses.Toomuchtimeonthisplanetis
spentonbattlingfororagainstlittlethingsand/orminorprinciples.Agreatdealofconflictcanbe
resolvedbyjustignoringitandfocusingonmoreimportantthings.
avoidbadpeople:oneofthechiefsourcesofstressisotherpeople.Someofthemaregoodpeople
thatbringstressbyvirtueoftheirjob,duty,goodintent,ignorance,etc.Othersarejustplainbad
peoplethatwouldbestbeavoided.Inyourchoicesofaspouse,job,gym,friends,etc.makesure
youstayawayfrompeoplewithatalentforspoilingyourday.Thosechoiceswilldetermineyour
stresslevels,yourabilitytosleepandyourabilitytofocusonthingsthatareimportant.
planahead:whenyouwakeupwithasetgoalfortheday,yourmindistakenawayfromstressful
distractionsandyourproductivitysoars.Reviewyourgoallistsregularlytorefocusthemind.You
needseparategoalsforwork,family,exercise,etc.Theyareallhelpfulinasmoothandproductive
sailthrougheachandeveryday.
timemanagement:solidtimemanagementisessentialforproductivity.Lowproductivitybegets
lowproductivity.Onceyourefficiencydrops,itwillhaveanegativeimpactonyourmotivation
underminingyourprogressevenfurther.Intermsofanaggingstress,fewthingsareasbadas
pilinglistsofthingsundone.Thosenagginglistsarebesttackledwithtimemanagement(getting
thingsdone),andprioritization(gettingridofthingsthancannotbedone).ConsiderPlanin
SuperMemofortimemanagement,andTasklistsinSuperMemotostresslesslycutthebottomof
thetodolist.
health:healthylifestyleisvital.Healthybodymakesstressmanagementeasier.Heresleepcanbe
apartofanegativefeedbackloop(lesssleep,morestress,lesssleep),orapositivefeedbackloop
(goodsleephelpscombatstress,stressmanagementhelpsyousleepbetter,etc.)
Formore,seethisimmortaltext:TheMedicalBasisofStress,Depression,AnxietyandDrugUse!
Positivestress
Adegreeofstresscanalsobeapositiveforce.Someformsofstressaregreatenergizers.Ibelievethat
whenoptimizingone'sdayforgoodsleep,goodlearning,andgoodcreativity,itmakesgoodsenseto
takeintoaccountthetimingofstress.Stressbeforesleepwillhaveanegativeimpactonsleep.Stress
beforecreativeworkorlearningwillhaveanegativeimpactontheresultsofbrainwork.Avastmajority
ofpeopledonothavemuchinfluenceonthetimingofstress.Stressseemstopervadeallourlives.
However,ifyoubelongtotheluckyfewwhocandecidewhentoopenaletter,readmail,makea
difficultcall,scheduleatoughmeeting,tackleastressfultask,youshouldtrytoemploystresstoworkto
youradvantage.Ibelievethatthebestandtheonlyrighttimefortacklingstressfulsituationsisbeforeor
atsiestatime.Thistimingsparesthemostcreativemorningperiod,andprovidesasufficienttimebuffer
beforethenightsleep.Moreover,ithelpsyousailthroughthelessproductivesectionoftheday,
includingthemiddaydipinalertness(ifyoucannotaffordnapping).Ifyouareanapper,addingexercise
afterthestressslotcouldprettyefficientlyflushawaytheeffectsofstress.Adoseofstresscanactually
improvetheefficiencyofexercise,andifexerciseisnotefficientenoughtoerasetheeffectsofstress,
youwillbesacrificingonlythelessercomponentofyourdailysleepcycle:themiddaynap.
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Alcohol
Alcoholisamajorenemyofacreativeindividual!Inexcessitishighlytoxictothebrain!Evensmall
dosescanreducethequalityandthedensityofREMsleep.Alcoholalsosuppressesdeepsleep,produces
sleepfragmentation,andrelaxestheupperairwaymuscles,whichworsenssnoringandseverityof
obstructivesleepapnea.Apartfromitsnegativeimpactonsleep,alcoholreducescognitivepowers,
inhibitsmemoryencoding,andshouldbeparticularlyavoidedattimesofcreativeeffort!
Ontheotherhand,lotsofresearchindicatesthatsmalldosesofalcoholmaybenefithealth.Actually,a
drinkadaymaybethesimplestknownmethodofpreventingarteriosclerosis,heartattack,and
cerebrovasculardisease.Therearereportsthatmoderatebeerdrinking,orperhapsevenalcoholin
general,mayreducetheincidenceofAlzheimer's(Breteleretal.2002[66])(beerbellyoraluminumin
beercanswillhaveanoppositeeffect).Insmallerquantitiesalcoholcanimprovethebloodlipidprofile,
while,incontrast,excessdrinkingisassociatedwithhypertension.Somephysiciansrecommenddaily
alcoholinverysmallquantities(notmorethanadrinkperday).
Toahighlycreativeindividual,alcoholposesthenahealthvsbraindilemma.Certainlyitshouldbe
avoided35hoursbeforesleep.Itshouldalsobeavoidedaltogetherbeforeintellectualworkifthereisno
interveningsleepperiodinbetween.Thiswouldleaveplaceonlyforverymoderatedrinkingintheearly
evening(assumingyoudonotdoanybrainworklateron)oratsiestatime(assumingthatthisisthetime
youtakeabreakfromintellectualefforttotakeanap).
Exerciseisknowntoreducedrinking,possiblythroughitsimpactontherewardcenters.However,it
shouldalsoprovidesomeprotectionagainstthetoxiceffectsofalcoholonthebrain.Exerciseaccelerates
circulationandspeedsuptheconversionofalcoholintoacetylCoAthatcanthenbequicklyusedasa
sourceofenergy.Thispreventsabuildupofacetaldehydethatisthemosttoxicmetaboliteofethanol.
Acetaldehydeispartlyresponsibleforthehangoverandmayhavecarcinogenicproperties.Exercisealso
helpsyoureducethelevelofbloodtriglyceridesthatmightincreaseasaresultofchronicdrinking.
Regularmoderatedrinkingimprovesthemetabolicmachineryusedtoneutralizealcohol.Ontheother
hand,bingedrinkingisequivalenttodestroyingone'sownbrain.Ifyouevergettothepointofslurred
speech,orexperienceahangover,youknowthatbadthingshappentoyourbrain!Theyoungeryouare,
themoredamageyoucanexpect!
Youshouldneverdrinkbeforesleep.Alcoholisquicklymetabolized,andwillproducean
acetaldehydereboundeffectthatwillgreatlyincreasechancesofwakingupduringthenight.Thiseffect
keepsalcoholicsupatnights,deprivesthemfromREMsleep,andmayactuallyberesponsiblefor
deliriumtremens(andperhapsevenKorsakoffpsychosis).Evenmoderateamountsofalcoholwillhavea
noticeableeffectonthequalityofsleep!Makesurethatalcoholisoutofyoursystembeforeyour
nightsleep!Abookbeforesleepmaybeaseffectiveasaglassofwine!
Youshouldneverdrinkbeforecreativeworkorlearning.Evenagulpofbeercanaffectyour
performance.SomeusersofSuperMemoclaimtheyenjoymoderatedrinkingwhilelearninginthe
evening.Thisisunderstandableifthefunctionofeveninglearningisfunandrelaxationwithoutgreat
expectationsastothelearningeffectitself.Iamnotsureifthisworsensoralleviatestheimpactof
memoryoverloadonthehippocampusandtheadjoiningnetworks.However,Iknowforafactthatthe
memoryeffectswillbegreatlyreducedduetothedescendingeveningcircadianslopeandduetoalcohol
itself.
Somedrinkingrulesyoumightconsider:
alcoholinthebloodbeforethenightsleepwillseriouslyreducethequalityofsleep
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alcoholsuppressescreativity
alcoholmakeslearningineffective
hangoverisbadforthebrainandindicatesexcess
slurredspeechorbalanceproblemsindicateexcess
ifyouviolatetheexcessrules(above),takeamonthlongbreakfromalcoholtoprovetoyourself
thatyouarenotonthewaytoaddiction
trytobalanceeachdrinkwithatleastonehourofaccompanyingexercisetoprotectthebrain
Readmorehere:
AlcoholandtheBrain
Alcohol:HealthBenefitorHazard?
Caffeine
Caffeineisthenumberonedrugusedagainstsleepiness!90%ofAmericansuseitinsomeform.Itcan
befoundincoffeeandcoke,aswellasinsmallerquantitiesinteaandchocolate.Itisaddictiveandacts
viasimilarchannelsasamphetaminesandcocaine.Italsoaffectstherewardcenters(includingthe
nucleusaccumbens(Goldbergetal.2002[67])).Ascaffeinehasaprofoundeffectonthecentralnervous
systembyblockingadenosinereceptors,itiswidelyusedtotackledrowsiness.However,majorityof
peoplelittlerealizethatitworkswellinyourstrugglewiththeadenosinerelatedhomeostaticcomponent
ofsleepiness,whileitisquiteinefficientinovercomingcircadiansleepiness!Moreover,usedagainstthe
latter,itcanactuallybequiteunhealthy!Ifyouabusecaffeineoruseitatthetimewhenyourbodyclock
tellsyoubedtime,youwillonlyexperiencethesymptomsthatgavecaffeineallthebadrap.These
include:heartarrhythmia,irritability,overwhelmingtiredness,depression,increasedriskofmiscarriage,
andatypicalcoffeeabuser's"sicknessinthestomach".Nowonderthepopularmythsaysthatcoffeeis
badforhealthandcancontributetoaheartdisease.
Surprisingly,theresearchonthehealtheffectsofcaffeinedoesnotseemtoconfirmitsharmfulness.
Consideringthewaycoffeeismanufactured,itmayseemsurprisingthatitscarcinogeniceffectis
insignificant.Somepublicationsevenindicateapositiveimpactofcoffeeonhealthandlongevity.Ifthe
researchseemscontradictory,itprobablycomesfromthefactthatsomepeopledrinkcoffeeatthe"right
time",whileotherstrytocompensateforsleepdeprivationortomaskcircadiansleepiness.Thelink
betweencoffeeandheartdisordersisweak,maydependonindividualgeneticabilitytometabolize
caffeine,andmaybeattributedtocaffeineabuseintheformofexcessdosesorwronglytimeddoses.
Someresearchhasevenfoundthat35cupsofcoffeeareoptimumforlifespan.Thesameresearchwas
criticizedforfailingtonoticethatcoffeeismorepopularinwelltodohouseholdsthatfavorlongevity.
Therehavealsobeenreportsofpositiveimpactofcaffeineonmemory.Caffeineincreasesthelevelsof
BDNFinthehippocampus,andmightperhapsboostneurogenesis.Itwasfoundtobemodestly
preventiveagainsttheAlzheimer'sdisease.Youcanthenassumethatcaffeineisratherharmlessin
smaller200400mg/dayquantities(equivalentof24cupsofcoffee).Notethat50%ofAmericanstake
morethanthat.Forcaffeinetobeharmless,itmustbetakenattherighttime!
Caffeinetendstodrivemanypeopleintoaviciouscircle:youdrinkit,yougetaboostinepinephrine,
youfeelmoreenergetic,yougetaboostindopamine,youfeelbetter,youfeelyoucanstayuplate,you
sleepless,youaremoresleepyonthenextday,soyouneedmorecaffeine,duetodownregulationyou
getlessboostpercup,youwonderwhyitdoesnotworkthistime,youincreasethedosage,andthe
viciousaddictioncirclecontinues.Coffeedrinkersmayoccasionallyexperiencemigrainelikeheadaches.
Thesearecausedbyanincreasedactivityofadenosinereceptorsondayswhenthesupplyofcaffeineis
less.Thisresultsinthedilationofbloodvesselsinthebrain.Vasodilationoractivationofpurine
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receptorsonsensoryneuronsproducestheheadaches.Halfanormaldoseofcaffeineshouldhelp.
Conclusion:ifyouwanttogostraightoncoffee,donotgocoldturkey.Allowofacoupleofdaysfor
yourbodytograduallyfightofftheaddiction.Arationalapproachtocaffeineis:useitasacircadian
enhancer!EventhoughIalwaysadvisetoavoidusingsubstancesinregulatingsleep,youcanuse
caffeinetoaccelerateyourtransitionfromsleeptofullmentalalertness.Smalldoseinthemorningwill
shootyouralertnessslopeupandtheregularintakewillproducemildaddictionthatshouldhelpyoufall
asleepintheevening.Thisapproachshouldbelargelyneutraltoyourhealth,toyoursleeparchitecture,
andpositivetoyouralertness(atleastveryearlyintheday).Neverusecaffeinetocoverupfor
insufficientsleep!Currentknowledgeaboutcaffeinesupportstherecommendationforacupofcoffeein
themorninginotherwisehealthyindividuals.Asblackcoffeecanbeirritanttothestomachlining,coffee
shouldratherbedrunkwithmilkorcream.Inregularnapperswhodonotbattleinsomnia,thecircadian
rhythmshouldyetpermitdrinkingcoffeeimmediatelyuponwakingupfromanafternoonnap.
Asanarousaldrug,caffeinemayinduceinsomnia.Thisiswhyitshouldneverbetakenlaterthan67
hoursbeforesleep.Caffeinehalflifeisabout6hoursforahealthyindividual,butcanvarysubstantially
frompersontoperson!Takentoolate,caffeinewillsuppressREMsleepwithdetrimenttothequalityof
sleepanditseffectonmemory.Atthesametime,whentakenregularlyearlyintheday,itmayactually
producemildwithdrawaleffectsandpromotesleep.Itsimpactonsleepstructureshouldalsobeminorif
administeredearlyenough,however,evenamorningintakewillreducedeepsleepinthenight(Dijket
al.1995[68]).Caffeinecannotserveasaweaponagainstsleepdeprivation.Onlyasufficientamountof
nightsleepcanplaythatrole.Caffeineshouldalsonotbeusedagainstthecircadiansleepcomponent.As
arguedthroughoutthisarticle,circadianrhythmshouldbestbeleftalonetorunitscourse!
Somesleepexpertsrecommendcoffeebeforeanaptoshortenitsdurationand/ortoensurewaking
duringStage2NREM.Thismaybeokincaseyouneedaquickrestorativenapinahurry,e.g.incaseof
adrowsydriver.However,anoptimumnapinafreerunningcyclewillnaturallylastnomorethan30
minutes,esp.inconditionsofstress.Theeffectofnappingmaybeshortlivedifthenapisartificiallycut
shortwithacupofcoffee.
Theonlygoodtimefordrinkingcoffeeisinthemorning!(orafteranapinhabitualnappers)
Neverdrinkcoffeetoovercomecircadiansleepiness!
DrStickgoldsays:"Inalllikelihood,thevastmajorityofpeopledrinkingcoffeeinthemorningaredoing
so,consciouslyorunconsciously,tocorrectfromsleepinessduetoinadequatesleepquantityorquality".
Itdoesnotneedtobethecase.Evenafteragoodnightsleep,withoutsleepdeprivation,coffeecancrank
upthecreativepowersofthebrain.However,itmostlikelydoessoatthecostofattention.Itmaythen
helpincreativeproblemsolving,butitmightalsoreduceone'sattentionduringamorninglectureor
magnifytheeffectsofastressfulsituation.Ultimately,youneedtobeyourownjudgeandseeifthisis
reallyyourbestmorningdrink.
Sleepingpills
MichaelJacksonwasagenius.Heobsessivelycaredabouthishealth.Hewantedtobeimmortalorat
leastlivepast150.Heevencontributedtoarumourthathesleptinanoxygententtocombataging.And
yethecommittedacardinalmistakeofsleephygiene:heusedmedicationtocontrolhissleep.Thisis
whyhediedat50.Hecouldaffordthebestmedicaladvice,andyetthegeniusofpopdiedofignorance.
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Millionsofpeopleonthisplanettakebenzodiazepinestogetthemselvestosleep.Othersdrink
themselvestosleep.Yetotherstakeapuffofmarijuana.Inevitably,theoutcomeisthesame:
unrefreshingsleepanddaytimetiredness.DrKripkeshowedinhisresearchthatpeopletakingsleeping
pillsdieyounger.Whythendosomanypeoplemakethemistakeofmedicatingsleep?Formany,
unrefreshingsleepisbetterthannosleepatall.Moreimportantlythough,associety,wehavelostthe
truesenseofwhatarefreshingnightofsleepcandotoourbrainsandbodies!Allthisdamageisdoneat
atimewereverylittleisneededtogetgreatsleepinamajorityofhealthypeople:
1. sleepattherighttime,and
2. sleepuntilyouwakeupnaturally(formoresee:Formulaforgoodsleep).
Whereverpossible,avoidsleepinducingmedication.Evenaseeminglynaturalproduct,
melatonin,isnotwithoutitsdownsides.Readaboutfreerunningsleepinstead.
Melatonin
Melatoninistheonlyprovennaturalsleepingpillwithfewdocumentedsideeffects.Nowonderitis
gettingmoreandmorepopular.Inaddition,itsantioxidantpropertieshavesparkedinterestinmelatonin
asananticanceragent.Inthewakeofsuchinterest,thereisalwaysawaveofcheapcounterfeitdrugs
hittingthemarket,esp.viatheInternetsales.Thosemaycontainnomelatoninwhatsoever.
Melatoninisanaturalsleephormonesynthesizedinthepinealglandfromserotoninbyacetylation
catalyzedbyserotoninNacetyltransferasetoformacetylserotoninthatislatermethylatedwith
participationofSAMtomelatonin.Melatoninisreleasedduringthatpartofthecircadiancyclethat
correspondswiththeperiodofdarknessinbothnocturnalandindiurnalanimals.Diurnalanimals,like
us,arethosethatareactiveduringthedaylightperiod.However,melatoninisonlyanintermediaryinthe
complexprocessofsleeponset.Itcanacceleratetheonset,andcanslightlyadvancethesleepphase,
however,itcannotproducesleepondemand,andthesleepitcantriggerwilloftendifferinstructure
fromanormalhealthysleep.Melatonin'simpactonsleepstructureisprobablythereasonwhymany
peoplewhousemelatoninasasleepingaidreportfeelinglessrefreshedinthemorning.Theexplanation
ofitslimitationsmaybeinthefactthatmelatoninisproduceddownstreamfromtheSCN,andassuch
cannotbeconsideredauniversalsleephormonethataffectstherootofthesleeponsetmechanism.
MelatoninproducesphaseshiftsalongitsuniquePRC:
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However,itisnotcleartowhatdegreethephaseshiftsinducedbymelatoninarearesultofthedirect
impactontheSCNwheremostofthereceptorsformelatoninreside,andtowhatdegreeitisaresultof
thephaseshiftingimpactofthearousalinearlierwaking(ineveningadministration).Whateverthe
answer,sleepinducedwithmelatoninisnotlikelytobephysiologicallyequivalenttonaturalsleepdueto
thebypassingofsomeofthestagesofthecircadiancontrol.Iguessitmightbecomparedtosleepingina
slightlyearlierphasewithcorrespondingchangesinthesleepstructure.
Dosesofupto0.3mgraisetheserummelatonintoitsnaturalnocturnallevel.Thehalflifeofmelatonin
isaround40minutes,whichisimportanttoknowwhentimingmelatoninadministrationtoinducea
circadianphaseshifts.Sideeffectsofhighdosageofmelatonin(above1mg)includecognitive
impairment,drowsiness,nausea,headachesaswellastroublingdreamimagery.Itisnotclearifthe
negativeimpactofmelatoninoncognitioniscausedbyitseffectsonsleepstructureoradirecteffectof
melatoninonthebrainand/orothertissues.Highdosesmightbecounterproductiveastheycould
producephasedelayscausedbyprolongedactiononthedelaysideofthePRCthatbeginsprettyearlyin
thesubjectivenight.Needlesstosay,forthesamereason,additionaladministrationonasleeplessnight
wouldactinoppositiontothedesiredeffectascomparedwithatimelyeveninguse.
MelatonincanbeusedtoremedyphaseshiftsinDSPS,however,itcannotbeconsideredacure.Forits
effectstocontinue,itrequirescontinuousadministration.Thewithdrawalmightactuallyworsenthe
symptomsduetovariousdownregulationissuesandsuppressionoftheendogenousrelease.Totalsleep
timedoesnotincreasewhilethesubjectivealertnessmayactuallydrop(Sacketal.2007[39]).Melatonin
hasalsobeenconsideredformorningadministrationinASPS,however,consideringitsimpacton
cognition,thisapplicationwouldalmostcertainlyprovehighlycontroversial.
Foracreativeindividual,melatoninshouldonlybeusedwhenabsolutelynecessary(e.g.inorderto
generatephaseshiftsneededtomaintainascheduleneededtofunctioninsociety).Thetimingand
dosageareessentialforthetherapeuticaleffect.Thosemustbeconsultedwithaqualifiedprofessional!
Nicotine
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Smokingdestroyssleep,destroyshealthandkillsmanygoodpeoplealltooearly.DoyouthinkObamais
acoolandrationalcustomer?Notethatheisinapowerfulgripofnicotineaddiction.Eventhoughhe
claimstohavequitjustintimetobepresident,rumoursayshestilltakesasecretivepufffromtimeto
time.
Forthesakeofgoodsleepandgoodhealth,quitsmokingnow!
Didyouhearofagreatmethodforquittingsmokingcalledthe"incrementalwithdrawal"?Probablynot.
Icoinedthetermonthespot.However,Isawmanypeoplesucceedusingthismethod.Thisishowit
goes:
1. Countexactlyhowmuchyousmokeperday.Let'scallthatnumberBaselineCount
2. Take95%oftheBaselineCountandcallityourCurrentCount
3. Everymorning,makesureyouputyourCurrentCountintoacigarettebox.Planitasyouwish,
thatboxmustbeallyousmokeonthatday!
4. Doyoufeelanybetteronyour95%level?Doyoufeelyoucouldsustainthisindefinitely?Ifyou
feelstronglyaboutthosequestions,reduceyourCurrentCountbyone.
5. StickwithyourCurrentCountuntilyouarereallyinamoodtomakeanotherstepforward.
RememberthatreducingCurrentCountbymorethanoneisriskytoyourresolutions.Remember
thatitmakessensetogothroughawholeconstellationofdaysinyourschedule(e.g.workdaysvs.
weekends)beforeyoureduceyourCurrentCount.Don'tleapaheadbeforeyouaresure.
6. GobacktoStep3andstayinthiscycleuntilyourCurrentCountdropstozero.Rememberthatthe
keytosuccessisalwaysfeelinggreatabouttheprocedure.Youneedtosenseprogress,andenjoyit
withoutsufferingtoomuchofwithdrawalconsequences.
Iliketheincrementalwithdrawalmethodbecauseitincreasesthechancesofsuccess.Inaddition,cold
turkeyisnotwithoutrisks.Quittingisalwaysgreatforyourcardiovascularsystem.However,withdrawal
canputatremendousstressonthatsystem.Itcanactuallykillyou!Ifavormethodsthatfiddlelesswith
dangerousaspectsofhumanphysiology.Ifyoureallywanttoproveyourstrength,gofastthroughthe
incrementalprocedureinsteadofquittinginstantly.Quittingcoldturkeyisnotonlyrisky,italso
increasesthechancesofarelapse.Thisisduetotheimmortalmaxim:Easycome,easygo.Somemore
tips:Howtoquitsmoking?
Ifyoustillcannotlivewithoutnicotine,Nicorettechewinggummaybethesimplestoverthecounter
waytotackletheaddictionwithoutthecarcinogeniceffectofcigarettes.ObamaswearsbyNicorette.
StillNicorettemayevenbemoreaddictivethancigarettesontheirown,andtheshorthalftimeof
nicotinemayresultinovernightcravingthatdisruptssleep!
Rememberthatsmokersusuallyexperienceashallowandunrefreshingsleep.SmokersgetlessREM
thannonsmokers!Eventhoughnicotinemakeyoufeelmorecreative,withoutREMsleep,your
creativityandproblemsolvingcapacitywillinevitablydrop.Don'tgetfooledbythetransitoryeffectof
nicotineinjections!Youwillbelesssmartinthelongrun!Nicotinewillimproveyouralertnessbyacting
oncholinergicreceptorsinarousalareasincludinganimportantsleepcenter,basalforebrain(see:Why
dowefallasleep?).However,itwillalsocausenighttimewithdrawaleffectthatoftenresultsin
prematureawakening.Doyouoftenwakeupafterjust24hoursofsleep?Ifyouquit,youmightleave
thoseprematureawakeningbehind.
Interestingly,only4%ofusersofSuperMemoaresmokers(source).Inaddition,userswhosmokespend
muchlesstimeonlearningwithSuperMemo(anaverageofabout10minutesperdayascomparedwith
theusualaverageofaround30minutes).Thisismorerelatedtothehormonalbalanceinthebrainofa
smokerthantosmokingitself.SmokerssimplydonothavethepatienceforSuperMemoandareless
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likelytobeindepthlearners.Yettherearestrongindicationsthatthosewhoquitsmokingshow
improvementintheirperseveranceinlearning!Thatisonemorereasontoquit!
Exercise
Exerciseisgoodforsleep
Ifemployedskillfully,exerciseisablessingforsleep.Exerciseisgoodforhealth,andwhateverisgood
forhealthisalsogoodforsleep.Exerciseisknowntoenhancedeepsleepandpromotethenocturnal
releaseofgrowthhormone,whichhasbeenfoundtostimulatememoryconsolidationviaitsimpacton
proteinsynthesis.Exercise,deepsleepandGHhaveallbeenlinkedwithneurogenesis(i.e.brain
growth).AgoodnightsleepfollowingexercisecausesanincreaseinreleaseofBDNFandanincreasein
nervecellproliferation(forexamplesee:Runningincreasescellproliferationandneurogenesisinthe
adultmousedentategyrus(VanPraagetal.1999[69]),Sleepdeprivationreducesproliferationofcellsin
thedentategyrusofthehippocampusinrats(McGintyetal.2003[70])).Inotherwords,exercisebuilds
bothmusclesandthebrain!(Gambelungheetal.2001[71]).
Sleep,learningandexercisearethebestfriendsofasmartbrain!
Whatisthebesttimetoexercise?
Therearedifferentformsofexercise:thetype,theintensity,andthetimingwillaffectsleep.Thenumber
ofpossiblepermutationsishuge.Itwouldtakeanotherarticletolistthemall.Readaboutyourfavorite
formofexercise,andexperimentonyourown!Itendtofavorexerciseatthedescendingslopeofthe
circadiancurve,eitherbeforelunchordinner,orintheearlyevening.Thischoiceisdictatedbythewish
topreservetheperiodofhighestalertnessforcreativework.Inaddition,peakalertnesstimesarenot
necessarilypeakphysicalperformancetimesthatcomeataslightlylaterphase.Metaphorically,thebrain
wakesupfasterthanthecardiovascularand,mostofall,musculoskeletalsystem.Exercisebeforea
siestatimemealcandeepenthemiddaynapaslongasthereissufficient"cooling"period.Late
afternoonexercisemightbebestforexercise'ssake.Enduranceandstrengthtendtopeakatthattime
whilethechancesofinjuryarelowest(onetheorysaysthatitisduetotheleastcatabolic
testosterone/cortisolratio).Earlyeveningexercise,ifnottoointenseorinjurious,willdowonderstothe
qualityofnightsleep.Moreover,eveningexerciseseemslikeagoodfillerforthetimewhenthebrainis
alreadywindingupitscapacityformentaleffort.Exercisemayincreasethedemandforsleepevenmore
thanlearning.However,highadrenaline,competitive,emotionallycharged,orinjuriousexercisethat
comestooclosetothesubjectivenightsleepcouldbedisruptiveandreducethequalityofsleep.Also,
withsomeexceptions,itmightnotbeashealthyasexerciseatamoresuitablecircadianphase.Late
exercisemayincreasetheriskofinjury.Itcanalsoresultincontradictorysignalsforthecardiovascular
systemthatisalsosupposedtowinddownforthenight.Exercisingbeforesleepislittleless
contradictorythanexerciseafterameal.Thiswayalateeveningmarathonshouldbediscouraged,while
somecalisthenicsormoderatebodybuildingmightbeencouraged.Again,yourownexperimentationis
essential.Ifyourwayofexercisefeelsgreat,andyourcreativeworkdoesnotsuffer,andyousleepgreat,
chancesareyouaredoingallthingsright,andyouaremorelikelytopersistinyourexerciseregimenfor
psychologicalreasons.Earlymorningexerciseisgreatforpeoplewhobattlewithsleepphaseproblems.
Ifyoufinditdifficulttofallasleepearlyenoughandneedtoresorttoanalarmclockduetooversleeping,
earlyjogginginbrightsunshinecanhelpyoushiftthesleepphase.Exerciseandlightarepowerful
zeitgebers.Naturally,thispractisewillalsocontributetoyourrunningoutofmentalenergyearlierinthe
day,which,attimes,isexactlywhatyouneedtoremedysleepphaseproblems.Republicanpresidential
candidateRonPaulconfessedthatthebesttimeforexerciseforhimistheveryearlymorning.He
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regularlytakeslongwalksatthestartoftheday.Thismayworkforhimaswalkingisnotinjuriousand
canindeedbetakenonveryearlyinthemorning.Moreover,forapolitician,thisexercisedoesnotneed
toquarrelwithhiscreativeregimen.Walkingisgreat,forexample,toreiteratemaintalkingpointsforan
eveningdebate.Paul'sexampleshowsthatthereisnooneforallcookiecutterruleforeveryone.Late
eveningexercise,forexample,tendstodelaythesleepphaseandmightbehelpfulinpeoplesuffering
fromASPS.
Formulaforbestexercise
Ifyouanticipateyourexercisewithenthusiasmoreveneuphoria,youknowthatyouchosetherighttype,
timingandintensity.Ifyoufeelpleasantlyexhausted,ifyoufallasleepfast,andifyoursleepisdeep,
youknowthatyouaredoingthingsright.Ifyoucannotdragyourselfforajogging,trywalking,or
swimming.Ifwateristoocold,perhapstryswimminginanindoorpool.Ifswimmingisnotchallenging
enough,trytheadrenalineofteamsports.Orperhapsasocialsettingofagymwillsuityoubetter.If
exerciseworsensyourinsomnia,tryitearlier,changetheintensity,orthetypeofexercise(e.g.toone
thatislessinjurious).Readrelevantexercisetips(rehydration,preventinginjuries,etc.).Exercisecanbe
andshouldbeaddictive.Manypeoplehateexercisebecausetheynevertrieditproperly.Ifyouareoneof
those,tryagain,perhapswithapersonaltrainer(forawhile).Peoplehateexerciseonlyiftheydonot
knowhowtoexercise!
Listentoyourbody!Exerciseshouldmakeyouenthusiasticbefore,andcontentedafterwards.
Ifthat'sthecase,youarealmostcertainlyontherighttrack.
Sleepisgoodforexercise
Itiswellknown,atleastamongstbodybuilders,thatsleepisnecessaryformusclegrowthandrepair.If
youdonotgetenoughsleep,yourbodybuildingeffortwillberuined.Themusclesneedsleep,butwedo
notsleepbecauseofthemuscleneeds.Fortheorganismtocopewithmuscleregeneration,thereisno
needtoshutoffthecentralnervoussystem,andmakeoneunconsciousforathirdofone'slife.IfREM
paralysiswastoplaythisrole,itcouldbeenforcedatthelevelofthemedullaoblongatawithoutmaking
usunconscious.Ifgrowthhormonesecretionwastoplayarole,itcanalsobeupregulatedinabstraction
fromthestateofthecentralnervoussystem.Therearemanyotherbenefitsofsleepformuscular
regenerationbutnonewillrequirethestateofunconsciousnessonitsown.Forevolution,usingsleepfor
muscleregenerationwouldbeassensibleasshuttingdownthegovernmentinordertofixahighway.
Theuniversalbeliefthatsleepevolvedtopromoterestandregenerationcomesfromthefeelingofbeing
"brokendown"and"unrefreshed"onceyoudonotgetenoughsleep.However,youdonotfeelcrushed
afteranallnighterbecauseofthedamageinflictedbythelackofsleep.Yourstateissimplyyourbody's
owndefenseagainstnotgettingenoughsleep.Youcancheatthosedefensestoalimitedextent.One
nightofgoodsleep,andyourbodyseemstobebacktoshape.Theonlytruedamageinflictedbysleep
deprivationistothefabricofmemory.Unfortunately,thisdamageisimperceptible,andtheuniversal
perceptionisthatsleepischeapandcaneasilybedispensedwith.Whetheryousleepforthesakeofyour
memoryorforthesakeofyourmuscles,sleepisgood.
Sexandexercisediffer
SomeonenoticedthatIcontradictmyselfrecommendingsexbeforesleepandsayingthatexercise
directlybeforesleepisnotrecommended.Oneonlyneedstoobservethathormonallysexandexercise
differlikechalkfromcheese,thedegreeofstressinsexshouldbenegligible(atleastinastableand
harmoniousrelationship),chancesofinjuryarenottoohigh,etc.ThiskindofexercisebeforesleepI
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wholeheartedlyrecommend.
TV
Manysleepexpertssaythatabedroomshouldonlybeusedforsleepandsex.Theyalsoimplythatthere
shouldbenoTVintheplacewhereyousleep.However,thisadviceseemstostemfromafutilebattle
againstsleeponsetinsomniathatissooftencausedbysleepphaseproblems.Ifyougotosleepvery
early,andyouarenotsleepyenough,itisquitenaturalthataTVorradiocouldprovideadistractionor
evenwakeyouupprematurely(e.g.withanannoyinglyloudadvertising).TheeffectofaTVsoundmay
bequitedifferentwhenyousleepintherightphase(e.g.infreerunningsleep).Inthosecircumstances,
yougotosleepwhenyouarereallyready.Ifyourunaprerecordedmaterial,andsetthetimertoturnthe
TVoffin515min,youmightbeactuallydoingyoursleepagoodservice.Animportantthingfora
goodnightsleepistoleaveallissuesofthedaybehind.Evenpleasurablethoughtsrelatedtoyourlife
cankeepyouupandexcited.Atthesametime,repetitivenewsfromforeignlandsoramoderately
interestingscienceprogramcaneffectivelylullyoutosleepin24minutes,whichshouldbeyourhealthy
target.SomeTVorradionewsforanadultcanbecomparedtosoothingmusicforanewbornorafable
thatmomreadstoachildbeforesleep.Thishasevenbecomeapartofbibliotherapy.Manypeopleread
themselvestosleep,whichisagoodidea(aslongaspassionatereadingdoesnotgoontillmorning
hours).Anaudiobookmightalsobeeffectiveinadifferentway.Itisaverypersonalissue.Youneedto
testitforyourselfandavoidthedogma.Ifyouneedtowakeupearlyandyouhaveproblemswithfalling
asleep,youmayfollowtheconventionaladvice.However,ifyoucanaffordtorunyoursleepfree,you
shouldgotosleeponlythenwhenyouaretrulysleepy.Inthosecases,toTVornotTV,isreallynota
question.Youcangetthose23min.ofnews,orjustfallasleepinabsolutesilence.Itisuptoyou.
Cannabis
Marijuanaisawellknownsleep"remedy".ItisparticularlypopularamongDSPSsuffererswhoclaimit
helpsthemgotosleepearlier.Unfortunately,researchseemstoindicatethatcannabischangesthe
structureofsleep(e.g.reducingtheproportionofREMsleep(Feinbergetal.1975[72]Fujimoriand
Himwich1973[73]),whichcanalsobeexpressedbyparticularlyluciddreamsinwithdrawal).Thisresults
inlessersleepefficiencyandpossibleprematureawakeningaftertheadministrationofcannabis.Dueto
thesuggestedimpactonthereleaseofmelatonin,soporificeffectandpossibleprematureawakening,
cannabismightseemlikearemedythatmightstabilizethecircadiancycleinDSPS.However,this
stabilizationwouldbeachievedatthecostofqualityofsleepandproductivity.Subjectivesleepiness
reportsseemtoindicatethatindeedmarijuanasmokersdowakeupmuchlessrefreshed.Moreover,they
experienceunusuallyhighenergylevelsandrichdreamsinwithdrawal,whichisanindicationofthe
negativeimpactofthedrugonthequalityofsleep.
Inabstractionfromotherpotentialnegativehealtheffectsofsmokingmarijuana,itshoulddefinitelybe
avoidedinthe"protectedzone",i.e.inthehoursprecedingsleep.Inthatrespect,itisnotmuchdifferent
fromalcoholorbenzodiazepines,whicharealsowellknowntoaffectthesleepstructureandthe
efficiencyofsleep.Thesameruleappliesinallthesecases:treatyourbrainbeforesleepnoworse
thanyoutreatyourbrainbeforecreativework.Whateverisbadforcreativityislikelytobebadfor
thequalityofsleep.
DrBuzsakispokeinaninterview:"Timingandnetworksynchronizationaretheessenceofallcortical
computation,andthetimingabilityofcorticalnetworksisreflectedintherhythmstheyproduce.We
haveshownthatdeteriorationofsynchronyofhippocampalassemblies,e.g.,inducedbytheactive
ingredientofmarijuana,isreflectedquantitativelybythefieldrhythms.Inturn,thedegreeofimpaired
hippocampaloscillationsiscorrelatedwiththedeteriorationofmemoryperformance.[...]Oscillations
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constitutearobustphenotypethatreliably'fingerprint'anindividualandexpectedtoalterinmost
psychiatricdisorders.Oftensuchchangesaremostpronouncedinsleep".
Sex
Sexisgoodforsleep,however,usingsexasa"sleepingpill"maynotbetoogoodforsexitself.For
circadianreasons,morningsexshouldbebest(infreerunningcondition).Testosteronepeaksinthe
morning.However,sexisapowerfulhypnotic,andmorningsexmayunderminemorningalertness.On
theotherhand,sexbeforesleepislikelytohelpyoufallasleepfaster.Eveningsexmaybeless
"efficient".Youaremoretiredandperhapsnotinamood.Butsexisagreatsoporific!Sexisavery
personalthing,butIbelievethatcreativepeopleperformbetteriftheysexercisebeforesleeporatsiesta
time.
Ifyoupracticesexwithoutprocreativeintentions,positiveinfluenceofsexonsleepmaybeyournumber
oneexcuseforstickingfaithfullytoyourconjugalduties.Hereisalsoarecommendationtostickwitha
singlepartner.Longevitystudiesshowthathealthystablemonogamoussexlifeisoneofpowerfullife
expectancydeterminants(eventhough,inthiscase,monogamousshouldstandinoppositionto
promiscuousratherthantopolygamous).Whilemonogamoussexisgenerallygoodforsleep,sexwith
yournewgreatlovemayactuallydisruptsleep.Apartfromahealthydoseofendorphins,itwillalsoraise
yourcatecholaminesthatmayfragmentsleepcycles.Forthesamereasons,promiscuoussexmayalso
failtoplaytheexpectedhypnoticrole.
Manyhighlycreativepeopleopttosleepinbedsthatareseparatefromtheirpartners.Thisapproachmay
underminefamilycohesionandsexlife,however,itisprettyunderstandable,esp.inpeoplewholoveto
burnthecandleatbothends.Cosleepingisprobablyabetterchoicehealthwiseaslongasitdoesnot
affectthequalityofsleep.Inaddition,bothpartnersshouldsleepinsimilarhoursandforgothealarm
clock.Thisisahardpersonalchoicethatneedstobalanceahealthytraditionwiththequestfor
productivity.IdonotthinkIcanrecommendonechoiceovertheother.Itistoocomplexandtoo
personal.
Diet
Foodsthatweeataffectouralertness,andourpropensitytosleep.However,theroleoffoodsislargely
overappreciated.Forexample,itisverydifficulttosignificantlyaffectthecircadiancyclewithbasic
foodstuffs.Itisthetimingofmealsthatmaymattermore.Homeostaticsleepinesscanbeenhancedwith
somefoods,esp.whenconsumedinlargeramounts.However,thisishighlyindividual.Forexample,
yourglucosetolerancewilldeterminetheeffectofglucoserichfoods.Yourabilitytometabolizealcohol
orcaffeinewilldeterminethedegreeoftheeffectofthesetwofrequentlyconsumedmindaltering
substances.Yourfoodintoleranceandfoodallergiescanhaveabigimpactaswell.Yourcurrentsatiety
status,rehydration,caloricneeds,etc.alsoplayarole.Agesoldrecommendations,suchas"aglassof
warmmilkbeforesleep"willonlyplayamarginalroleinhelpingyousleepwell.Itwouldtakeaseparate
articletodescribeallnuancesandpossibleinteractionsandsynergies.Iwillthereforelimitthissectionto
thefollowingbasicruleofthethumbmnemonics:
whateverisgoodforhealthisalsolikelytobegoodforyoursleep(atleastinlongterm).Healthy
bodywillensurehealthysleep.Consultyourfavoritehealthydietbookorwebsite.Keeplearning!
Youneedtovirtuallymemorizeanencyclopediaoffoodstotrulyunderstandallnuancesof
differentdietchoices.
ifyouareonanobeseside,avoidmealsinthelastthirdofyourwakingday.Forhormonalreasons,
thiswillhelpyoukeepyourweightincheck,andhelpyousleepbetter.
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evenifyouareonaweightlossprogram,beforecreativeworkyouneedfoodsthatwillgradually
releaseglucoseintothebloodstreamwhileyouworkinhighgear
avoidalcoholandcaffeineinthelastthirdofyourwakingday
Yourbestdietforgoodsleepisroughlythesamedietthatisgoodforyourhealthand
longevity.
Variationsinthehealthydietareunlikelytohaveamajorimpactonyoursleep.Youmayonlywantto
watchcaffeine,alcohol,exoticherbalproducts,toxins,andallsubstanceswithasubstantialeffectonthe
nervoussystem.Otherwise,thedietshouldhaveonlyaminorimpactonthedemandforsleep,circadian
patterns,homeostaticsleepiness(withamajorexceptionofcaffeine),progressionofsleepstages(witha
majorexceptionofalcohol),orneuralefficiencyofsleeping.Thereasonforthisisthesameasinmany
othercasesofhomeostasis:theorganismisstrivingatretainingthehomeostaticbalancethroughoutall
systems.Rarefoods,herbalpreparations,pharmacologicalintervention,etc.canalwayschangeor
unbalanceinternalequilibria,butastandardhealthydietisfarlesslikelytodoso.Ittakesan
extraordinarynutritionalerrortostopthehumanheart.Itisevenhardertostopthegenebasedbody
clock.
Vegetariandiet
Lotsisbeingsaidaboutveganorvegetariandietsinreferencetosleep.Itisnottruethatherbivoressleep
less,astherearemanyexceptionstotherule(thereareherbivoresthatsleepthreetimesasmuchas
shortsleepcarnivores).Thereis,however,acorrelation,whichsaysthatthedecreaseinsleeptimeis
fasterwiththeincreaseinweightinherbivoresthanitisincarnivores.Inotherwords,heavyherbivores,
likegiraffe,indeedsleepverylittle.Thiscorrelationmaybeexplainedbychangesinmetabolism,butit
couldalsoreflectadifferentlifestyle.Apredatormayeatonceandthenspendmanyhoursondigestion,
anelephantkeepsmunchingalldaylongtosustainitsenergeticneeds,whileagazelleneedstomaximize
vigilancetowardoffanattackfromalongsleepinglion.Thecorrelationbetweenthediettype
(herbivorevs.carnivore)andthelengthofsleeplinkssleepinghabitswitheatinghabitsofaspecies,not
witheatinghabitsofanindividual.Whilehumansareomnivorous,youwon'tbecomeanherbivore,and
allegedlyashortsleeper,byenforcingneweatinghabits.
Sleepandglucosemetabolism
Whilechangestoahealthydietdonothavemuchimpactonthequalityofsleep,sleephasapowerful
impactonthemetabolism.Sleepdeprivationresearchtellsusthatadequatesleepisparticularlyimportant
forhealthyglucosemetabolism.Sleepdeprivation,shiftworkandjetlagallfacilitateobesityandthe
developmentoftypeIIdiabetes.Thepossiblereasonisthatsleepdeprivationdecreasesleptinand
increasesghrelinforthesamecaloricintake(Knutsonetal.2007[74]).Thosetwohormonescontrolthe
appetiteandaffectthehomeostaticsetpointforthebodyfatlevel.Insleepdeprivationwetendtoeat
moreandachievesatietyatapointwhichwillincreasethebodyfatpercentage.Incaloricterms,those
changescanbeprettydramatic.Halvingone'ssleepmightincreasethedemandforfoodby1000kcalper
day.Therearealsoindicationsthattheappetiteswitchestosubstantiallyfavorhighcarbohydratefoods.
Thisonlymagnifiestheproblem.Lastbutnotleast,sleepdeprivationsimplymakesyoulazy.Youare
lesslikelytoexpendthoseextracalories.
Gettingsufficientsleephelpsyoustayslim!
Formoresee:TheDreamDiet:LosingWeightWhileYouSleep.
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Fasting
Mostnutritionistswilltellyouthatweightlossiseasierifyouavoidlargermealsinthelastthirdofyour
day.Othersclaimthisisamyth.Epidemiologicalstudies,asalways,donotprovideaclearcut
confirmation.Ramadanfastingseemstofavorweightlossdespitenighttimeeating.Controlledstudies
alsoprovideseeminglycontradictoryoutcomesdependingonthedesign.Theconvictionthatevening
fastingmightbebeneficialprobablyoriginatedinthe1970swhenweightlossprogramswereshownto
provemoreeffectivewhenmealsareeateninthefirsthalfoftheday,asopposedtothesecondhalf(fora
discussionsee:WeightLossisGreaterwithConsumptionofLargeMorningMealsandFatFreeMassIs
PreservedwithLargeEveningMealsinWomenonaControlledWeightReductionRegimen(Keimetal.
1997[75])).
Ibelievethatifyoutryeveningfastingforyourself,youwillquicklydiscoverthatitcandowondersto
yoursleep,itsrestorativepowers,yourweightlosstargets,yourmorningenergy,etc.Unlessyouarein
thisravenousgroupthatcannotsleepwithoutanighttimetriptothefridgeoratleastaneveningsnack,
youwillalsonoticethatforcircadianandpsychologicalreasons,eveningfastingisprettyeasytosustain
onceyougetthehangofit.Fastingpromotesthereleaseofghrelin(Bloometal2000[76]),which
contributestotheoverallnighttimeincreaseinthereleaseofgrowthhormone(Norrelund2005[77]).Most
ofgrowthhormonereleaseoccursindeeperstagesofNREMsleepearlyinthenight.Thisnighttime
releaseispartlyresponsiblefortheanabolicmodeofearlysleepthathelpsyouavoidabdominalobesity,
strengthenyourbones,rebuildyourmuscles,tendons,ligamentsandothertissuessubjecttodaytime
wearandtear.Hormonally,eveningfastingproduceseffectssimilartothoseofoverallcalorierestriction,
whichhasbeenshowntoprolonglifeinmice.Olderpeopleseekingtheiryouthfulpastmayresortto
growthhormoneinjections.Eveningfastcombinedwithahealthyfreerunningsleepisdefinitelya
healthierandsimpleroption.Tryitforyourself,andifyouhaveanydoubts,pleasewritetome.
IfyouareaninsomniacorsufferfromDSPS,youshouldalsoconsidereveningfastingasafactorthat
mighthelpyoumaintainahealthysleepschedule.See:CuringDSPSandinsomnia.Ontheotherhand,if
youaretroubledbyearlyawakeningsandshortnights,youmightdefyaconventionalnutritionistadvice
andlistentoSethRobertswhosaysthereverse.Robertsfoundthatskippingbreakfasthelpshimmaintain
ahealthysleepphase(Roberts2004[78]).ThousandsofpeoplefollowRoberts'advicewithoutrealizing
thatamajorityofthemarelikelytobeattheDSPSendofthephasedisorderspectrum,andhisadvice,
whilewellresearchedandideallysuitedforhim,mayhavetheoppositeeffectintheirowncase.
Rememberthereforethatyourfastingchoicesaswellasotherlifestylechangesthataffectyoursleep
mustbechosentofityourchronotype.
Combatingjetlagwithdiet
ThereissomeevidencethatratscanentraintheircyclestofoodwiththehelpoftheDMH,however,
usingstarvationtocombatjetlagisonlyatheoreticalconcept.TheSCNrhythmisnotmaleablebeyond
minorphaseshifts,andlosingsynchronybetweentheSCNandtheDMH,ifatallpossibleinhumans,is
notlikelytobeagoodthingforhealth,esp.thathumansdonotseemtohaveevolvedamechanismto
subjectsleeptothetimingoftheavailabilityoffood.Ifyouhappentohaveanysuccessincombating
jetlagwiththetimingofmeals,pleaseletmeknow.
Learning
Fewthingscanbeastiringbeforesleepasadoseofheavylearning.However,aleadingsleepexpert,Dr
Dement,inhisguidetobettersleepsuggests:"Avoidheavystudyingorcomputergamesbeforebed,they
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canbearousing".Thisadviceneedsaslightamendment.Thereisnodoubtthatcomputergamesare
arousingandshouldbeavoided.However,"heavystudying"mayhavemanyforms.Ifyoustudyforan
exam,andthisbringsstressfulimagesoftheexamitself,itcanindeedbearousing.Ifyoustudya
fascinatingsubjectthatmonopolizesyourthoughts,itcanbearousingaswell.Similarly,learningina
brightlylitroommayslowdownthedescenttosleep.However,ifyouextractthepurelearningprocess
devoidofstressfulassociations,light,socialaspects,etc.,youwillcometoadifferentprescription.
Learningshouldhelpyousleep
Themoreyoulearnonagivenday,thelesseryourcapacitytolearnmore(see:Learningoverload).For
thatreason,themoreyoulearn,thefasteryouwillgetseriouslysleepy.However,youwillnotbeableto
sleepwelluntilyourcircadiansubjectivenightarrives.Thismeansthatyoucanadvanceyourbedtime
onlyslightly,e.g.by2060min.Youcannotgeneratemultihourphaseshiftwithlearning!
Learningisassociatedwiththehomeostaticcomponentofsleepiness,andcanpromotesleep.
Ifyouwanttouselearningasaformofgettingtiredforsleep,andyoudonotmindthelearningprocess
tobelessefficient,herearethesuggestions:
1. selectsomeunexcitinglearningmaterial(e.g.yourFrenchvocabularycouldpassthetest,unless
youplananexcitingtriptoParis)
2. subtractthehighprioritymaterial(learninginadrowsystatecannegativelyaffectthelearning
processinthatsubset)
3. makesurethatyourmonitorandyourroomarenottoobright.Otherwiseyoumayimpactyour
sleepphasethatwillmakesleepharderonthenextday
Rememberthatlearninginasleepystateisactuallyaviolationofthelearninghygiene.Sciencehasnot
yetconclusivelyansweredthequestionifthisisgoodorbadforyourmemoryinthelongrun(Wozniak
2002[79]).
Doeslearningincreasetotalsleep?
Eventhoughyoumayhearfrommeoftenthatlearningincreasesthedemandforsleep,Ihavenotbeen
abletodemonstratethefactwithSuperMemodata!Isimplyrepeatwhatotherscientistskeepsaying.
Learningshouldindeedincreasethedemandforneuraloptimizationinsleep,however,thismayaswell
bedonebyincreasingtheintensityofprocessing(e.g.byincreasingthedensityofREMsleep).Heavy
learningmaynotnecessarilyincreasethelengthofsleep.Learningmayalsobelikeexercise,itdoesnot
contributemuchtothebaselinedemand.Ifyoudonotlearnwithatextbook,youstillkeeplearningby
noticingthings,bythinking,bytalkingtopeople.Ifyoudonotexercise,youstillburnlotsofcalories.It
seemseasiertoprovethatheavyexerciseresultsinlongersleepthantoprovethatheavylearning
increasestotalsleep.Ihavebeenabletoshowthatlearningcontributestohomeostaticsleepiness.As
such,itshouldcontributetoearlierbedtimesandlongersleep.However,Istillhavenodatatoshowit.
Formoresee:Howlearningaffectssleep?
Sleepandlearning
Sleeplength
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Optimumlengthofsleep
Inthisbusymodernworld,everyminuteoftimeseemsprecious.Forsomepeople,thebottleneck
resourceistime(notmoney,materialresources,people,etc.).Timebecomesalimitingfactor,and
everyonelooksforwaystodecongestone'slife.Assleeptakesathirdofourlives,awidespreadignorant
solutionistocutdownonsleeptoeconomizemoretimeforwork.Thismightworkinashortrunfor
someonewhoneedshislegsorarmsmorethanhisbrains.Itwilldefinitelybackfireforthosewhouse
theirbrainsastheprimarytool.Evenforsomeonewhobelievesheaccomplishesmoreonlimitedsleep,
lifemustfeellikearacewithouttheraysofhappysunshine.Intermsofglobalvalue,asinglecreative
insightproducedbyarefreshedmindcanequaltothousandsofmanhoursinbackbreakinglabor.
MillionsofyoungliveswastedonthefrontsofWorldWarImusthaveequalledtolessofameaningful
contributionthanafewhoursofprogrammingonthepartofTimBernersLee.Imagineallthoselives
spentonmoreproductivepursuits!Bycuttingdownonsleep,youundermineyourchancesofa
meaningfulcreativecontribution(unless,naturally,yourworthymissioncouldnothavebeen
accomplishedwithoutsomesacrificeinsleep).
Recommended8hoursofsleep
Sleepresearchersoftenlookforarecommendedamountofsleep.Usingsurveysorlabsleepdata,they
oftencomewitharecommendationof8hoursofsleeppernight.However,thisrecommendationopensa
minefieldofproblems.Togettheir8hours,somepeoplemaywishtogotosleeptooearlyandthus
exacerbatetheirinsomniaandrelatedstress.The8hourspernightrecommendationisalsoscornedby
someresearcherswhopromulgatethefalseclaimthatsleepislikefoodandwewillalwayswantmore
evenifwedonotneedit.
Energyconservationtheoryofsleepispatentlywrong.Benefitsofsleep,unlikethebenefitsoffood,
cannotbeaccumulatedinadvanceandthereisnoevolutionaryadvantageingettingmoresleepthan
necessary.Anallnighterwillbeaspainfulafteramonthofoversleepingasitisafterjust23nightsof
goodsleep.Conservationofenergyisminimal,andthebrainmayactuallyusemoreoxygenduringsome
sleepstagesthanwhenworkingonacomplextask.Eventhoughlionsmightsleep20hoursperdaywhen
thereisshortageoffoodandwater,humans,innormalcircumstances,canonlybingeonsleepafter
periodsofsleepdeprivation,orwhensleepinginawrongcircadianphase,orwhentheyexperience
healthproblems.Intheory,neuralnetworkoptimizationcouldbenefitfromsomeadditionalsleep,
however,thebraindoesnotseemtocravethatextraoptimization.Itscontrolmechanismsaresettomake
sleeplastforalimitedperiodoftimeeachday,evenifwetriedhardtogetmoresleep.Notonlythereis
noadvantage,therearehugecoststosleepingtoomuch:wearemostvulnerableanddefenselessinsleep.
Eventhoughsleepcanbecompressed,provingitisnotperfectlyefficient,therearenonaturaland
healthymethodsofsleepcompression.Thebestsleepisaccomplishedwhenallcircadian,homeostatic,
genetic,andneuralmechanismsruninsynchronyattherighttimeonaprescribedcourse.Thiscanonly
beaccomplishedwithfreerunningsleep.WithdozensofSleepChartsubmissions,Icandemonstrate
easilythatoncearegularsleepscheduleisadheredto,thetotalamountoffreesleepdropsandbecomes
prettysteady.Intheexemplarygraph,aDSPSsubjectrunshersleepfreeandgetsonaveragethesame
regularrecommended7.9hoursofrefreshingsleeppernighteventhough,beforerunningfree,shewas
convincedthatsheneeded9hours,andthat,evenon9hours,shewouldstillbetiredthroughouttheday:
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Savingtimewithpolyphasicsleep
Ubermansleepschedulewasproposedwithaviewtogainingmorehoursinaday.Polyphasicschedules
areveryappealingintheory,andmanypeopletriedthemoutjusttogiveupwithinaweekoramonth
(dependingontheabilitytosufferthroughthementalmisery).Thosewhotrytoadjusttoanyunnatural
schedulewillsufferanunspeakabletormentofthemind.Polyphasicsleepersregulatetheirsleepwithan
alarmclockuntiltheyreachthebreakingpoint.Humanselfexperimentingguineapigscollapseintoa
soundlifesaving58hoursleeptowardsthebreakingpointandthenresumethepolyphasicschedule
withasenseofguilt.Thatsenseofguiltiscalmedwithexculpatoryterminologysuchas"weekend
break","reenergizer","bonussleep",etc.Polyphasicexperimentersmayhappentosleeplessbuttheir
intellectualperformancewillbedramaticallyundercut.Somepolyphasicsleeptheoriesarebasedonthe
falsepremisethatthebodycanadapttoanysleepingrhythm.Researcherstriedtofindanatural
polyphasicrhythmthatwouldminimizethepainofsleepinglittle.Forthatpurposetheyhavestudiedthe
phaseresponsecurveofthecircadianrhythm,wheretheimpactofvarioussleepaffectingfactorsis
showntomovethesleepingscheduleforwardorbackward.Theobviousconclusionisthatwecanrather
painlesslymovethemajorcircadiansleepytimelittlebylittleinadesireddirection.However,ahealthy
normalindividualwillnotbeabletochoptherhythmintoadesirednumberofpieces.Monophasicsleep
orbiphasicsleeparethenorminhealthyindividuals.Biphasicsleepisrarelycomposedoftwomajor
sleepepisodes.Usuallyithasaformofamajorepisode(nocturnalsleep)andaminorepisode(siesta).
Greatcatnappersnapwhentheyfeeltheyneedto.Often,theycanaccuratelypredictwhenandhowmuch
theywillneedtonap.Ifyouwanttominimizetimespentsleepingandmaximizeyourlearningresults:
freerunyoursleep.Polyphasicsleepisnottheanswer.Getridofthealarmclock!
Minimizingsleeptime
Allformsofsleepcontrolwithanalarmclockwillincreasetheoveralldemandforsleep.Thismeans
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that:
Ifyouuseanalarmclock,either:
1. youwillsleeplonger,or
2. youwillfeelmoremiserable.
Artificialsleepscheduleswilldramaticallyreduceyourmentalcapacity.Ahealthyindividualinnormal
conditionswillfinditdifficulttofallasleep4hoursafterthemainsleepepisodeunlessthatepisodewas
unnaturallycutwithanalarmclockresultinginsleepdeprivation.
Theshortesthealthysleepisaccomplishedwithfreerunningsleep!
Infreerunningsleep,onceyouknowyouraveragesleeptimeandyouroptimumwaketime,trytostick
toitreligiously.UseSleepCharttofindyouroptimaincaseyoursleepisirregular.Planyourdayinsuch
awaysoastobesurethatifsleepinesscomesearlier,youcanhopintobedinawink,andwhile
sleepinessdoesnotarriveintime,youcangetbusywithsomelowprioritysleepconduciveactivities
thatwilltireyouuntiltherighttimeforsleepcomes.
Inefficienciesinthesleepcontrolsystem
Therearemanyfactorsthatmightincreasethedemandforsleep(e.g.learning,exercise,etc.),orshiftthe
sleepcontrolbalancetofavorsleepoverwakefulness(e.g.braininjury,infection,poisoning,
hypothermia,etc.).Theimpactofexternalfactorscanbeusedtoillustrateadegreeofinefficiencyinthe
sleepcontrolsystem.Sincedaysarelongerinthesummerthaninthewinterwedotendtosleepabit
longerinwinter.Theredoesnotseemtobeanincreaseintheneedfortheneuralfunctionofsleepin
winter.Ifwesleepmoreinwinterandthereisnobiologicalneedformoresleep,thenitseemsthatwe
mustbegettingeithermoresleepthanweneededinwinterorlesssleepthanweneedinsummer.As
sleepisprimarilycontrolledbythecircadianandhomeostaticsleeppropensity,andthecircadian
componentisstronglyinfluencedbylight,variationsinthelevelsofilluminationwillcausevariationsin
sleepduration.Itisconceivablethenthatwesleeplessefficientlyinwinter(intermsofneuraleffectsper
unittime).Equallywell,summersleepmightbelessrestorative.Eskimoscutofffromcivilizational
influencessleepforafewhoursmoreperdayinwinter.DrJimHorneisrightsayingthatinsome
circumstanceswemightsleepmorethanwereallyneedto.However,hegoesasteptoofarwhenhe
comparessleeptoeating,whichmakessomepeoplebelievethatsleeprestrictionmightbebeneficial(by
analogytocalorierestriction).Inconclusion,weneedtorealizethatsleepcontrolmechanismsarenot
perfect,however,wehavenotyetcomewithanyartificialandcertifiedwaysofimprovinguponwhatwe
weregivenbythebiologicalevolution.Naturalfreerunningsleepisstillthebestwaytoaccomplish
healthy,refreshingandshortestlastingsleep.
LengthofsleepamongusersofSuperMemo
AsurveyofusersofSuperMemo(SuperMemoWorld1994[80])revealedthattheaveragespeedof
learningwas243items/year/minute.Thoseuserswhosleeplessthan7.5hourslearnedatthespeedof
240items/year/minute.Thosewhosleepmorethan7.5hourslearnedat256items/year/minute.
Amountofsleep,smokingandexercisewerepoorlycorrelatedwiththespeedoflearning.Studentsaged
28yearsoldoryoungerlearnedatthespeedof264items/year/minute,whilethoseabove28yearsold
learnedatthespeed179items/year/minute.Remember,however,thatinanotherstudyithasbeenshown
thatgoodstudentslearnslower(!)(Gorzelanczyketal.1998[81])becauseoftheirgreaterselfcriticism
inprovidinggrades.
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Peoplewhosleeplesslivelonger?
"PeopleWhoSleepLessLiveLonger"screamednewsheadlinesinFebruary2002.Thereasonforthe
uproarwasalargescalestudybyresearchersfromtheUniversityofCaliforniaatSanDiegowhofound
thatpeopleaveraging8ormorehoursofsleeppernightwere15%morelikelytodiewithinthe6year
periodofthestudythanthosewhosleptsevenhours.Thestudymakesavaluablecontributiontoour
knowledgeofsleephabitsbutconclusionsamplifiedbymassmediaarenotonlywrong,theyare
dangerous!Ifyoudecidetocutdownyoursleeptodaytolivelonger,youwillcertainlyachievetheeffect
oppositetotheonedesired.Itisyourbody(actuallythebrain)whichknowsbesthowmuchsleepyou
need.Thismightbefiveoritmightbeninehours.Wedifferalotinthatrespect.Thereareno
noteworthybenefitsofcuttingdownyoursleepwithanalarmclock,andthedangersarewell
documented.TheerroneousconclusionsmediadrewfromDrDanielKripketeamstudycomefroma
typicalcauseeffectrelationshipconfusion.Itisnotthatlongsleepisdetrimental.Itismorethatpoor
healthmayincreasethedemandforsleep.Driventoextremes,comatoseandbedriddenpatientswillbias
similarstatistics.Peoplewithpoorqualityapneicsleeparemorelikelytolingerinbedandreportlong
nights.Ontheoppositesideofthisspectrumarepeoplewithhealthyandsoundsleephabitsthatoften
feelrefreshedwithaslittleasfivehoursofsleep,andwakeupnaturallybeforethealarmtime.In
additiontohavingadversehealtheffects,sleepdeprivationisamajorcauseoftrafficaccidentandcauses
immeasurabledamagetonations'creativepotential.Evenapoorlydesignedalertnesstestisnotlikelyto
testifytoyoursleep'squality.Thiscomesfromthefactthatstresshormonesoftenmasksleep
deprivation.However,ifyoutrytolearnwithSuperMemoafteranartificiallyshortenedsleep,youwill
seethatyourrecallgetsworseandstresshormonesmayimproveyoursenseofalertness,buttheywilldo
soatthecostoffocusandmemory.Youwillachievebesthealthbygettingasmuchsleepasyourbody
callsforinconditionsthateliminatestress,stimulants,antidepressants,sleepingpillsandthelike.Once
more,themassmediaamplifierislikelytoproduceconfusionandnegativeripplesthatwillkeepon
reverberatingforyearstocome!
Asalways,someresearchseemstomakeheadlines,whilemorethoroughmetaanalysesdon't.Inthis
case,itisprobablytheselfcomfortingthought"evenifIfeelmiserableinsleepdeprivation,lossofsleep
mightactuallyprolongmylife!"Ifwereviewtheliteratureontheassociationbetweenthelengthofsleep
andlongevity,wearelikelytonoticethatveryshortsleep,asmuchasverylongsleep,correlatewith
shorterlives(Cappuccio2010[82],2010[83]).ProfessorFrancescoCappuccioputsitbestsaying:"while
shortsleepmayrepresentacauseofillhealth,longsleepisbelievedtorepresentmoreanindicatorof
illhealth".Ifyoutakeanaverageoftheoptimumamountofsleepforallmembersofthepopulation,you
willarriveataspecificnumberthatismeaninglessforaspecificindividual.Insubpopulationsthatsleep
longerorlessthantheaverage,longevitymaybediminished.However,foreachsingleindividual,the
optimumnumberistheonethatissuggestedbythebodyneeds.Ifitis4hoursor10hours,itmattersless
aslongasthenumbercomesfromthenaturalsleepthatisnotcontrolledartificially.Moreover,that
numberwilldifferfromdaytoday,itwillbelessbeforeanexcitingdate,anditwillbemoreafteraday
ofheavyexercise.Nooneshouldworryaboutsleeping4hoursperdayor10hoursperday,aslongashe
orshesleepsnaturally,wakesupnaturally,andfeelsrefreshed.
Theoptimumamountofsleepdiffersfrompersontoperson,fromdaytoday,andisbest
determinedbysleepingwithoutartificialcontrolsuchasanalarmclock,sleepingpills,etc.You
canbestdetermineyouroptimumsleepneedsbytryingfreerunningsleep.
Epidemiologicalstudiesthatfocusonmorbidityandask"howmanyhourspernightdoyousleep?"aska
wrongquestion!Theyshouldratherask:"Doyouartificiallymodifythetimingandthelengthofyour
sleep?"Onlythatkindofquestionwouldtelleveryonethatartificialcontrolofsleepincreasesmorbidity,
whiletheactuallengthofsleepislargelyirrelevant.
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Investigatinglinksbetweensleeplengthandlongevityisnotmuchmoreusefulthanmyownfailed
attemptstoconnectthesleeplengthwiththequalityoflearning.Incaseoflearning,shortsleepproduces
poorresultsbecauseoftheimpactofsleepdeprivationonattention,recall,andconsolidation.However,
longsleepproducespoorlearningaswellbecauseitusuallyisanindicationofsomethinggoingwrong
eitherwithhealthorwiththesleepcontrolsystems(e.g.sleepinginawrongphase,orcompensatingfor
priordeficits).Askingabouthowmuchsleepweneedisnotdifferentfromaskinghowmanycalorieswe
need:itdependsonoursize,ourcurrentfatlevel,ourcaloricexpenditure,andmanyotherfactors.
JimHorneandDanielKripke
JimHorneandDanielKripkearetwosleepresearcherswhoseemtostandinoppositiontotherestofthe
fieldintheirprominentclaimthatsleepislikefoodandwecangettoomuchofit.Theyeven
contemplatetheconceptthat,aswithcaloricrestriction,sleeprestrictionmightprolonglife!Imentioned
DrKripke'sresearchthatisoftenerroneouslyinterpretedas"shortsleepprolongslife".Itisnotthatlong
sleepersdieearlier.Theobviousinterpretationofepidemiologicalstudiesisthatsickerpeopleoftensleep
longer.Drawingananalogywithcalorierestrictionisasweakasproposinga"wakerestriction"that
mighthavesomeunknownbenefits,esp.thatinthehormonalspectrumofglucosemetabolism,wake
restrictionismoresimilartocaloricrestriction.Thereisnoevolutionaryadvantagetogettingexcess
sleepduetothefactthatsleepcannotbeaccumulatedlikefatcan(see:Excessivesleeping).
Metaphorically,ifwecomparesleeptogarbagecollection,thereisnoadvantageincollectinggarbage
aheadoftime.Peopleonfreerunningsleepschedulequicklyreducetheirtotaldemandforsleepand
sleeplessthanonvariousformsofregulatedschedules.Theirmentalenergyisnaturallymuchhigher
despitesleepingless.Ibelievethatcomparinglongsleeptoovereatingisparticularlyharmful.Itsends
wrongsignalstoteenagersandstudentsforwhotheirbrainperformancedeterminestheirfuture.Drs
HorneandKripke'smainconcernisthat"scaretactics"employedbyresearcherswhoinsistonthevalue
oftheproverbial8hoursofsleepmayworseninsomniaandstressrelatedtonotgetting"enough"sleep.
Thesearevalidconcerns,butthesecaneasilyswingthebalancetoofarintheotherdirection,whilethere
isagoldenmean:freerunningsleepthathelpspeoplegetexactlyasmuchsleepasisneeded.Toseek
somecounterbalance,letmethennitpickatsomeofDrs.HorneandKripke'sstatementsandhypotheses
tothrowsomelightonsleepneedsfromthefreerunningsleepperspective.
DrHorne
HerearesomeofDrHorne'sstatementsthatkeepdetractingfromthevalueandpowerofsleep:
"Theamountofsleepwerequireiswhatweneednottobesleepyinthedaytime".Itishardto
disagree.However,IwouldupgradethatstatementtoanInformationAgestatus:"Theamountof
sleepwerequireiswhatourbrainasksfor".Thisisahigherstandardthanjust"nottobesleepy".
Afterall,itdoesnottakemuchsleeptofeelwellenergizedforworkinafield,orawalkinthe
park,orabasketballgame.Ittakesmorequalitysleeptobeatone'sintellectualbestforwriting,
programming,learning,research,etc.
"Sleepingcontinuouslythroughthenightisquiteamoderninvention".That'splainfalse.Many
speciessleepformanyuninterruptedhours.Thismostcertainlyhasbeenthehabitofearlyhumans.
Naturalsleepdiscontinuities,likenocturnalawakeningsorsegmentedsleep,areafarcryfromthe
forcedinterruptionsinflictedbyalarmclocks.Wakingupforaspecificpurposemighthavebeen
inventedinprehistorichumansocieties,however,therehasneverbeenacompellingneedfora
frequentuseofthat"invention".Forcenturies,evencandleswereavailableonlyfortherich.
FredericktheGreatmighthavebeenwokenupbythefiringofcannonsinchildhood,buthis
contemporaries,thankfully,didnothavemadlyauthoritarianmilitaryobsessedfathers.Our
ancestorsneverpaidmuchattentiontosleep.Theyjusthadplentyofitanditwasneverasubject
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ofdiscussionsoranxietiesthatnowfloodtheforumsforinsomniacs.Thetrueadventofalarm
clocksandshreddedsleepschedulesandsleepproblemsdatesbacktotheearlydaysofelectric
lightingthatdisconnectedthemodernworldfromthenaturalcycleofdaylight.Eventhoughalarm
clocksarenotnew,theyonlyenteredmassiveuseinthelastcentury.
"There'salotoffearmongeringaboutalarms.Youhearsomefunnyideasthatweshouldbe
wokenup"naturally"bylightoratcertainpointsinoursleeppatterns".Beingwokenbylightis
byfarhealthierthanbeingwokenbyanalarmclock.Still,morninglightisnotnecessaryto
accomplishtopqualitysleep.Seeacaseofperfectsleepintheabsenceofmorninglightinan
octogenarian.Beingwokenatthelightestphasesofsleepisbyfarhealthierthanbeingwokenjust
1525min.laterwhendeepsleepsetsin.Mostpeoplehaveexperiencedthedifferenceandcan
easilylistacoupleofsymptomsthatareindicativeofthenegativeimpactofsleepdisruptionon
health.IfIama"fearmongerer"inreferencetoalarmclocks,itisbecauseIunderstandthe
physiologyofsleepwellenoughtoknowthatlifewithoutalarmsshouldbeabasichumanright
esp.atyoungerages.
"Insomniaisnotreallyasleepdisorderbutadisorderofwakefulnessintrudingintosleep".A
typicalcauseofinsomniainanotherwisehealthyindividualisbadsleeptiming.Peoplewhoneed
togetupearly,gotosleeptooearlyinreferencetotheirbodyclock,andjustcannotfallasleep.It
isnotwakefulnessintrudingintosleep,butahumanwishtoimposesleepontowakefulness.These
aremodernschedulesandexpectationsthataretherootoftheprobleminavastmajorityofcases.
Whencriticizingpsychologicaltestsusedinstudyingsleepdeprivation,Hornesays"testssimply
measuretolerancetoboredom,whichshortenswithsleepdeprivation.Takethestimulationaway
andtheanimalwillfallasleep".Creativeworkwillnotalwaysprovidesufficientexcitementto
combatsleepdeprivation.Itisnottheboredomthatistheenemyofasleepdeprivedcreativebrain.
Itisthementaleffortitself.Noamountofboredomcanputawellrestedbraintosleep.
However,mentaleffortinsleepdeprivationmaybetantamounttotorture.Millionsofstudentsin
theindustrializednationsexperiencethatdaily.Ifwewanttomeasuretheimpactofsleep
deprivationoncognition,weneedteststhatarebothstimulating,andteststhateliminatethe
excitementvariable.Tolerancetoboredomdoesnotshortenwithsleepdeprivation!Itisafresh
creativemindthattrulyabhorsmentalnothingness!Itisourabilitytostayawakeintheabsenceof
arousingstimulithatreallygetsshortenedinsleepdeprivation.Boredomdoesnotinduce
sleepiness.Thereisnoknownboredomnucleusinthebrainthatwouldstartfiringinresponseto
lackofstimulation(otherthanviadisinhibitionofthenaturalsleepcontrolsystem).Evenifthat
nucleuswaseveridentified,itwouldratherformapartofanarousalsystem.Children,when
deprivedofstimulation,maybecomecrankyoraggressive.Evolutionmadeussmartbecausewe
seekactionandlowentropystates.Boredomunmaskstheunderlyingsleepdeprivation.
Whoevernodesoffataboringlecturemusthavesimplynotgottenenoughsleepinthenight.A
refreshedmindwillinsteaddrifttomoreinterestingthoughtssuchasanexcitingproject,problems
oftheday,oranattractiveclassmatesittingnearby.Myimpressionisthatsleepresearcherswho
bringuptheeffectsofboredomonwakefulnessmustextrapolatefromtheirownsleepdeprived
condition.Topqualitycreativebraindoesnotneedawhipofadrenalineordopaminetostay
focusedonitscreativepursuits.Weshouldallaimatsharpandcrispminds,notjustmindsthatare
"notsleepy".
DrHornebringsuptheInuitasanexampleofhumancapacitytosleepinexcess.TheInuitareable
tosleepforupto14hoursinwinter.Itistruethatlifestyleandenvironmentwillaffectthelength
ofsleep.Youcanblameourbiologyfornotdoingitsbestoftheavailabletime,butnothingnatural
canbedoneaboutthis,sowemightaswellenjoyafullnightsleep.Whenirregularsleepersclaim
theyneed89hoursofsleeppernight,onemightexpectthemclocking1011onafreerunning
scheduleifthe"wastefulnessofsleep"theorywasright.Instead,infreerunningsleeptheyoftengo
downto67hourspernightandclaimfeelingbetterthanever!AsfortheInuit,partofthose
excesshoursmightcomefromthedocumentedwishtominimizetheexposuretocoldinwinter
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months.Muchofthat"sleep"mightbeWehr'ssegmentedsleep(Wehretal.1992[26]).Sowe
wouldneedtoemploypolysomnographytoseehowmuchofthatbedtimeactualsleepis.Onthe
otherhand,sleepinglittleinsummercaneasilybeexplainedbythefactthatitisnoteasytofall
asleepatmidnightinbrightlight,andthereisapressurefromtheotherendofsleeptogetupearly
forahuntwithastressofpossibleoversleeping.Weknowthatthesleepcontrolsystemis
imperfectandtheactualneedforsleepmaybemaskedbyarousingstimulation.Inversely,Arctic
nightmightbeconducivetoleisurelysleepthatmayexceedtheactualneedsoftheorganism.
However,wecannotstatewithcertaintythatitisthelackofstimulationthatmakesInuit
wastefullysleeplonger.WeknowforsurethoughthatextrasummerstimulationmakesInuitget
lessvaluefromsleepthantheyotherwisegetinwinterdays.Tosettletheissuewewouldneedto
applyappropriatecognitivetestsinsummerandinwinter,andcomparethetwo.Inparticular,I
wouldbeinterestedincomparingthecircadianpeaksofrecall.Thisismoreimportantthanjustthe
recallaverageasIbelievethatcreativepeoplechangetheworldprimarilyintheirmomentsof
peakmentalstrength,i.e.shortlyafterwakingupfromarefreshingnightofdreamrichsleep.In
myownwork,Ididnotfindmuchcorrelationbetweenthelengthofsleepandthequalityof
learning.Freerunningsleepmightbeslightlylongerinwinter,however,shortersleepinsummer
isoftencompensatedbylongernaps.Onaverage,cognitiveperformanceseemstobecomparable.
SleepChartlogsemphaticallycontradictDrHorne'sclaimthatweliketosleepwastefully.Free
runningsleepdecreasesthetotalsleepasitincreasesitsefficiency!
"ResearchersinAmericatendtotakeadifferentview.Theyassertthatbecausemostofuscan
extendourdailysleep,wemustneedtodoso.Thiswouldmeanthatpeoplewhoseemcontentwith
sevenandahalfhoursofsleepadayduringtheweekbutenjoyninehoursattheweekendare,
unknowingly,chronicallydeprived,andactuallyneedninehourseveryday.Evidenceforthisis
saidtocomefromthemanypeoplewhoaresleepyinthedaytime,andthenumerousreportsof
peoplefallingasleepatworkand,worse,whiledriving".DrHorne'sannoyancewiththe89hour
sleeprecommendationisunderstandable.Afterall,peoplehavedifferentsleepneeds,andthe
recommendationmightcompoundinsomnia.However,sleepingmoreonweekendsthanon
workingdaysisaclearindicationofsleepdeprivation.Stressorpassionassociatedwithworkcan
easilymaskdeprivation.Thatmaskfallsoffonweekends.Itishardtosayif7.5hourson
workdaysand9hoursonweekendsequalstoa7.8houroptimum,orperhapsan8.5houroptimum,
esp.thanthosenumberswillchangefromdaytodayevenforveryregularsleepers.Everyone
shoulddeterminehisorherneedsontheirowninfreerunningcondition.Thisconditioncannot
possiblybeapproximatedbysleeponweekendsduetothesleepdebtcarriedfromtheworking
week.
DrKripke
HerearesomestatementsfromDrKripkewhichundervaluetheimportanceofundisturbedsleep:
"Nobodyseemstoknowexactlywheretheideathatweshouldsleepeighthourscamefrom.Iguess
itwasjustpasseddownfromsomebody'sgrandmother".The"8hourmyth"doesnotcomefrom
grandmothersbutfromsurveysinwhichmanypeopleclaimthattheyfunctionbestoncetheyget
their8hoursleep.Theactualperfectnumbermaybelessbecauseofacommonmisperception.
Peoplewhodonotgetenoughsleepduringtheworkingweekoftencompensateonweekends
whentheydosleepmoretomakeupforvarioussleepdeficits.Thatweekendsleepmaybe8hours
ormore,butitdoesnotimplythatthisiswhatisactuallyneeded.Thesamepeopleonafree
runningschedulemaybesurprisedtodiscoverthantheyactuallyneedjust67hours.Itisnot
uncommontogodownto45hourspernightonabiphasicschedule,wheretheremainingsleep
needsaremetwithawelltimedsiestanap.Mysmallsampleestimationseemstoindicatethat
peopleoverestimatetheirsleepneedsby1015%.DrCarskadon'sresearchshowsthat8hoursmay
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beagoodestimateforteenagerswhoclearlyhaveincreasedsleepneeds.Myownanalysisof
SleepChartsubmissionsalsoindicatesthatforteenagers,8hoursisasolidrecommendation!The
figurealsooftenshowsinotherpublications(Dingesetal.2000[84]).Whenasoftwareglitchinthe
firsttwodaysof2011keptiPhonealarmssilent,thousandsofpeoplerealizedtheircapacityto
oversleep.Notbyjust1030min.Someangrybloggersclockedextra6hoursofsleepillustrating
themonstrousdegreeofsleepdeprivation.Whengranniessuggest8hoursleep,theyarenotthat
faroffthemark!
KripkeinhiseditorialinSleep(February2004)wrote:"Theresults[ofepidemiologicalstudies]
falsifythewidelycirculatedhypothesisthatitisbesttosleepatleast8hours".Allepidemiological
studiescontributetoourknowledgeonewayoranother.However,astudythatfocuseson
morbidityandmortalitythatasks"howmanyhourspernightyousleep?"isawasteoftime!
Likeastudyoftheimpactofheightonmortality,weknowaheadoftimethatitwillprovideU
shapedresultswithnobearingonourlifestylerecommendations.Thecorrectquestionwouldbe
"Doyoucutyoursleepshortwithanalarmclock?",or"Doyoudelaysleepdespitebeingsleepy?"
or"Doyoutrytosleepearlyevenifyouarenotsleepy?"Inshort,thosequestionsshouldask:"Do
youartificiallymodifythetimingandthelengthofyoursleep?"Thosestudieswouldtelleveryone
unequivocallythatartificialcontrolofsleepisdeadly.Lengthofsleepislargelyirrelevant!For
moresee:Peoplewhosleeplesslivelonger?
Kripke:"RecentresultsfromtheHordalandstudyinNorwayshowedthatworkingpeoplewho
reportedsleepinglessthan6.5hoursanightdidnotsufferanysignificantincreaseindisability.
Thosewhoreportedmorethan8.5hoursweremorethantwiceaslikelytobecomedisabledas
thosewhoslept6.57.5hours.Thesuggestionfromthisstudywasthat,ifanything,spendingmore
timeinbedmighttendtoincreasedisability".Wealreadyknowthatonaveragepeoplelivelongest
iftheyspendacertainnumberofhoursasleep,oriftheirheightissomewhataboveaverage.But
thestatementseemstosuggestareversecausality.Tryingtospendlesstimeinbedwouldbeas
goodforlongevityastryingtoshrinkpeoplewhogrewbeyondacertainheight.Healthypeople
sleepless,butthosewhoshortentheirsleeparelesshealthy!
Kripke:"Weknowthatwedonotsuffersomehorrifyinglossofintelligenceormemoryeverytime
wegetlessthaneighthoursofshuteye.Wemakedeliberatechoicestosleepsevenhoursorsix
hours,feelingthatthepracticalbenefitsofhavingtheextratimeoutweighwhateversleepiness
mightresultfromsleepinglessthaneightorninehours".Itreallyamazesmetohearasleep
researcheracceptingapracticeoftradingsleepfor"practicalbenefits"!LossofIQmightnotbe
horrifying,butthedeathtollontheroadsdefinitelyis.Thereisaneuralandhealthcosttotrading
sleepfor"practicalbenefits".Anirreplaceablephysicianorafirefightermightdothetrade.
However,theyshouldalwaysrememberthattheysacrificetheirowncreativity,brainandhealth
forothers!
InadebatewithDrStickgoldorganizedbytheEconomist,KripkecounteredStickgold'sclaimthat
insufficientsleepisthecauseoftrafficaccidents:"Peopleclaimthatdaytimesleepinesscauses
roadaccidents,whenthefactisthatthesleeprelatedroadaccidentrategoesuplateatnight.Itis
drivinglateatnight,whichcausesmostsleepinessontheroad.Peoplewhostayupunusuallylate,
suchasphysicianscalledtodutyatnight,haveextradrivingriskandrisksofmistakes,butthat
doesnotprovethattheregularsleeppatternsofthegeneralpopulationaretooshort."Whentwo
greatresearchersdisagreeonafactthatcaneasilybeverified,Icanalwayssuspectprofessionalor
personalprejudice.CoulditbethatearlyriserKripkefeelsmostimpairedwhendrivinginthe
evening,whileowlishStickgoldfeelsoutofsortsinthemorning?Ihadapeekatthestatisticsand
noticedthatoverwhelminglytheaccidentratesfollowtheaverageofthehumancircadiansleep
propensity.Thiswouldmeanthatbothdoctorshaveapoint.Itisprobablyachronotypethatwill
determinethedifferenceinaccidentchancesatdifferenttimesofthedayonaverage.Thecircadian
phasewhiledrivingwouldbeevenabetterdeterminant.Myguessisthatwhateverimpairsrecall
ormemoryconsolidationinthewakingdaywillalsoimpairdriving.Inotherwords,alertness
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graphsplottedinSuperMemocouldeasilybeusedtodeterminetheprobabilityofatrafficaccident
whiledrivingatanytimeoftheday.Aninterestingdifferenceshowsupwheninvestigating
accidentratesacrossdifferentages.Thereisahugespikeinaccidentsat67aminmiddleaged
people.ThatwouldcontradictKripke'sclaim.However,foryoungerages,theratesareveryhigh
throughoutthenight.Forretirees,whodonotneedtogetupearly,anddonotneedtodrive
insanelylongintothenight,thepeakalignswiththeirsiestatime.Whateverthetruth,DrKripkeis
definitelywrongwhenusinghisstatementtodefendshortsleeping.AccordingtoNationalSleep
Foundation,peoplewhosleeplessthan5hourspernightarefourtimesaslikelytobeinvolvedin
acrashthanthosewhosleep8hoursormore.Eventhosewhosleep67hoursdoubletheirrisk.
Obviously,asarguedthroughoutthisarticle,itisnotthelengthofsleepbutitsqualitythatmatter.
Thosewhoget5hoursinfreerunningsleepneednotworry.
Myownprejudice
Earlyrisersfinditdifficulttounderstandtheproblemsofeveningtypepeople.Theyareprejudicedby
theirowncondition.Scientistsfrequentlydivideintofiercelyopposingcampsthatareoftenbasedon
seriousprejudicescomingfromtrivialsources.That'sgood.Discoveriesbenefitfrompassionsevenif
theyoftenandinevitablycrossrationalboundaries.Iamseriouslyprejudicedtoo.Soarethose
magnificentscientistswhoIdaretocriticise.IbetthatwhenDrs.HorneorSiegelreadaboutnewideas
comingfromDrs.StickgoldorWalker'scamps,theymightbemumblingtothemselves"Ohno!Not
again..."Iftheyevercometoreadthepresentedtext,theymightexclaim"Who'sthat[bleep]Wozniak
[bleep]!?"That'shealthy.Iwouldbehonorediftheybotheredtoread.
Ibetthatsomeresearcherswhoareshortsleepersorearlyrisersthemselvestendtoextrapolatefromtheir
ownpositiontoawiderpopulation.HavingseenhundredsofSleepChartlogs,Iknowthatsome
individualsdefinitelyneed910hoursofsleepandfeelbadwhentheydonotgetit.Couldtherebean
underlyinghealthproblem?Perhaps.However,mostoftheseareteenagersthatseemotherwisepretty
healthyandgoodstudents.Ihavealsoseenlogsofthosewhoneedjust4hourspernightand
occasionallyfeelgreatonjust23hours!Bothextremesareinminority.Mostofpeopledowellon6.5
7.5hoursinfreerunningregimen.
Whenstandingagainstalarmclocksandshortsleep,Imustthendelineatemyownprejudice.Ihaveused
alarmclocksprettysparinglyinmylife.12yearsagoIdecidedtogetridofalarmclocksaltogether.Igot
absolutelyinlovewithmyuninterruptedsleepandwanttosharethefunwitheveryone,esp.withthe
younggeneration.AgainsttheclaimsofDrHorne,despiterunningmysleepfree,Iamratherashort
sleeper.AsIwritethesewordsmytrailingnighttimesleeplengthis5.7hours,whichiswellbelowthe
populationaverage.ItusedtobemorebeforeIstartedstrictlyrunningmysleepfreeoveradecadeago.It
usedtobefarmorebeforeIstartedsleepingbiphasicallynearly20yearsago(see:theimpactonnapping
onnighttimesleepandtotalsleeptime).Ihavenevernoticedatendencytosleeplongjustbecauseof
conducivecircumstances(longnights,coldweather,rainyweather,etc.).Justtheopposite,themore
religiouslyIadheretotherulesofgoodsleep,theshortermysleepisandthebetterthequalityofmy
learning(asmeasuredwithSuperMemo).Eventhoughthisobservationisdefinitelymynaturaland
unavoidablecognitiveanchor,thesamecorrelationsInoticedindozensofSleepChartsubmissions.
MyloveoffreesleepdoesnotimplythatIdonotknowhowserioussleepdeprivationfeels.Irecalla
timeatSuperMemoWorld,intheearly1990s,whenworkingasaprogrammeragainstadeadline,Ihad
togoforsome72hourswithoutsleep.Ididnotfeelbraindeadbecauseofthestressandexcitementof
thejob.However,theoutcomewasneartodisastrous.ACDRwiththefinishedproductwasonitsway
toGermanyformasteringandproductionwhenadisastrousbugwasspottedintesting.Thatsleep
deprivationandthedeadlinecouldhavebeenverycostly.
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HadInottriedfreerunningsleep,ImighthavebeenprettyskepticalofDrStickgoldhyperbole:"sleep
deprivationmakesyoufat,sickandstupid".Inthe1980s,whenIwasinaconstantbattleforquality
sleep,pullingadozenofallnightersannually,andnearlyalwayslatetobed,Iwasactuallypretty
healthy,veryskinny(mostlyasaresultofcomingfromapoorhousehold),andIendedupgraduating
withhonors.Neitherfat,norsick,norcertifiablystupid.However,myviewschangeddrasticallynow
thatIhavetriedfreerunningsleepforoveradecade.Iamnowmuchhealthierthan20yearsago,andI
learnmuchfaster(eventhoughmostofthataccelerationisduetotechnologyandexperience).Imight
stillbeinadailybattletomaintainahealthylevelofbodyfat,however,thatbattlewasbyfarhardestin
theearlydaysofSuperMemoWorld,some20yearsago,whenmysleephygienewasatitslowest.I
believestronglythatfreerunningsleepimprovedmyhealthandcreativity.Ibelievethatitwasfree
runningsleepthathelpedmeeliminatetheproblemofcoldsandinfluenza,eventhoughwinter
swimmingmightalsohavebeenastrongcontributor.Mostofall,Ilovetohavenearlyforgottenhow
sleepdeprivationfeels.Nothingunderminescreativeworkaseffectivelyasabadnightsleep.Inthelight
ofmyownexperience,letmethentakelibertiesandreword/softenDrStickgold'sclaim:
Sleepdeprivationwillmakeyoufatter,sickeranddumber!
RobertStickgold,PhD,AssociateProfessorofPsychiatry,HarvardMedicalSchool(paraphrased)
Iadmit!Iamseverelyprejudiced!Havingtriedgoodsleep,Icannotpossiblythinkofsleeprestrictionor
artificialsleepcontrol.Youdonotneedtotrustmyjudgementthough.Ifyouarenotsure,applyPascal's
WagerandtreatsleeplikeGod.Yourintellectualstrengthisatstake!
Goodsleepisakeytothetreasureofgoodlife.Don'tletanyonerobyou!
Effectsofsleepdurationandsleepphaseonlearning
Istartedmyinvestigationsoftheimpactofsleeponlearningintheearly2000fromthesimpleintuition
thatshortnightsleepisbadforlearningonthenextday.Aftercollectingtwoyearsofdatawith
SleepChart,Itriedtoshowthelinkbetweenthelengthofsleepandthequalityoflearning.However,that
attemptwasnotsuccessful.MyproblemwasthatIusedmyownsleepandlearningdata.Iamareligious
adherentoffreerunningsleep(i.e.sleepwhereallformsofsleepcontrol,esp.thealarmclock,are
forbidden).Uponcloserinspection,itappearsthatinfreerunningsleep,shortnightsleepisoftenan
indicatorofhittingtheoptimumsleepphase,whilelongsleepmayresultfromgoingtosleeptooearly,
heavyexercise,illhealth,andotherfactors.TheinterpretationisanalogoustoDrKripke'sresearch
showingthatpeoplewhosleeplesslivelonger.Thatresearchledmanytoawrongconclusionthat
keepingone'ssleepshortishealthy.InKripke'sandmyowninvestigations,theconfusioncomesfrom
thefactthatitisthenaturallyshortnightsleepthatisanindicatorofgoodhealth,correctsleepphase,or
goodprospectsforlonglife.Usingotherpeople'sdata,Icouldlatershowthatshortsleepcausedbythe
useofalarmclockhasanegativeimpactonlearning.Onecanexpectthesameeffectofalarmson
longevity.Itisnowobviousthatthelengthofsleepcannotbeusedasanindicatorofsleepqualityinfree
runningsleep.
Infreerunningsleepthereislittleornocorrelationbetweenthetotalsleeptimeandthe
learningperformance.Thiscorrelationemergesonlywhenthelengthofsleepepisodesis
controlledartificially.
Therelationshipofbedtimeandthesleepphaseismoreimportantthanthetotalamountofsleep.We
shouldalwayssleepatthetimewhenthebodyclocksaysitisthebeginningofthesubjectivenight.
Thereismorebenefitin23hoursofsleepattherighttime(subjectivenight),thanin8hoursofsleepat
awrongtime(e.g.whenjetlaggedinJapan).Obviously,itmaybeprettyhardtoget8hoursduringthe
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subjectivedaywithoutaseriouspriorsleepdeprivation.
Whiledoingmypreliminaryinvestigationswithmyownsleepdata,IconcludedthatIcouldusesleep
phaseasamuchbetterindicatorofsleepquality.SleepChartmakesitpossibletoanalyzethedataand
approximatetheoptimumtimeofbedtime.Thosepredictionsareveryrudimentaryandcanbeexplained
bythefollowingreasoning:ifyouwenttosleepat5amyesterday,andthelatenesswasnatural,not
forced,donothopethatyoucanfallintoqualitysleepat2amtoday.Infreerunningsleep,tirednessis
alwaystheultimatejudgethattellsyouwhentogotosleep.However,SleepChartcanwarnyouwhen
thetirednessislikelytobehomeostaticandan"unreliablepredictor"oftheoptimumsleeptime.Ifyou
gottosleeptooearly,yoursleepwillbeexcessivelylong,notfullyrefreshing,andcarryingariskof
prematureawakening.Ifyougotosleeptoolate,yoursleepwillbeunnaturallyshortandcarryariskof
shiftingthesleepphase(i.e.goingtosleepevenlateronthenextday).Thoseobservationsprovidea
solidsuspicionthatthesleepphasecouldaffectthequalityofsleepandthequalityoflearningonthe
nextday.Thesleepphasehereisthedifferencebetweentheoptimumbedtime(e.g.aspredictedby
SleepChart)andtheactualbedtime.However,whentryingtocorrelatethesleepphasewiththequalityof
learning,Iwastobedisappointedagain.Icouldnotfindacorrelationbetweenthesleepphaseandthe
qualityoflearning(e.g.asexpressedbygradesinSuperMemo).Thereweretwomajorweaknessesin
thatpreliminaryeffort:
SuperMemousestheconceptofmidnightshiftthatallowsofregisteringrepetitionsexecutedafter
midnightwiththepreviouslearningday.Inotherwords,inolderSuperMemositwasnotpossible
tosayiftherepetitionexecutedonMay11tookplaceonMay11orintheearlyhoursofMay12
SleepChartusedtousesimplestatisticsinpredicatingontheoptimumsleepphase.Itdidnotusea
twoprocessmodelofsleepregulation.Justplainoldaverages.Itdidnotevenusethephase
responsecurvetoregisterblockshiftsthatcanaffectthesleepphase.Inotherwords,SleepChart
wasstrongonlywhenfreerunningsleepwasnotdisturbedbyfactorssuchasforceddelays,
exercise,healthproblems,sunlight,etc.
BothSuperMemoandSleepCharthavebeenvastlyimprovedsince.SuperMemoregistersthetimingof
eachrepetition,whileSleepChartreliesonaphaseresponsetopredictthecircadianacrophase.With
improveddatagathering,Iwasabletohaveapreliminarypeekattherelationshipbetweenthebedtime
phaseandthelearningperformance:
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Relationshipbetweenthebedtimephaseandthelearningperformance.Thebedtimephaseisdefined
asthedifferencebetweentheactualandtheoptimumbedtime.Learningperformanceismeasuredby
theaveragegradeobtainedwhilelearningwithSuperMemo.
Asexpected,delayingsleepresultedinagradualdecreaseinperformance.Thereisfarlessdataonthe
"advance"sideduetothefactthatinfreerunningsleep,earlybedtimehardlyeverresultsinearlysleep,
andismorelikelytosimplyentailsomeunproductivewaketimeinbed.
Sleepinginthewrongphase(i.e.tooearlyortoolate),willresultinadegradedlearning
performance.
SleepCharthasbecomeanintegralpartofSuperMemoasofSuperMemo14.0(2008).Someofthe
findingsbasedonthedatacollectedwiththosetwoapplicationsarelistedinlatersectionsofthepresent
article.
Sleepblocklengthdistribution
NREMREMsleepcyclestakeroughly90min.Apopularmythsaysthatthelengthofahealthynight
timesleepepisodewillthereforealwaysbeamultipleof90min.Anothermythsaysthatitisokto
interruptsleepafteramultipleof90min.Avariantofbothmythssaysthatsleepissupposedtolasta
multipleofaperiodthatisspecifictoagivenindividual.
SleepChartdisplaysthedistributionofthelengthofallsleepepisodes.Thatdistributioncanbeusedto
invalidatetheclaimthatsleepblocksclusterinmultiplesof90min.Inthepresentedexample,sleep
blocklengthdistributioninamonophasicsleeperindeedshowsclustersat:1,2,3,3.5,4,5,6,7,8,9,
and10hours.However,uponcloserscrutiny,thisclusteringcomesonlyfrominaccurateloggingbythe
subject(itiseasiertomark3.0hourblockthan2.95hourblock).Thereisno90min.trenddiscernible,
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however,onemightbetemptedtonoticeamultipleof60minutes.
Hereisthenyetanotherexamplethatusesasemilogscale,whichisbetterforvisualizingshortsleep
blocksofahabitualnapper.Inthiscase,abiphasicsleepershowsonlyonesignificantclusterat7hours
ofsleep.Thisclusterwasagaincausedbyimpreciselogging.
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Finally,asleepblockdistributionofaregular7hourspernightmonophasicsleeper.Thereareafew
peaksdiscernible,however,noregularsleeplengthmultiple.Inparticular,nopeaksaroundtheexpected
5.5and8.5hours.
Howsleepaffectslearning?
Whyissleepimportantforlearning?
IfIwastobetonthetoptwofactorsthathinderlearninginindustrializednations,thesewouldbe:
1. Stresswhichtakesawayyourfocus,stiflescreativity,sapsmotivation,andwhichcancontributeto
poorsleep
2. Sleepwhichisneededforoptimizingmemories.Withoutsleep,youcannotevenexperiencethe
senseofa"goodday"
Healthisimportanttoo,but,statistically,itisstressandbadsleepthataffectnearlyeveryone,andtake
thelargesttoll.Reducestressandimprovesleep,andyoumightseeasocietychangedbeyond
recognition!
Forhealthypeople,allotherfactorsinlearningseemtobesomewhatsecondary.Selfdisciplineimproves
greatlyifyouarerestedandhappy.Thefunoflearningfollows.Thewayyouapproachlearning,tools
andtechniques,thewayyourepresentknowledgeinyourmind,andotherfactorscanallbeimproved
graduallyandconsistently.Ifyouareonasteadypathahead,successisnearlyguaranteed.
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Metaphoricallyspeaking,yourbraincomeswithasolidwarrantyofprogressthatyoucaneasily
voidwithstressand/orpoorsleep.
Giventheimportanceofsleep,unlessyouarea"natural"andrarelygetabadnightsleep,youshould
understandthebasicsofsleepphysiologyandtheimpactofyoursleephabitsonlearning.Moreover,
evenifyousleepwelltoday,youarealwaysindangerofruiningyoursleeppatternsthroughtheuseof
computers,Internet,mobilephones,SuperMemo,etc.Inshort,thehumanbrainhasnotyetgotenough
timetoevolveandadapttothestimuliofthemodernlifestyle.That'swhywewitnessanepidemicof
sleepdisordersinindustrializednations.
Inthefollowingsections,Iwilltrytoshowthattheimpactofsleeponlearninggoesfarbeyondthe
simplisticconceptof"restedmind".
Sleepandlearningresearch
Everyoneknowsthatwithoutagoodnightinbed,thenextdaycanberuined.Whensleepy,youcan
easilyshovelthegardeninfreshair,butifyoutrysomecreativeworkinfrontofyourcomputerina
warmroom,yourbrainwilltendtoswitchoffandstifleanycreativeprogress.
Itisquiteevidentthatcognitivefunctionsandlearningaretheprimaryvictimsofsleepdeprivation.
Scientistshaveforlongsuspectedthatthemainfunctionofsleepisrelatedtolearningandmemory.Even
inthe17thcentury,JohnLockecampaignedforgoodsleepforkidsforthosereasons.However,only
recentdecadesandyearsbroughtanexponentialincreaseinevidencedemonstratingtheroleofsleepin
memory.Therearestillprominentsleepresearchersthatdisputethelink.Someinsistthatonlya
consciousbraincanbeinvolvedinmemory.Othersclaimthatsleepislikeeating,ifyoucangetmore,
youwillalwayswanttogetmore.Outsidethescientificcommunity,sleepisheldinanamazing
disregard.Manypeopledonotwanttowastetimeonsleeptoeconomizemoretimeforworkand
"creativity".Otherstrytoget"best"sleepinminimumtime(see:Polyphasicsleep).
Theworstpartofthatdisregardisthatlittlekidsworldwidearewokenupearlyinthemorningtogoto
schoolto"learn".Notonlydoestheirlearningsuffer,orevenbecomesfutilenotonlydothosekidsget
stressedandcrankytheirhealthcanbeaffected.Theirimmunesystemsundermined.Theirlongterm
developmentstunted.Somesleepresearcherstrytobattletheestablishmentformorerationalschool
schedules(hatsofftoDrMaryCarskadonandDrAmyWolfsonseeinterview).Atthesametime,the
everpresentratraceproducesforcesintheUS,inEurope,andbeyond,thatinsistonevenearlierschool
hours.Thatcomesfrombothparentsandfromtheauthorities.Theyallbringupaspuriousand
biologicallyuntenableexcuse:thekidscanjustgotosleepearlier.
Inthisgloomanddoomscenario,thereisstillarayofhopethough.Scienceisslowtopercolateinto
socialawarenesshowever,intheend,itwinsmostofthetime(exceptwhereitneedstocombatstronger
forcese.g.intelligentdesigntheoriesstillkeepdoingwellwiththebackingofreligiousdoctrinaires).
Myoptimisticpredictionisthat,soonerorlater,governments,schoolauthorities,andparentswillrealize
thattheuseofanalarmclocktoripkidsfromtheirbedscontradictsthegoalsofeducation!
StudyingsleepandlearningwithSuperMemo
Forthreedecadesnow,Ihavebeeninterestedinthenegativeimpactofmodernlifestyleonsleepand
learning.Ihavesuggestedthatalargeproportionofsleepdisorderscanberemediedwithsimple
techniquessuchaschronotherapy,freerunningsleep,etc.Thefirststeptowardsasolutiontoasleep
problemistheunderstandingofone'sownsleeppatterns.Forthatreason,Ihaveencouragedpeoplewith
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sleepproblemstocollecttheirsleepdatawithSleepChartfreewarethatwasreleasedin2003(download).
WhenSleepChartwascreateditwasnotclearwhatbenefitsitwouldbring.Ihavesuggestedthat
SleepChartmightinthefuturebeusedtoinvestigatethelinksbetweensleepandlearning,andthat
SleepChartcouldbecomeatoolfortheoptimizationoflearning,esp.whenusedinconjunctionwith
SuperMemo.OneofbeautifulthingsaboutSuperMemoisthatitkeepsadetailedrecordofmemory
performancewhileyoulearn.Ifthatrecordcouldbecombinedwithmeasurementsofsleepquality
beforeandafterlearning,anoceanofresearchopportunitieswouldemerge.ItwastheSleepChart
applicationthatprovidedthemissinglink.WithSuperMemoandSleepChart,wecancollectdatathatcan
provideanswerstoavirtuallyinfinitesetofquestionsaboutsleepandlearning.However,mysuggestion
thatSleepChartandSuperMemobeintegrated,raisedalotofopposition,primarilyfromusersof
SuperMemowhohavealwayscomplainedthattheprogramfellintoanendlessspiralofmounting
complexityandthatfewuserswilleverneedormakeuseofthenewfunctionality.
Longsleepresultsinpoorlearning?
Asof1996,SuperMemomakesitpossibletokeepadetailedrecordofallrepetitions.Youcancheck
whichpieceofknowledgewasreviewed,when,andwithwhatoutcome.AsofJanuary2000,Ikepta
detailedrecordofmyownsleeptiming.Iwasalwayscurioushowsleepaffectslearningandhow
learningaffectssleep.Withlearningandsleepdataathand,Icouldlookforcorrelationsbetweenthe
two.Myfirst,mostatavisticandrawintuitionwasthatitshouldbeeasytoshowthatshortsleep
producespoorlearning."Doesmoresleephelplearning?"Itookmyownsleepandlearningdatato
quicklyinvestigatesuchacorrelation.However,nearlyareverserelationshipcouldbedemonstrated.In
retrospect,theparadoxisveryeasytoexplain:infreerunningsleep,whichIpractisereligiously,thereis
acorrelationbetweenthequalityofsleepanditslength:thebetterthealignmentofthesleepepisode
withthecircadianrhythm,theshorterthesleep,andthebetteritsquality.Unlesstheyaresleep
deprived,healthypeoplesleeplongonlyiftheysleepinawrongphase.Optimumsleepisusually
veryshort.Inotherwords,lengthofsleepisnomeasureofsleepquality.
Learningreducesthedemandforsleep?
Ananalogousquestiontoaskwas"Doeslearningincreasethedemandforsleep?"WhenItriedto
investigatethismirrorquestion,Iwasequallyunsuccessful.Againaninversecorrelationcouldbe
noticed.Thistime,thereasonforthatsurprisewasthatinsufficientsleepdiscourageslearning.This
way,lesssleepmeanslesslearning,andlongersleeponthefollowingnighttorepaythesleepdebt.In
otherwords,lotsoflearningwouldparadoxicallybefollowedbylittlesleep!Formoredetailssee:
Impactoflearningonsleep.
Thosefailuremadeitapparentthatlittleevidencecanbegarneredontherelationshipbetweensleepand
learningwithoutconsideringthecircadiantiming,i.e.thetimeinwhichlearningtakesplaceinreference
tothesleepphase(e.g.asdeterminedbythenaturalwakinghour).
Approximatingthesleepphase
Inthenextstep,Iwashopingtoseeacorrelationbetweenlearningandthedisparitybetweensleeptime
andsleepphase.However,forthiscorrelationtobecomputable,oneneedsagoodestimationofa
circadianrhythmphase.SleepChartusesaroughheuristicalgorithmthatattemptstodojustthat.
However,thisalgorithmwastooweaktointerpretmajordisturbancesinthesleeprhythmcausedby
delayedsleep,stress,exhaustingexercise,etc.ThatalgorithmwasreplacedinSleepChart2.0,whichuses
arecursivephaseresponsecurve(rPRC)toestimatethecircadianacrophase.rPRCisavariantofaphase
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responsecurvethatisbasedsolelyontheoutwardexpressionofthecircadianrhythmasdocumentedby
sleeplogs,andwhoseonlyphaseshiftingstimulusisthedelayinbedtime(inreferencetotheoptimum
bedtime).
Timingofrepetitions
AnotherstumblingblockinfurtherresearchwasafeatureusedinSuperMemocalledMidnightclock
shift.Itmakesitpossibletousecircadiantimeforrepetitionrecordasopposedtoclocktime.For
example,ifthestudentkeepsworkingaftermidnight,repetitionsarerecordedforthepreviousday,not
thenewcalendarday.Thatcouldcausemisalignmentofsleepandlearningdatabyanentireday.Sadly,
earlierversionsofSuperMemokeptonlythedateoftherepetition,notitsprecisetime.Thiswaschanged
onlyinSuperMemo13(2006),inwhichtheclocktimeofeachrepetitionisrecorded.Thismakesit
possibletocomputetheexactcircadiantimingofeachmemoryrecallact.Atlast,itwaspossibleto
correlatesleepdatawithlearninginprecisetimeframes!IhadthealphareleaseofSuperMemo2006
availableasofJuly17,2006.Thismeansthat,asofthiswriting,wehavepassedthefifthanniversaryof
datacollection,andthedatasetisgettingbiggerandmoremeaningfulwitheachpassingday.Thecircle
ofpeopleloggingtheirsleepinSuperMemoisincreasing.
TheimpactofSleepChart
TheapplicationofSleepChartinSuperMemosurpassedallexpectationsinitsvalueandisnowaunique
toolforinvestigatingsleepandlearning.Asofthereleaseofthisarticle(winter2012),thisistheonly
toolintheworldthatmakessimilarinvestigationspossible.TheemploymentofSuperMemointhis
researchisessentialasiteffectivelyaimsatthesamelevelofknowledgeretentionateachreview.This
providesforasteadiercomparisonplatformbetweendifferentlevelsofcircadianandhomeostaticsleep
propensity.Developersofotherspacedrepetitionapplicationshaveneverexpressedmuchinterestin
investigatingsleep.Moreover,theextraaccuracyofthenewestSuperMemoAlgorithmSM15provides
forextrasensitivitythatshouldyieldfasterclarificationoftrendsandcorrelationsevenforsmaller
datasets.
Youcanalsojointheresearcheffort!InSuperMemo15,youonlyneedtologinyoursleepandsendthe
datawithjustonebuttonpush.MoredetailsonthefunctionalityofSleepChartinSuperMemocanbe
foundhere.
Recallvs.Consolidation
Instudyingtheimpactofsleeponlearning,wehavetoseparatetwoimportantmeasuresofmemory:
recallandconsolidation.
Recallmeasurestheproportionofpiecesofinformationthatcanberecalledfrommemoryatany
givencircadiantime.InSuperMemo,recallcanbesimplymeasuredastheaveragegradereceivedin
learningwithinaselectedsubperiodofcircadiantime.Gradescanbeconvertedtopercentrecall,orcan
beusedasanequivalentmeasureofrecall.Theconversiontorecallmaybeofallornothingtype
(successfulrecallistreatedas100%recall,whilearecallfailureistreatedas0%recall).Theconversion
canalsorelyontheexpectedand/orestimatedforgettingindexinSuperMemotoprovideamoreprecise
reflectionofrecalldifficulty.Theconversionthatusestheforgettingindexmaybebasedonthe
correlationbetweengradesandtheexpectedforgettingindex,orcanuseaheuristicbasedonthe
subjectiveestimatedforgettingindexassessment(notethattheestimatedforgettingindex,unlikethe
expectedforgettingindex,isnotpartofrepetitionhistoryinSuperMemo).Thatlatter,seeminglyless
preciseapproach,providessharpercontrastbetweenrecalllevelsandisaccomplishedbydepressingthe
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ExpFIbuttoninalertnessgraphsinSleepChart.
Consolidationmeasureshowwellweconsolidateorreconsolidatememorieswithrepetitions
executedatanygivencircadiantime.Recallmeasurementsarefast.Wegetourdataonthedayof
learning.Weinstantlyknowifwecanorcannotanswerquestionsattheselectedtime.However,
consolidationdatamaytakeyearstocollect.Wemayreviewanitemtoday,andneedtowaitseveral
yearsbeforetheoutcomeofthereview(consolidation)canbeverified.Assleepandlearningoptionsin
SuperMemoarerelativelynew(timingofrepetitionsiscollectedasof2006),onlyverylargesetsofdata
collectedovertheperiodsofmanyyearsprovideabasisformeaningfulconsolidationmeasurements.For
thatreason,memoryconsolidationgraphsarecurrentlynotpartofdataanalysisinSuperMemo.Theplan
istointroducethoseoptionsinafewyearswhentheybecomeusableforalargerproportionoflongterm
usersofSuperMemo.
Recall
DatacollectedwithSuperMemoshowthatrecalldecreasesrapidlywithwakingtime.
Exemplaryillustrationofthespeedinwhichrecalldropsduringawakingday.Inthisexample,the
averagegradedropsfrom3.3earlyinthedaytolessthan3.0after16hoursofwaking.
Asthedaygoeson,ourabilitytorecallfactsfrommemoryisgettingworseandworse.
Interestingly,evenashortnapseemstobringtherecallbacktothebaselinelevel.Inotherwords,there
seemstobeadirectlinkbetweenrecallandalertness.Recallseemstobeinverselycorrelatedwiththe
homeostaticdrivetosleep.Aslightincreaseinrecallaroundthe12thhourofwakefulnessisareflection
ofthecircadiancomponentofalertness.Thewavinessatlaterwakinghoursseeninthegraphcomes
fromthescarcityofdataaslearningatlaterhoursmakeslesssense(oftotal31,000repetitionsusedto
plotthegraph,only684fellbeyondthe10thhourofwaking).
NewerversionsofSuperMemomakeitpossibleforeveryonetoseetherelationshipbetweentheir
circadiancycleandtheirrecall.
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AnexemplaryrecallgraphdisplayedbySleepChartshowsthedeclineingradesscoredinlearning
duringawakingday.Thisgraphalsoshowsaslightincreaseinthegradesinthesecondhalfofthe
dayduetocircadianreasons.
Notethatbothgraphsaboveshowasimilartimeconstantof178and172respectively(halflifeof124
and119hours).Forcalibrationreasons,halflifebecomesmeaningfulonlywhenactualrecallpercentage
dataisused(inSuperMemo,grade3.0isasharpborderbetweenrecallsuccessandrecallfailure).
Memoryconsolidation
Thedeclineintheabilitytoconsolidatememoriesduringthewakingdayfollowsacurvethatmirrorsthe
declineintheabilitytorecallthingsfrommemory!
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Exemplaryrelationshipbetweenthecircadiantime(hoursfromwaking)andtheabilitytoconsolidate
memories(expressedbyanaveragegradescoredinthenextrepetition)
Asthedaygoeson,theabilitytostorefactsinmemorydeclines.ArepetitioninSuperMemoisasingle
efforttorecallpreviouslylearnedinformationfrommemory.Thegraphhasbeenconstructedby
correlatingthecircadiantimeofonerepetition(inreferencetowakingtime),andthegradescoredinthe
successiverepetitionofthesamepieceofinformation.Thesuccessiverepetitionoftentakesplace
monthsoryearsaftertherepetitionforwhichtheconsolidationtimewasregistered.Again,shortnaps
seemtorestorethememoryconsolidationpowertobaseline.Asmuchasrecall,consolidationseemsto
beinverselycorrelatedwiththehomeostaticdrivetosleep.Aslightincreaseinthequalityoflearning
canalsobeseenaroundthe12thhoursincenaturalwaking(inthepresentedcase).
Theconclusionisthatinfreerunningsleep(i.e.primarilyintheabsenceofanalarmclock),wecanget
bestlearningresultsifwelearnearlyinthemorning.Thesameholdsforexams.Therecallandexam
resultswillbebestiftheexamisheldinthemorningeventhoughsometimeforpreexamcramming
mayskewtheoutcome.
Correlationbetweenrecallandconsolidation
Thefactthatbothrecallandconsolidationcurvesseemtofollowaverysimilarcourseduringawaking
dayseemstoindicatethattheybothmaydependonthesameunderlyingmechanism.Thisconclusionis
amplifiedbythefactthatrecallisapassiveprocess,whileconsolidationisanactiveprocessofforming
neworreconsolidatingoldmemories.Wecanhypothesizethattheunderlyingmechanismistherefore
notmolecular.Thedeclineinrecallandconsolidationmightsimplybecausedbyadeclineinoperational
efficiencyoftheneuralnetworksinvolvedinlearning.Thatefficiency,expressedasalertness(see:
AlertnessinSuperMemo),dependsonbothhomeostaticandcircadiancomponentsofthesleepdrive.
Thehomeostaticcomponentdeterminesanoveralldeclineinnetworkefficiencyoverthecourseofa
wakingday,whilethecircadiancomponentallowsofasmallbumpinthesecondhalfofthewakingday,
presumablyduetoaneurohormonalimpactofthecircadiancycleontheoverallfunctionofthecentral
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nervoussystem.
Goodlearningdays
Thecorrelationbetweenrecallandconsolidationcanalsobeseeninabstractionfromthecircadiantime.
Iftheoverallrecallandconsolidationdataaretakenfromindividualdaysoflearningprocess,they
correlateprettywelltoo:
Exemplarygraphthatshowsthatlearningdaysthataregoodforrecallarealsogoodformemory
consolidation.Recallisexpressedasafractionofcorrectanswersonagivenday.Consolidationis
expressedasafractionofcorrectanswersonthedayofthenextrepetitionthatfollowstheoneonthe
dayforwhichtheconsolidationismeasured.
Wecanconcludethatgoodlearningdaysareequallygoodforrecallastheyareforconsolidation.A
moregeneralconclusionisthatsuccessfulrecallisessentialforconsolidationofmemories.
InfutureversionsofSuperMemo,theuserwillbeabletoseethestrictcorrelationbetweenhisorher
ownrecallandmemoryconsolidation:
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Exemplarygraphshowinghowgoodmemoryrecallimprovesmemoryconsolidation.Therelationship
betweenrecallandconsolidationisnearlylinear.Thegraphwasplottedusingover800,000
repetitionsinSuperMemo,with538,000ofthesecontributingtheirdatatotheconsolidation
estimates.Recalllevelswithfewerthan3000datapointshavebeenomittedfromthegraph.The
Deviationparametersayshowwellthelinearfitmatchesthedata(thelessthedeviation,thebetter
thefit).Thedeviationiscomputedasasquarerootoftheaverageofsquareddifferencesbetweenthe
approximationandthedata.
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Exemplarygraphshowingtheaveragerecallfordaysproducingagivenlevelofmemory
consolidation.Therelationshipbetweenconsolidationandrecallisnearlylinear.Thegraphwas
plottedusingover800,000repetitionsinSuperMemo.Consolidationlevelswithfewerthan3,000data
pointshavebeenomittedfromthegraph.Loweredrecallforconsolidationof100%comesfromthe
factthatthisconsolidationlevelisoverrepresentedbysmallsampledayswhereluckyperfectrecallin
justafewitemsmayresultinperfectconsolidationreadingwithoutactuallysayinganythingabout
therecallonthedaytheconsolidatingrepetitiontookplace.Sufficientlylargenumberofsuchcases
willletconsolidationcategoryof100%passthe3,000datapointsoutlierlimitsetforthisgraph,and
resultinarecalllevelthatismuchclosertotheaveragelevel.
Alarmclockvs.learning
Thereisanurgentneedtocollectsleepdatafromsubjectswhodisrespecthealthysleepinvariousways.
Themostinterestingareaforfurtherinvestigationishowpoorsleephygieneaffectslearning.Asan
example,let'shaveapeekataninterestinggraphshowingtheaveragerecallofateenagerwhooften
needstogetupearlyforschool,faraheadofhisnaturalwakingtime.Ifgradesareconvertedtothe
forgettingindex,wecanseethatthisstudentforgets53%moreonschooldayswhenheneedstogetup
early.Thisisaverypreliminarysamplethatshouldnotbeusedtodrawfarreachingconclusion(for
example,morelearningoccurredinearlierhoursondaysfreefromschool),however,itismyhopethat
withmoredatapouringin,wecantangiblydemonstratethedisastrousimpactofearlyschooltimeson
learning.Inotherdatasets,ithasalsobefoundthatlaterwakingtime(after11am)oftencorrelateswith
lowergradesaswell(perhapsasaresultofweekendlate"partying"thatresultsinpoorersleepandlater
awakening).
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Learninginfreerunningsleep
Everyonehashisorherownoptimumlearninghoursthatdependonthecircadianrhythm.Formost
people,optimumlearningoccursinthemorningandafterasiesta.Nonnappersalsoimprovetheir
learningintheeveningduetoacircadianupswing.However,theexacttimingofthoseoptimumperiods
canonlybedeterminedonanindividualbasis.Thedisconnectbetweentheoptimumlearningtimeand
theabsoluteclockcanbeseeninaregularfreerunningsleeprhythmasintheanalogousgraphbelow
thatdoesnotshowanyhours(ontheclock)inwhichlearningismoreefficient:
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However,whenthefreerunningsleepdatapresentedinthegraphaboveisprocessedusingthecircadian
timeratherthantheclocktime,atypicaltwopeakcircadianpatternreemergeswithgoodgradesinthe
morning,siestadip,andaneveningupswing.Thecircadianphaseestimationshavebeengeneratedwith
SleepChart.Thepeaklearningtimesareusuallyseparatedby1013hours:
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Alertnessmultiplier
Itisobviousthatalertnessimproveslearning.However,itisworthnotingthatevenmarginal
improvementstohighalertnesscanyieldmajorbenefitstolearning.Inotherwords,itisnotenoughtobe
alert.Crispalertnessmightsubstantiallyimprovelearningascomparedwithjustbeingok.Inthe
presentedgraph,sleeppropensityhasbeenestimatedwithSleepChartusingthetwocomponentmodel.
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Learningoverload
Themoretimewespendlearningonagivenday,thelowerourlearningcapacityis.Recalldecreases
alongahomeostaticincreaseinsleepiness.However,itdecreasesmuchfasterwhenthelearningprocess
continues.Inotherwords,learningincreasessleeppropensity.Thatobservationagreesnicelywiththe
complementaryencodingtheoriesthatexplainhowthebraincopeswithcatastrophicforgettingthat
occursinartificialneuralnetworks.Thosetheoriesspeakofsecondarymemorysystemsusedto
redistributeknowledgeoriginallystoredinlowinterferenceshorttermnetworks.Theactofstorage
redistributionishypothesizedtooccurduringsleep.Inotherwords,asyoukeeploadingyourmemory
withknowledge,yourbrainturnsonadefensemechanism,makesyoudrowsy,andsendsyoutoan
earliersleep.Thisiswhy,againstconventionaladviceofsleepexperts,IrecommendSuperMemoto
insomniacs(iftheymustgotosleepearly).Exceptwherethecircadiancomponentofsleepinessis
missing,learningisagoodtoolforboostinghomeostaticsleepiness.Obviously,itwillnotworkincases
likelearningbeforeanexam,whichmaysubconsciouslybeassociatedwithstress.
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AveragegradeinlearningwithSuperMemodependsonthepositionofthetestediteminthelearning
queue.Lateritemsreceivelowergrades.Toeliminatetheimpactofthehomeostaticsleeppropensity,
allrepetitionsstudiedtookplaceinthehours57ofthewakingday.
Sleepmightbethechiefantioverloadprotectionmechanism.Thehypothesissaysthatsleephelps
unloadseparatedneuralrepresentationsfromthehippocampus.Itoptimizesthelongtermneocortical
overlappingrepresentation.Learningwithafreshmindafteragoodnightsleepwillthenbe
recommended.Learninginconditionofsleepdeprivationormentalfatiguewouldthenbeamistake
(unlessemployedasanantiinsomniatactic).
RobinClarkewhohypothesizedthattoomuchlearningcancauseAlzheimer's(Wozniak2002[79])
writes:"Naturalselectionwillfavorfurthermechanisms,whichenablelocalmatrixesnearingoverload,
tosignaltheirlackofsparecapacity,thusactivatingdiversiontootherlocations".Thissoundsexactly
likethejobofNREMREMsleepinterplay.Optimizingthestorageisthesimplestdefenseagainst
memoryinterference.Sleepmayactasanantioverloadandantiinterferencemechanismthatdoesnot
showthesamedestructivepowersasforgetting.Thesignalonthe"lackofsparecapacity"mightsimply
beadenosinebasedhomeostaticcomponentinthetwoprocesssleepmodel.Seealso:Neural
optimizationinsleep
Alertnessvs.learning
Asshownintheprecedingsections,inhealthyindividualswhoarenotsleepdeprivedandwhosleepin
thecorrectphase,thebestlearningresultsareobtainedearlyinthemorning.Thiseasilyreproducible
observationwasanincentivetointroducetwooptionsinSuperMemothathelpusersoftheprogram
studytheiralertnessthroughoutthelearningday.Thetermalertness,inSuperMemo,isused
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interchangeablytodescribetwodifferentmeasuresofcognitivefunction:inverseofsleeppropensity(or
sleepdrive)asderivedfromthetwocomponentmodel,andtheaveragegradeinlearningwith
SuperMemowhichcorrespondswithmemoryrecall.Bothexpressionsofalertnessarecloselycorrelated.
SuperMemomeasuresalertnessaswellasattemptstopredictchangesinalertnessintwodifferenttime
framesintendedtoseparatethehomeostaticandcircadiancomponentsofsleeppropensity.Both
approachesrequireasleeplogforthemeasurementsandforthepredictionstobepossible.To
demonstratethehomeostaticchangestoalertness,SuperMemomeasuresthelearningperformancesince
thelastsleepepisode.Todemonstratethecircadianchangestoalertness,SuperMemomeasuresthe
learningperformanceinreferencetothecircadiantime(i.e.timemeasuredsincetheoptimumnatural
wakinghour)inperiodsthatmayormaynotincludeinterveningsleepepisodes.Asitcanbeseeninthe
enclosedpictures,itisnotpossibletofullydeconvolvetheimpactofhomeostaticandcircadiansleep
propensityonlearning.Homeostaticgraphswillalwaysincludeasmallcircadianbumprelatedtopost
siestalearning,whilecircadiangraphswillbeaffectedbysleephabitsthatarecloselycorrelatedwiththe
circadiancycle,esp.infreerunningsleep.
IfyouhavealreadycollectedyoursleepdatawithSleepChart,youcanseeyourwakerecallcorrelations
withthenewestSuperMemo.NotethatonlyrepetitionsexecutedwithSuperMemo13.0(2006)orlater
willbeincludedinthegraphsasearlierSuperMemosdidnotstoreprecisetimeofrepetitionsin
repetitionhistory.
Youcanseehowfastyouralertness,recallandgradesdropduringthedaybyinspectingtheAlertness
(H)graphinSuperMemo.Inthisgraph,youcanseethetimethathaspassedsincethelastsleepblock,
andhowyourrecallchangesinwaking:
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Alertness(H)graphmakesitpossibletovisuallyinspecthowrecalldecreasesduringawakingday.It
alsoshowstheimpactofcircadianfactorswithgradesslightlylowerimmediatelyafterwakingand
slightlyhigherinthepostsiestaperiod(i.e.inthe1013hourbracket).TheDeviationparameter
displayedatthetoptellsyouhowwellthechosenapproximationcurvefitsthedata(inthepicture:
negativelyexponentialrecallcurve).Thelesserthedeviation,thebetterthefit.Thedeviationis
computedasasquarerootoftheaverageofsquareddifferences(asusedinthemethodofleast
squares).
InAlertness(H),theminimumlengthofasleepepisodeinconsiderationisdeterminedbyMin.sleep
block(h)box(0.2hours,or12min.isthedefaultminimum).Shortersleepblocksaredisregardedin
plottingthisgraph.Homeostaticalertnesshalflife(inhours)tellsyouwhenyourlearningcapacitydrops
byhalfafterwaking.Youcanmodifythisparametertolookforabettercurvefitinyourcase(theModel
buttonmustbedepressed).SeeDeviationtoevaluatethefit.Thishalflifecandifferbetween
individuals.Notably,itisveryshortinnarcoleptics,andverylonginnaturalnonnappers.
ThecircadianchangesinalertnesscanbeseenintheAlertness(C)graph,whichplotsalertness
throughoutthedayinreferencetothecircadiantimemeasuredfromtheactualwakingtimeorfromthe
optimumnaturalwakingtime:
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Alertness(C)graphshowingthepowerfullybiphasicnatureofthehumancircadiancycle.The
horizontalaxisshowsthecircadiantime,i.e.thetimethatelapsesfromphase0,i.e.thepredicted
"endofthenight"time(ifModelisdepressed).Thepredictioncomesfromthecircadianmodel
employedinSleepChart,andisderivedfromthesleeplogdata.The yellowline isthepredicted
circadianalertnessderivedfromthesamesleeplogdatausingthetwocomponentmodelofsleep
propensitydevelopedforthepurposeofsleepoptimizationinSuperMemo(inspiredbysimilarwork
byAlexanderA.BorbelyandPeterAchermann).Theoverallalertness,notshowninthegraph,isthe
resultantofthestatusofthetwocomponentsofsleeppropensity:thehomeostaticcomponentandthe
circadiancomponent.The blue dotsarerecalldatatakenfromthelearningprocessinSuperMemo
thatcorrelatewellwithoverallalertness
Howlearningaffectssleep?
Impactoflearningonsleep
Therearemanyindicationsthatheavylearningincreasesdemandforsleepandincreasesthedensityof
sleep,esp.itsREMphase(DeKonick1989[85],Smithetal.2004[86]).
InLearningoverload,Ishowedhowlearninginhibitsfurtherlearningandhowitcontributestothe
homeostaticdrivetosleep.Inthatsense,learningdoesincreasethedemandforsleep.
InmanyofmyolderarticlesIoftenmentionthefactthatlearningshouldincreasethedemandforthe
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totalsleeptime.Ireadabouttheimpactoflearningonsleepyetinthe1980s.Ihavesincelivedwiththe
convictionthatthisisasciencefactthatisasobviousasthefactthatsleepisessentialforlearning.
However,whenItriedtoprovetheclaimwithdatacollectedwithSuperMemo,Idiscoveredthatitwas
notaseasyasIthought.
WhenItriedtoseeifpriorlearningincreasesthelengthofsleep,Ifoundtheopposite.AgainIstarted
withmyownsleepandlearningdata,whichisrareinitssizeandthefactthatthefreerunningcondition
appliestobothsleepandlearning.Iexplainedfreerunningsleepearlierinthearticle.By"learningat
libitum"Imeanlearningthat,forthesakeofefficiency,ismoreintenseandlonglastingongoodlearning
days,andlessintenseonworselearningdays.Goodandbadlearningdaysareprimarilydeterminedby
thequalityofsleep,andnot,forexample,availabilityoftime.Ithoughtthatthefreerunningconditionis
essentialforsuchinvestigations,esp.sleepshouldnotbecontrolledartificiallysothattomakesurethat
increaseddemandforsleepisreflectedintotalsleepobtained.
Itappearsthatinafreerunningcondition,thedayswithlotsoflearningwerefollowedbylesssleep
inthenight!
Theamountofsleepobtainedinthefirst11hoursfrombedtimeasafunctionoftheamountof
learninginthelast8hoursprecedingthebedtime.
Uponacloserinspection,itappearsthatthereasonforthissurprisingoutcomeisthatiflearningisdone
ondemand,i.e.morelearningongoodlearningdays,priorqualityofsleepdeterminesboththeamount
oflearningandaswellasthetotalsleeponthefollowingnight.
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Inafreerunningcondition,wherebothsleepandlearningaretakenadlibitum,goodlearning
daysarefollowedbylesssleepduetothefactthattheycorrelatewithminimumsleepdebt.
Itriedtocorrectforpriortotalsleeptogetabetterpicture.Youmayrecallfromthesectiondevotedto
nappingthattheamountofnappingcorrelateswellwiththepriornight'stotalsleep(thelesssleep,the
morenapping).IfIcouldfindasimilarneatrelationshipbetweenthesleepontwosuccessivenights,I
couldperhapscorrectforsleepdebtandrevealifmorelearningentailsmoresleep.
However,therelationshipbetweentotalsleepontwosuccessivenightsisalsoprettysurprising.For
example,thefollowingUshapedrelationshipshowstheamountofnighttimesleepdependingonthe
totalsleepinthepreceding20hours.
ExemplaryUshapedrelationshipoftotalsleepandsleepontheprecedingnight.Totalsleeponthe
verticalaxisistakenastheconsolidatednighttimesleep(i.e.sleepinwhichshortlivednighttime
awakeningsareignored).Thehorizontalaxisrepresentstotalsleepwhoseterminationpointis
embracedbythe20hourmarginprecedingthebedtimeinconsideration.Thismarginwaschosento
capturetheprecedingnightsleepaswellasfollowupnapswithoutreachingintoareasofsleepthat
shouldbeconsideredtwonightsawayfromtheperiodofinterest.
TheUshapedgraphshowsthatasimplesleepdebtformulacannotbeusedtocorrectforsleepdemand
afteradayoflearning.However,asubsetofnormallengthnightscouldbeusedtofilteroutforvarying
sleepdebtconditions.
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AsfortheexplanationoftheUshapeobtained,itmightbeacombinationofthreemaincauses:
1. Mostobviously,shortsleepononenightwilloftenresultinlongersleeponthesuccessivenight
(e.g.aswithtotalsleepfrom03hoursontheprecedingnight).
2. Somefactorsthatdeterminethelengthoffreerunningsleepmayspanoverperiodslongerthana
singleday(e.g.healthstatus,season,humidity,availabilityofsunlight,etc.).Thosefactorswill
resultinapositivecorrelationbetweentotalsleeponsuccessivenights(e.g.asseeninthegraphin
totalsleepspanning58hours).
3. Extremelylongdays,withmorethan20hoursofwakefulness,willresultinfailingtoregisterthe
precedingsleeponthegraph(i.e.theprecedingnightsleepwillequalzero).
Usingdataontherelationshipbetweenthelengthofsleepontwosuccessivenights,wecanapplya
"bandfilter"onthedatausedtogeneratethefirstlearningvssleepgraph.Ifweeliminateshortsleep
nightsbychoosingonlydatapointswithtotalprecedingsleepequaltofiveormorehours,wecanreverse
thedownwardtrendandproduceanearlyflatlinearrelationshipbetweenlearningandthefollowup
sleep:
Ifsleepontheprecedingnightisabove5hours,thentheamountoflearninghasnearlynoimpacton
thefollowupsleep
Ifthe"bandwidth"isnarrowedto5.06.5hours,wegetaperfectlyflatline(slope=0.00).Thisdataseems
toindicatethatanincreaseinlearningdoesnotincreasethetotalsleeponthefollowupnight.
Astherearemanylinesofevidencethatlearningdoesaffectthefollowupsleep,therecouldbemany
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explanationsofthatconclusion.Sleepdensitymightchangeinsteadofthelengthofthenightsleep
episode(asitisthecasewithREMdensity(Smithetal.2004[86]).Inanactivelifestyle,learningmaynot
increasethedemandforsleepmuchabovethebaseline.Lastbutnotleast,theresultmaydifferbetween
students.Somestudentscanswearthatmorelearningrequiresmoresleepintheircase.Iamyetto
receiveanappropriatelylargesetofdatathatcoulddemonstratethisfact.Asmuchasfreerunningsleep
makesitimpossibletoprovethatshortsleepisbadforlearning,learningondemandmaymakeit
impossibletoprovethatlotsoflearningincreasedthedemandforsleep.Asmuchasalarmclockscanbe
helpfulinshowingtheirownbadimpactonlearning,forcedlearningmayalsobeamoregrateful
researchsubject.Forcedlearningmaybemorecostlyforthebrainandshowamorepronouncedimpact
onthedensityandlengthofsleep.Perhapslearningneedstobeheavyenoughtonoticetheeffectdueto
thefactthatallourwakingexperienceisaformoflearning,evenifwedoboringrepetitiveactivities.A
merethoughtprocess,e.g.recallingarelative,willformnewmemorytracesinthebrain.Thesewillbe
processedinsleep.Forsleepdemandtocomewellabovethebaseline,learningmustcomeaboveitsown
baselineaswell.
Sleepandschool
Schoolshavechangedtheworldforthebetter.Literacyisontheincreaseworldwide.However,thereis
onehugefactorthatholdsschoolsback:sleepykids!
Sleepykidslearnlittle!
Modernlifestyleresultsinanepidemicofdelayedsleepphasedisorderintheadolescentpopulation.
Millionsoffamiliesnowadaysstrugglewithputtingtheirkidstosleepearlyenough,andtohavethem
wakeupfreshintimeforschool.Itseemslikewearelosingthisbattleworldwide.Kidsseemtobe
gettinglessandlessqualitysleep!DrsAmyWolfsonandMaryCarskadonstudysleepinteenagers.They
werehorrifiedtofindoutthatsleeplatencyduringschoolhourswaslowestfor10thgradersandwasa
shocking1.8minutes[87]!Thislatencyislowerthanthevalueagoodsleeperusuallyachievesat
bedtime!Inotherwords,kidsaremorereadyforsleepatschoolthananormalindividualisreadyfor
sleepinthenight!
Learninginsuchsleepdeprivedstateisworthlittlemorethanzero!
Thisisanalarmingsituationthatcanunderminethefutureofeducationaswellasthephysicaland
mentalhealthofthenextgeneration!Somesleepresearchersringthealarmbells,otherslookfor
remedies.Idonothaveaprescriptionfortheproblem.HerebyIwouldonlyliketoappealformore
toleranceandunderstandingonthepartofparentsandschools.AllmylifeIhaveworkedforthepurpose
ofbettereducationforeveryone.However,thereisnolearningwithoutsleep.Sleepisimportantenough
tooftentakeprecedenceovertheeducationitself!Myappealis:
Itisbettertomissaclassortwothantogotoschoolsleepy!!!
Thepremiseofthisappealisverysimple.Wakingupasemiconsciouskidforschoolimpliesadaythat
ispracticallywastedforlearning,orliterallycrossedoutfromayounglife'scalendar.Addingthoseextra
23hoursofsleepmeansthatthekidwillonlymissaclassortwo,withmanyadditionalproductive
hoursleftintheday!Itisbyfarbettertospendanhouronproductivelearningthantospend8hourson
comatose"survivalthroughtheclass".Itamazesmehowlittlethissimpletruthisappreciated!WhenI
speaktoparents,theyalwaysexcuseearlywakingwith"therewouldbeconsequencesformissingthe
class"!Theremustnotbeanyconsequences!Sleepdeprivationshrivelsthebrain!Sleepisthe
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fundamentalhumanrightofadevelopingbrain.Ifsomeonethreatensthekidwith"consequences",you
needtocombatthatattitude.Sadly,formanyparents,thetimingoftheearlymorningscheduleis
determinedbyworkandotherobligationsthatcannotbeworkedaround.
Excessiveschoolworkload
Oneofmyfavoritejournalists,FareedZakaria,spokeinhisGPSprogramabouthisprescriptionfor
bettereducation:"Someelementsofthesolutionseemobvious.ThewriterMalcolmGladwellsaysit
takes10,000hourstogetreallygoodatanything.It'sreallyjustanotherwayofmakingThomasEdison's
famouspointthatgeniusis1percentinspirationand99percentperspiration.Nowifourkidsspenttwo
yearslessinschoolthaninmanyothercountries,theywillfindthemselvesbehindinmanyareas.We
don'thavetogotothelengthsthatSouthKoreahasgonetolengthentheschooldayandtheschoolyear,
butwecan'tdotheleastworkandhopeforthebestresults"(source).
Theproblemwiththis"Koreansolution"isthatitfailstoaccountforadramaticdifferencebetweengood
learningandbadlearning.Givenashortageofgoodteachers,goodfunding,goodmethodology,etc.we
mightaswellpumpupschoolhoursinhopeofconvertingquantityintoquality.However,agoodhourof
selflearningoragoodhourofcustomizedoneononetutoringisworthmorethan10hoursofboredom
inanaverageclassroom.PerhapsFinnishschoolswiththeirrelianceonexcellentteacherswouldshowa
betterratio.Ifweaddedjusttwofactorstoourschoolsystems:(1)goodsleepand(2)spacedrepetition,
wecouldsafelycutschoolhoursto12classesperdayandstillgetbetterresults!
Agoodhourofselflearningisworthmorethan10hoursofboredominanaverageclassroom!
Schoolhoursandhomeschooling
Duetoawelldocumentedsleepphaseshiftatadolescence,teenagersfinditmoreandmoredifficultto
solvetheproblemofsleepdeprivationbyjustgoingtobedearlier.Insteadofprovidingforlongersleep,
earlybedtimesmayresultininsomniaandamultitudeofpsychogenicsleepandemotionalproblems.
Teensaresimplyunabletofallasleepatdesignedearlytime,andtryingtoforcethemtodosomay
actuallybackfire.Evenamilddegreeofsleepdeprivationmightbebetterthanhoursoftossingand
turning,ornocturnalawakenings.Returntoafarmer'slifestylewouldremedytheproblemofteenage
bodyclock,however,thiswouldmeanmanyhoursofphysicalworkinthefieldfromtheearlymorning.
Sittinginaschoolbenchjustwon'tdo.Heavyloadofschoolworkonitsowncontributestothelatesleep
phaselifestyle!
Whenschoolsexperimentwithlaterclasshourstoaccommodatetheadolescentbodyclock,theyget
betterlearningresults(Wahistrom2002[88]).Trafficaccidentsamongyoungdriversonthewaytoor
fromschoolalsodrop(around25%foramereonehourshiftclockwise).However,itappearsthatkids
justtendtoadaptandstayuplaterinthenight.Laterschoolhoursareanimperfectremedy,esp.thatkids
differbychronotypeandeachwillhaveitsownoptimumwindowforthebestlearningperformance.
Callan(1998)reportedthatinhighschool,lessthan10%ofkidspreferredtheearlyschoolhours,while
15%preferredeveninghours.Reportedpreferenceisoftenconfusedbythemisalignmentofcircadian
cyclewiththewakingperiod,whichoftenmakeseveningtypesclaimeveningisbetterforlearning,
whileinfreerunningsleep,thesamekidswouldpreferthesubjectivemorninghours(with"morning"
comingaslateasmidday).Moreover,asthekidsgetolderthepredominanceofeveningnessstarts
becomingmorepronounced.
Idonotknowauniversalsolution,however,allparentsshouldconsiderhomeschooling,whichcould
makeaworldofdifference.Noteveryparentisqualified,andnoteveryonecanaffordit.Amazingly,
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somemodernandprogressivecountriesbannedhomeschoolingaltogether.Itishardtobelieve,buttwo
leadersintheadoptionofrationalandscientificsocialsolutions,GermanyandSwedenbelongtothat
group!Infearofdangerousideologies,somegovernmentsblockareturntoatraditionthatisasoldas
thehumanrace.Atraditionthatcouldremedymanyweaknessesoftheschoolsystem:tutoringoneon
oneunderthesupervisionofthemostlovingpeopleinexistence:ownparentsorotherfamilymembers.
Homeschoolingmakesiteasytoemploythemostefficientofthelearningmethods:selfpacedself
directedexplorationbasedonpassionandcuriosity.Thisidealsolutionsolvestheproblemofmatching
learninghourswiththecircadiancycle.
Sleepdeprivationinkids
Mostkidswakeupearlierthantheywouldpreferto.Thisresultsinsleepdeprivationandasetof
negativeconsequences:
badlearning:cuttingdownonsleepdramaticallyimpairslearning.Somegroupsofschoolchildren
showsleeplatencyofjust12minutesatthetimewhentheysitintheclass.Thisiscatastrophic!
Thisisalatencythatmanywouldbeenviousofateveningbedtime!Kidsshouldlearnatatime
whensleepinitiationisneartoimpossible!Infreerunningsleep,thatwouldbethefirst3hoursof
thewakingday!Afterthat,learningisimpairedandPEclassesandlunchcouldcomein.Lotsof
kidssleepintheclass,oraresolelypreoccupiedwith"surviving".
bademotions:sleepdeprivationresultsinirritability.Withouttheneuralnetworkcleanup
executedinsleep,thebrainquicklygetsoverloadedandoverwhelmedwiththestimuli.Thiscould
belearningstimuli,orminorannoyances,suchasacolleague'sjokes.Badtemperfollowsevenin
otherwisewellmanneredkids.Comraderieandsocialinteractionarereplacedbybullying,
fighting,aggression,andsheermeanness.Overmanyyearsthiscanleadtopsychological
problems,depression,aggression,suicide,andthelossofabilitytoharmoniouslyintegratewiththe
restofsociety.
hateofschool:bytheageof10,mostkidsuniversallyhateschool!OneofthefirstquestionsIask
anykidImeetisabouthisorherfondnessforschoolandlearning.Iftheyclaimtolikeschool,itis
oftenbecauseofthechancetointeractwithfriendsorsimplytobreakfreefromparental
supervisionorleavethehomeenvironment.Vacationcountdownbecomesadailypreoccupation.
Thishasdisastrouseffectsontheefficiencyofschooleducation,andlongtermchoicessuchas
goingtocollege.Universalhateofschoolshapesagenerationandthewaysocietycopeswith
challengesofthemodernworld.Anditallbeginswiththemalignantdevice:analarmclock!
Poorrecallonschooldays
Toillustratetheimpactofschoolhoursonlearning,seethefollowingexemplarygraph.A16yearold
highschoolstudentloggedhissleeppatternsinSleepChartandhislearningresultsinSuperMemo.By
combiningthetwowecanseetherelationshipbetweenthewakingtimeandtheaveragegradeobtained
inlearningwithSuperMemo.Thewakingtimeforschoolwasalwaysaheadofthenaturalwakingtime
andtheteencompensatedbysleepinglongeronweekends:
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Despiteadeclineinthelearningperformanceonschooldays,theteenwoulddogreatatschool,dohis
bestlearningduringweekends,andwouldlatergetadmittedtoanIvyLeagueschool.Thedramatic
impactofsleepdeprivationonlearningcanbeseenwhengradesareconvertedtotheforgettingindex.In
thiscase,thestudentswouldforget53%moreonschooldayswhenheneededtogetupearly.Clearly,
sleepdeprivationisnotlikelytodeprivesomeoneofachancetogettotheIvyLeague.However,itdoes
affecttheperformanceandunderminesayoungman'spotential.Atyoungeragesitmayalsohavea
significantimpactonthebraindevelopment.Interestingly,inotherdatasets,Ihavealsofoundthatlater
wakingup(after11am)oftencorrelateswithlowergradestoo.Perhapsthatisaresultofweekendlate
"partying"thatresultsinpoorersleepandlaterwaking?
Examples
Example#1:Longweekendsleep
Atypicalsleeppatternwithshortweekdaysleepandlongweekendssleepisshowninthefollowing
sleeplogandthecorrespondingcircadiangraph.
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Exemplarysleeplogwithweekdaysleepdeficitsandlongersleeponweekends.Typically,Saturday
morningsleepislongerthantheSundaymorningsleep.
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Circadiangraphforsleepwithweekdaysleepdeficitsandlongersleeponweekends.Thegraph
showsthatadayof16wakinghoursand8hoursofsleepwouldprobablymakethedesiredoptimum.
Instead,the7hournightcausesanaccumulationofsleepdeficitwithsleepcutshortbyonehourper
dayonweekdays.
Example#2:Phase12napping
Amoretroublingexampleshowsafragmentationofthesleepschedulecausedbyshortnightsleep
episodes,andfrequentPhase12napping.Hereastudentattemptstosleepintheexactlysamebrackets,
i.e.23:006:00:
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Exemplarysleeplogwhereirregularnappingisusedtocompensateforsleepdeficits.
Circadiangraphforshortnightsleepwithirregularnapping.Napsaretakenadhocinvarious
phases.Earlynapsareshortanddonotcoverforsleepdeficits.Latenapscauseadelayinnight
sleep,andpossiblyaphasedelaythatcompoundstheproblemofsleepdeficits.
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Learninginalphastate
Therearelearninggizmosandcontraptionsoutthere,whicharemarketedasbasedonlearningina
relaxedstate.Propercognitiveenvironmentisparamounttolearning.However,forclarity,weshould
ratherusethetermconcentrationinsteadofanallinclusiverelaxation.Concentrationinlearningshould
bemaximizedbytakingintoaccountthefollowingfactors:
beingcutofffromallsourcesofinterferenceinlearning(telephone,email,conversation,radio,
andperhapsevenone'sfavoritemusic)
findingtheoptimumcircadiantimingforlearning(e.g.earlyinthemorninginfreerunningsleep
cycle,lateintheeveninginDSPSindividualswhocannotaffordfreerunningsleep,etc.)
allaspectsofmentalandcognitivehealth(e.g.avoidingstress,substanceabuse,etc.)
Theconceptofrelaxationisoftenassociatedwithalphawavelearningwhichhasattractedlotsof
companiesthataremoreinterestedintheirbottomlinethantheircustomers'actualsuccessinlearning.
EEGmeasurementscanbeusedtoroughlydeterminethecurrentstateofthebraininthesamewayas
youcoulddetectbustlingactivityinamajorcitybyscanningthesurroundingelectromagneticfield.The
usefulnessofalphawavescanninginlearningcanbecomparedtotheusefulnessofelectromagneticfield
scanningforsociallifeofacity.Youneedtofocusonthecausesratherthanonsymptoms.Alphawaves
appearprimarilyintheabsenceofvisualprocessingandotherintensementalprocesses.Thisiswhythey
cannotdogmaticallybeconsideredadesiredlearningstate.Afterall,thedrowsyalphastatethatprecedes
fallingasleepisexactlytheworstmomentforlearningduringtheday.
Inevaluatingthe"relaxationproducts"youneedtodifferentiatebetweentherelaxationeffectandthe
actuallearningeffect.Thenumberofcompaniesmakingfalseclaimsinthisfieldisastounding.Itisvery
easytofallforasimplesolutiontoalearningproblem(e.g.get10Hzbinauralbeatdifferenceandyour
learningproblemwillgoawayforlife,andperhapsyoursexdrivewillimproveatthesametime,you
willsleepbetterandyouwilllookyounger).Theeasylearningsolutionexplainswhyfalseclaimsrelated
to"learninginrelaxation"aresohardtoextinguish.
Atthesametime,ifyouneedtocopewithstressorinsomnia,manyproductsinthefieldmayhavea
legitimateapplication.CustomersofthePolishSitasystemjokinglyclaimthatthecompanywoulddo
betteriftheymarketedtheirproductasanappingsystem.Aworthyapplicationonitsown.Inthe1990s,
IappealedtousersofSuperMemotoletmeknowofrelaxationproductsthatmightbeworthmentioning
asaneffectivehelpinlearning.IdonotthinkIhavereceivedanycrediblesuggestionsuntilnow.
Learningduringsleep
WhenSovietresearchersmadeaclaimofsleepassistedinstruction,theystartedapowerfulmemethat
couldneverbereproducedandisnowprettyhardtoextinguish.Youmayhaveheardofsleeptapesthat
offereffortlesslearningduringsleep.TheyareadirectfollowupoftheSovietclaimsandonlyapartof
thewholeseriesofproductsforlearninginsleep.Yourinvestmentintapesforlearninginsleepwillnot
bemoneywellspent.Attemptsatlearningduringsleepshouldbediscouraged!Itispossibleto
occasionallyrecallafractionofthematerialpresentedduringsleep.Informationmayreachandregister
inmemoryduringshortperiodsofawakeningortransitionfromREMtoshallowsleep.Thereisalso
ampleevidencethatsomecircuitsinthebraincanbeconditionedduringREMsleep.However,the
connectionbetweenthesensesandthebraininsleepisratherfocusedonawakeningindangerratherthan
onprocessingcomplexinformation.
Whateveryoumightgainfromyoursleeptapeswillbyfarbeoffsetbydamagetothequalityofsleep.If
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thelearningstimulidonotreachacertainthreshold,theywillsimplybeignored.However,pastacertain
valuetheymaypreventtheprogressionofNREMsleeptowardstages3and4.Theycanalsoshorten
REMsleep.
Interestingly,memoriesacquiredminutesbeforefallingasleepdonotgetconsolidated!Evenafew
minutesofsleepleaveashortwindowofwakingtimethatistotallyerasedfrommemory.Luckily,we
rarelylearnmissioncriticalinformationshortlybeforedozingoff.
Counterrecommendationforlearningduringsleep,doesnotimplythatfallingasleepwithTVorradio
turnedonshouldbediscouraged.Ifyouwouldliketogetadoseofeducationyetbeforefallingasleep,be
sureyourtapes,TVorradiomeettheseconditions:
theyturnoffautomaticallynolaterthanin1020minutes
theyhavenoabilitytowakeyouupfromaproperlytimedsleep.Ifyouwakeupintheinitial
minutesofsleepyoumayexperienceadramaticdropinhomeostaticsleepinessthatwoulddelay
thesleeponset.Awakeningmayalsoindicatethatyouwenttosleeptooearlyinreferencetoyour
circadiancycle
theydonotincludehighlyemotionalcontent,distressingmessages,shrillsoundslikedoorbells,
phones,timersandalarmclocks,astheseallhavebeendesignedtomosteffectivelyinterferewith
sleepforthepurposeofinterruptingit
Moreover,ifyoufinditdifficulttofallasleepduetothestressesoftheday,subtlenewschannelmay
actuallyhelpyoufallasleepbykeepingyourmindawayfromthethoughtsthatmighttriggertherelease
ofACTH,cortisol,catecholamines,orotheralertnesshormones.
TV,radioortapesinthemorningareOKtoo,onconditionyouturnthemonmanually(i.e.theyshould
notworkasanalarmclocksubstitute).Ifyouwakeupslightlyaheadofyourexpectedwakingtime,turn
onthenewsandstayinbed.Testyourbrainforsignsofsleepiness.Occasionally,youmaystillbeable
tofallasleepandgothroughonecycleofsleepthatwillbebeneficialtoyourintellectualperformance.
Luciddreaming
Someselfhelppersonalpowerguruskeepbringinguptheconceptofluciddreamingasatoolfor
enhancinglearningandcreativity.Termssuchassuperconsciousnessorhyperrealityaretossedaround.
PolyphasicsleepersoftenclaimthattheUbermansleepschedulehelpsthemachieveluciddreamingand
anenhancedexperienceofreality.Theremightbeagrainoftruthinthatclaim.Readaboutthe
polyphasicrollercoastertounderstandwhypolyphasicsleepermightexperienceeuphorichighsthatseem
evenhigherduetotheperiodsoftotalzombification.Luciddreamingisasusefulforlearningand
creativityasLSD.Strivingatluciddreamingisratherlikelytodisruptthehealthysleepandnegatively
affectlearning.DuringREMsleep,theprefrontalcortexshouldnormallybedeactivated.Hobson'sAIM
modelof3Dsleepwakespace(Hobsonetal.2000[89])canbeusedtoillustratethestatecorresponding
toluciddreamingasapartitioning,inwhichthecortexandtherestofthebrainoccupydifferentpointsin
theAIMspace.SuchpartitioningislikelytointerferewiththephysiologicalfunctionofREMsleep.It
canbecomparedtoeatingyourlunchwhilejogging(i.e.thesituationwherecontradictorytargetsarefed
tothenervoussystem).UsingautosuggestivetrickstochangetheAIMstatemayaffectneuralprocesses
occurringinsleepwithunpredictableconsequencesthatarenotlikelytobepositive.Asforcreativity,it
isconceivablethatLSD(andlesssoluciddreaming)mightboostnonspecificcreativityorhelp
understandthecreativeprocess.However,mostofthemankind'screativebreakthroughsoccurwhena
healthyrefreshedmindfocusesonsolvingaspecificproblem.Hallucinatoryhazeisnothelpfulin
directingcreativitytowardsausefulpurpose.Creativityisagameofchance.Youshouldlookforways
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ofconsciouslydirectingthecreativeprocessratherthantoincreaseitsrandomnessindiscriminately
(Wozniak2001[90]).
Physiologyofsleep
Whydowefallasleep?
Initiationofsleep
Wefallasleepwhentwosignalsaregeneratedinthebrain:
(H)"toomuchwaking"signaland
(C)"itistheusualsleeptime"signal.
The"toomuchwaking"signaliscalledthehomeostaticsignal.While"timetosleep"signaliscalledthe
circadiansignal.Thehomeostaticsignalisareflectionofnetwork"tiredness".Themoreyoulearn,the
moreyouthink,themoreyouprocessinformation,themoretiredyougetmentally.Thisgenerates
homeostaticsleeppropensity.However,homeostaticsleepinessisnotenoughtofallasleep.Youmaybe
deadtiredoftoomuchwakingortoomuchlearning,butyoumaystillbeunabletogetawink.Thisis
wherethecircadiansleepinesscomesin.Circadiansleepinessismaximumduringthesubjectivenight
period.Thereisalsoamiddayslumpinalertnessthatalsohascircadiannature.Whenyouaresleepyin
bothhomeostaticandcircadiansense,youcanfinallyfallasleep.
Homeostaticsignal
Thehomeostaticsignalisgeneratedintheneuralnetworksofthebrain.Itisassociatedwithslowwave
activityintheEEG.Oneofitsknownexpressionsisanincreaseinadenosinelevels.Theeffectsof
adenosineareblockedbycaffeine.Thisiswhycoffeecantemporarilyhelpovercomethehomeostatic
componentofsleepiness.Atthesametime,caffeineisentirelyineffectiveagainstthecircadian
component.Thisiswhydrinkingcoffeeduringthesubjectivenightisimprudentandunhealthy.Asthe
wakinghourstickon,brainglycogenandATPreservesaredepleted.ATPisdegradedtoADP,then
AMP,andfinallytoadenosine.Adenosinethenbuildsupinthebrain.Thisincludesabuildupinthe
basalforebrain(PorkkaHeiskanen1999[91]),whichisthehypotheticalsourceoftheneuralhomeostatic
signal.Depletionoftheglycogenreserveisalsohypothesizedtohaveitsowncontributiontothe
homeostaticsleeppropensity(Kongetal.2002[92]).Thebasalforebrain,whichisacholinergicstructure,
whenactive,contributestothewakefulnessandREMsleep.Deactivationofthebasalforebrainhelps
initiateNREMsleepandsleepingeneral.
Circadiansignal
Themainsourceofthecircadiansignalisthesuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN).Asetofgenesis
expressedinaregulatoryloopthatkeepsa24hourrhythmofactivity.TheSCNrhythmcanberesetby
light,oractivity,orothersignals(see:Phaseresponsecurve(PRC)).TheSCNsendsmostofitsfibersto
thesubparaventricularzone(SPZ)andthedorsomedialhypothalamicnucleus(DMH).Oneofthe
hormonalsignalsproducedbytheeffectsoftheSCNoscillationisthereleaseofthemelatoninfromthe
pinealglandduringthesubjectivenight.Thisledresearcherstotheideathatmelatoninmightbeanatural
helpininitiatingsleep(givensufficienthomeostaticsleepiness).
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Integratinghomeostaticandcircadiansignals
Thehomeostaticsignalneedstobeintegratedwiththecircadianinput.Theprecisemechanismofthe
integrationisnotknown,butthereareacoupleofsolidhypothesesonhowthismightwork.Theanterior
hypothalamusisthepresumedsiteoftheintegration.Thehypothesizedintegratingnucleiare:themedial
preopticarea(MPA),theanteriorparaventricularthalamicnucleus(aPVN),andthedorsomedial
hypothalamicnucleus(DMH).DMHandMPAsendabigbunchoffibersinthedirectionofthe
ventrolateralpreopticnucleus(VLPO),whichisoneofthemainbrainnucleiresponsibleforthe
initiationofsleep.
AdenosineagonistsarealsoabletoactivatetheVLPO(Scammelletal.2001[93]).Ithasbeen
hypothesizedthatadenosineinhibitsanteriorhypothalamicandbasalforebrainGABAergicneuronsthat
suppresstheactivityintheVLPO.
TheVLPOisthusabletoinitiatesleepbyreceivingboththecircadiansignalfromtheanterior
hypothalamusandthehomeostaticsignalfromendogenoussubstances(e.g.adenosine)thataccumulate
inthecourseofawakingday.TheVLPOanditsadjacentnucleiarethenabletoinhibitthehistaminergic
wakepromotingTMNandotherpontine/brainstemarousalsystems(e.g.LC,DR,LDT,PPT,PeF,
vPAG,etc.).Sleepisadirectconsequenceoftheinhibitionoftheascendingreticularactivatingsystem
(RAS)whichgroupsthoseneuralstructuresthatkeepthecerebralcortexinthewakingstate.Withthe
depressionintheactivityoftheRAS,wequicklyloseinterestindemandingintellectualactivities.Soon
theonlythingwecanthinkofissleep.Oncewerestinanundisturbedplace,wedriftintothedreamland.
Peoplewhocannotfollowtheirnaturalbodyrhythmswilloftenbeunabletofollowtheabovescenario.
NeuralinhibitionofthearousalisalsoaccompaniedbyasignificantdropinACTHandcortisol,which
arechiefalertnesshormones.Similarly,thelevelsofserotoninandcatecholaminesdrop,andsodoesthe
bodytemperature.Allthoseprocessesproceedonparalleltracksandwesleepbestwhentheyareall
perfectlysynchronized.Itisawfullyeasytoputthatsymphonyoutofsyncbyallformsofintervention:
excitementbeforesleep(dopamine),coffeebeforesleep(homeostat),exercise(adrenaline),etc.
Synergisticmanipulationalsohassideeffects:sleepingpills,alcoholormarijuanadestroythesleep
structure.Evenmelatoninhasitssideeffects.Sleepishealthiestwhenallphysiologicalvariableschange
inpredesignedsynchrony.Thiscanbestbeaccomplishedbyfollowingthecommandmentsofone'sown
bodyclock.
Notallscientistsagree
DrJamesMKruegerhaschampioned,formanyyears,anideathatalladvancedneuralnetworkshavean
inherentabilitytoenterasleepstate(inparticular,corticalcolumnshavethisproperty).Abiochemistby
educationandspirit,Kruegerstartedhisinvestigationsfromlookingforsubstancesthatinducesleep.He
wasinspiredbyacenturyoldfindingthatcerebrospinalfluidofsleepyanimalscontainssubstancesthat
areabletoinducesleepwhentransferredtootherwisealertanimals.Overthelastfourdecades,Krueger
hasamassedagreatbodyofevidencefortheexistenceofahugenumberofsleepregulatingsubstances
(SRS)suchasadenosine,nitricoxide,TNF,IL1,GHRH,prostaglandingD2,etc.(Kruegeretal.
1999[94]Kruegeretal.2001[95]).SomeofSRSs,likeadenosine,buildupwithmentalactivity(e.g.asa
resultofthereleaseofglutamate(Simaskoetal.2005[96]))andmayplayaroleinsleephomeostasis,
whileothers(e.g.melatonin)arecircadian.Inhisrecentpublications,Kruegerassertsthatsleepisa
networkemergentphenomenon,andthatsleepcontrolnucleiinthebrainplayonlyanaccessory
synchronizingrole.Eventhoughtheoverarchingprinciplemayseemtoquarrelwiththemainstream
scienceofneuralsleepcontrol,thebodyofundisputedfactsisoverwhelminglylargerthantheareasof
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disagreement.EventhoughKruegertheoriesdonotseemtoexplainthecomputationalaspectsofsleep,
whereaneuralcontrolofsleepcentersseemsindispensable,theyallalignprettywellwiththe
homeostaticaspectofsleepcontrol.Intheplacewherebiochemistsmeetneuralnetworkexpertsand
neurophysiologists,wecanfindthemostfruitfulfieldforfurtherexplorationofthemysteriesofsleep.
Circadiancycle
Thehumanbodyclockrunsinacycleofcirca24hours.Thatcyclewasthereforenamedacircadian
cycle.Understandingthecircadiancycleisvitalforhealthysleep.Mywildguessisthat95%ofsleep
problemsinindustrializednationsarecausedbythelackofunderstandingofthecircadiancycle,orlack
ofrespecttoitspowerandimportance.Thecycleisencodeddeepinthehumangenomeandcannotbe
easilychangedoroverridden.Playingwiththecircadiancyclemayresultinlongtermhealth
consequences.Allcellsinthebodyexpressvariousclockgenes,however,thereisamasterclockinthe
brainthathelpssynchronizeotherclocksinthebodytoruninharmonioussynchronythatisvitalfor
health,wellbeing,longevity,learning,creativity,etc.Themasterclockislocatedinthebrainandis
calledthesuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN).CircadiancyclesoftheSCNresultinperiodicreleaseof
melatoninfromthepinealgland.Thisledtotheuseofmelatoninasasleepremedy.Thepopularityof
melatonincomesfromitsnaturaloriginsandthepossibilityoforaladministration.However,as
melatoninislocateddownstreamoftheSCNinthecircadiancascade,itdoesnothavethefullmagic
powersofgeneratingcompletenighttimecircadianstates.Eventhenaturalreleasecycleofmelatoninmy
getmisalignedwiththesleepwakecycleinirregularschedules.Thislimitsmelatoninapplications.Itcan
beusedtoproducephaseshift(e.g.phaseadvanceiftaken12hoursbeforenaturalbedtime),butitisnot
theuniversalsleepingpillasitisoftenadvertised.
Animportantalertnesshormone,cortisol,canbeusedtomapawelltimedcircadiancycle.Itslevelsdrop
duringthefirsthalfofsleep,andraisedramaticallyonwakinggivingusasharpwakingmind.Onthe
otherhand,growthhormoneislessdependentontheclockandisreleasedprimarilyduringdeepsleep
havingitshandintheanabolicpowerofsleepmakingitimportantforboththebrainandthebrawn.
Circadianalertnessispartlyhormonalandpartlyneural.Thebrainstemcontainsacollectionofnuclei
knowasthereticularactivatingsystem.Thesenuclei,whenactivated,keepusawakeandalert.Those
"vigilancenuclei"includetheserotonergicraphenuclei,adrenergiclocusceruleus,parabrachialnuclei,
andmore.Variouslesionstothoseareasandtheirconnectionsmayresultininsomniaorcoma.
Borblymodel
In1982,aHungariansleepresearcher,AlexanderA.Borblypublishedaseminalpapertitled"Atwo
processmodelofsleepregulation"[6].Thismodelhaslaterbeendescribedinprettyprecisemathematical
terms,andisnowthemainstayofourunderstandinghowsleepisinitiatedandhowthesleepwakeflip
flopworksinhealthysleepinabstractionfromtheactualneurophysiologicalinterpretation.
Inshort,Borbelynoticedthedistinctionbetweenthetwocomponentsofsleepiness:homeostatic
sleepinessandcircadiansleepiness.Homeostaticsleepinessincreasesduringthedayasaresultofmental
effort.Circadiansleepinessincreasesatnighttime.Borbely'smodelarguesthatforagoodnight'ssleep,
youneedtogotobedwithbothcomponentsofsleepinessinahighgear.Thismeansthatgoingtosleep
early,beforeyourcircadiansleepinesskicksin,isabadidea.Youwon'tbesleepyenoughtofallasleep,
oryoursleepwillbeshallowandeasilyinterrupted.Ontheotherhand,themodelalsoimpliesthata
prematureawakeningmayclearthehomeostaticsleepiness,andwemayfindithardtofallbackasleep
eventhoughthecircadiansleepinessensuresweareprettytired.
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Anexemplaryinterpretationofthetwoprocessmodelofsleepfornormalsleepandsleepfollowinga
sleeplessnight.HomeostaticsleepinessisdenotedasProcessS(throughoutthisarticle,IuseHfor
mnemonicreasons).CircadiansleepinessisaninverseofProcessC.SleepoccurswhenCislowand
Sishigh.Additionalsleeppressureaccumulatesafteranightwithoutsleep,andthesleepcanoccur
earlierandlastlonger(itstartsathigherhomeostaticsleepinessdespiteslightlylowercircadian
sleepiness).SWAslowwaveactivityisabrainwaveactivitythatrepresentsthedeepestsleep.TST
totalsleeptimeishigherafterasleeplessnight.
Duringsleep,corticalslowwaveactivity(EEGpowerdensityrangeof0.7to4.5Hz)dependsonthe
durationofpriorwaking.Thisiswhyitisconsideredahallmarkofhomeostaticsleeppropensity(Daan
etal.1984[97]).Itdecreasesexponentiallyafterthesleeponset.Oneofthelimitationsofthemodelisthat
itdoesnotaccountforNREMREMexchange,whilethehomeostaticsleepiness(ProcessS)might
actuallyincreaseintheREMphase.Circadiansleepinesscorrelateswiththereleaseofmelatonin,butcan
alsobemappedontocorebodytemperature,orreleaseofothersleepinducingoralertnesshormones.
Borblymodelinpractice
Atwocomponentmodelofsleeppropensity,inspiredbyBorblymodelisavailableinSuperMemo.It
makesitpossibletopredictchangesinalertnessdependingonthetiminganddurationofsleep.
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AnexemplaryinterpretationofthetwoprocessmodeltakenfromanactualsleeploginSuperMemo.
Aqualine representscircadiansleepiness. Greenline representshomeostaticalertness(aninverse
ofthehomeostaticsleeppropensity). Redline representsoverallalertnessthatisaninverseof
overallsleeppropensity.Bestalertnessisachievedwhenbothcomponentsofsleepinessareattheir
lowest.
[findabettergraph!esp.onethatalignswellwiththeWikipediapicture].
InBorblymodel,sleeptimingisdeterminedbythepointsinwhichthecurvesrepresentingthetwo
processescross.SuperMemousesamoreintuitiveapproach,inwhichbothcomponentsofsleepinessare
integratedheuristicallytomatchtheexpectedcourseofoverallalertness( redline inthegraph).Sleepis
initiatedwhentheoverallalertnessdropsbelowacertainlevel.Sleepmaythusbeinitiatedbyboth
componentsofsleepinessindependently,asitmayhappeninearlylife,butthetiminganddurationof
sleepwilldifferforvariousvaluesofbothvariables(andthestatusofthecircadiansystem).
Youcan"feel"bothcomponentsofsleep.Homeostaticsleepinessismorelikelytobedescribedas
feeling"unrefreshed",whilecircadiansleepinessismorelikelytobenamed"grogginess".Inahealthy
cycle,youshouldneverseethedifferencebetweenthetwo:youwakeupfresh,andyougetsleepyinthe
eveningwhenbothcomponentsofsleepinesskickinmakingyoujust"verysleepy".However,ifyouare
jetlaggedandgroggy,youcanfeeltheunpleasantcircadiansleepinessthatdoesnotgoawayandcannot
behelpedwithanapifyourhomeostaticsleepinessistoolittletofallasleep.Ontheotherhand,aftera
sleeplessnight,youmaybedeadtiredandunrefreshed,however,withthemorningsunlightyougeta
newenergytosurviveyetacoupleofhours.Asyourcircadiansleepinesspassesby,youmayfeel
homeostaticsleepinessthatseemssurvivable(untilthenextcircadianlowhits)(seemore:Sleeping
againstyournaturalrhythm).
Borblymodelandevolution
Thehomeostaticcomponentofsleepmaysimplybeanunavoidablecostoftheevolvingneuralnetworks.
Topreventcatastrophicforgetting,neuralnetworksneedtoimplementanoverloadprotection.That
protectionisthehomeostaticdrivetosleep.Wedonotknowhowmuchofthatprotectionisanatural
consequenceofthenetworkoverload,andhowmuchofitisanaddedeffortbythebraintoprevent
furtheroverload.Forexample,wecanimprovecognitivefunctionwiththehelpofcaffeinebyblocking
theadenosinebasedcomponentofthehomeostaticsleepdrive.Thisprovesthatthebrainprovidesa
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degreeofnetworkoverloadprotection.Theoverloadwillresultinprogressivedeclineinrecalland
memoryconsolidationinthewakingday.
Thecircadiancomponentevolvedlongbeforetheneuralfunctionofsleepwasestablished.However,it
wasconvenientfortheorganismtodoitsneuralhousekeepingatopportunetimes.Forexample,for
humanhuntersandgatherers,nightisatimeofinaction.Thisiswhyhookingupsleeptothenighttime
periodmadeanevolutionarysense.Otheranimalsmayhavemadedifferentchoices,however,the
circadiancycleisalwaysagoodhintontheoptimumtimingforneuraloptimization.
Inshort:Neuraloptimizationisunavoidable:(1)networkoverloadsignalhasahomeostaticnature,
while(2)theopportuneoptimizationtimesignalhasacircadiannature.
Threeprocessmodel
Borbly'stwoprocessmodelhasbeenextendedbyanadditionalprocessWthatrepresentssleepinertia.
Thebasisforthatmodelwasselfratedreportsofsleepiness(AkerstedtandFolkard1990[98]).Themodel
usedinSuperMemodoesnotincludethesleepinertiafactorasitisprimarilytargettedatstudyingfree
runningsleep.
Phaseresponsecurve(PRC)
Phaseresponsecurve(PRC)representsafunctionthattellsushowmuchaphaseofanoscillatorshiftsin
responsetoselectedstimulidependingonthetimingofthesestimuli.PRCscanbeusedtostudy
circadianrhythmsaswellasotherbiological,physicalorelectronicsystem(e.g.theheartbeat).
Forexample,PRCforlightmaytellusthatapplyingagreenlightpulseofagivenintensity1hourbefore
sleeppushesthecircadiancycleforwardby10minutes(phasedelay),whileabluelightofahigher
densitymightpushthesamecycleby25minutes.Duringthesubjectivenight,thereisadeadzonewhen
lightdoesnotproduceshiftsinthecircadiancycle.
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ExemplaryhumanPRCsforbrightlight,dimlight,andmelatonin.
TherearemanyPRCsfordifferentstimulisuchasexercise,stresshormones(e.g.cortisol),melatonin,
andotherstimuli.ThecrossovertimebetweenthedelaysideandtheadvancesideofthePRCforlightis
nearthecorebodytemperatureminimum.Thesleepcontrolsystemseemsmostsensitivetoshorter
wavelengthsofvisiblelightinsuppressingthereleaseofmelatonin(Brainardetal.2001).
Stimulithatcannotshiftthecycleorhaveanegligibleimpact(e.g.cupofwarmmilk),canalsohavea
PRCplotted.However,thatPRCwillbeastraighthorizontallinerunningalongthephaseshiftofzero.
SleepChartusesanalgorithmforplottingthesocalledrecursivePRC,inwhichthedegreeofphaseshift
ismeasuredinreferencetotheactualpositionofsleepepisodesinfreerunningsleepwithout
differentiatingbetweentheactualcausesoftheshift.rPRCsdifferbetweenpeople.Theyalsochangein
responsetolifestylechanges.
Changingthelengthofthecircadianperiod
TheexistenceofthePRCimpliesthatthelengthoftheclockperiodisunderourcontrol.Ifweapply
zeitgebersearlyorlateenoughwecanaffectlargerphaseshiftsthatcanlengthenorshortentheperiodof
thecycle.Everyonecanproveitalltohimselforherselfwithrelativelysimplemeasures(e.g.bright
lightsinthelateeveningtoshiftthephaseforward,orearlymorningexercisetoshiftthephaseback).
ThisiswhyPRCsareveryimportantwhentreatingphaseshiftdisorders.Thisisalsowhylifestyle
determinesphaseshiftsandpossiblesleepproblems.Thisiswhythemodernlifestylebasedontheuseof
electricitycausesanepidemicofDSPSintheyounglearninggeneration.Recently,thefactofthe
adaptabilityofthebodyclockperiodwasdemonstratedwithinvestigationsintoapossibilityof
astronautsadaptingtoaMartianday(Scheeretal.2007[99]).Thiswasalsodemonstratedearlierinrats
byvarious"lifestyle"changes(e.g.wheelrestrictionincreasesthecircadianclockperiod).
Phaseshiftingneuralinputs
Ourmasterclock,theSCN,isaffectedby3majorzeitgeberinputsthatallowofaphaseshifts:
retinohypothalamictract(RHT)carrieslightresettingstimuliandactsviatheNMDAreceptors.
Thisinputbypassescognitivevision
intergeniculateleaflet(IGL)projectstotheSCNviathegeniculohypothalamictract(GHT)and
carriesmotorresettingstimuli
theraphenucleiprovideserotonergicinputthatishypothesizedtomodulatesomeaspectsofthe
circadiancycleandmightbeinvolvedinchangestothecircadiancycleinaffectivedisorders.
Lesionsinthispathwayordecreaseinserotoninlengthentheactivephaseinconstantdarkness
withoutaffectingthecircadianperiod
Recursivephaseresponsecurve(rPRC)
Tostudythephaseresponse,scientistsneedexpensivelaboratorysetupsandtimeconsumingresearch
procedures.However,asimplecomputationaltrickmakesitalsopossibletoseetheeffectsofphase
shiftingstimuliinSleepChartwithouttheuseofasleeplab.
SleepChartimplementsaconceptoftheRecursivePhaseResponseCurve(rPRC).Thecurveis
recursivebecauseitisfirstobtainedbycomputingtheimpactofphaseshiftsinsleepepisodesinrelation
tothecircadianacrophasecomputedusingstatisticalmethods.OncethefirstapproximationofrPRCis
obtained,itcanbeusedtoproduceabetterapproximationofthemiddleofthesubjectivenightlinethat
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isthenusedtogenerateabetterapproximationoftherPRC.Afewiterationsofsuchaprocessare
sufficienttoproducethebestfitoftherPRCthatcorrespondswellwiththeactualsleepdata.
SuperMemousesacrophaseestimatesbyusingafixedrPRCthatroughlycorrespondswithrPRCs
obtainedwithSleepChart.WhereasatypicalPRCemployedinchronobiologymapstheresponseofthe
sleepsystemtoasinglestimulus(e.g.light,exercise,melatonin,orvariouschemicalagents),rPRCisthe
resultantofallnaturalsleepdelayingfactors(incl.light,activity,stress,etc.).Itcanalsobeinterpretedas
aPRC,inwhichthewakingactivityformstheinputtothefreerunningsleepsystem.UnlikeaPRC
whichrespondstoashiftingfactor,rPRCrespondstotheeveningphaseshiftcausedbythesamefactor.
Assuch,rPRCisnotadefactoPRC,andalldeparturesfromthefreerunningconditioninvalidatethe
computation.ThemainadvantageofrPRCisthatitcanbederivedfromsleepdatawithoutcollecting
bloodsamples,salivasamples,ortakingcorebodytemperaturemeasurements.Thisway,SuperMemo
cancorrelatelearningwithsleepmodelsthatuseonlyplainsleeplogdataasinput.
Inthepresentedgraphs,Sleepdelay(h)standsforthebedtimedelayandequalsthedifferencebetween
theactualbedtimeandthebedtimeascomputedbySleepChartfromthepriorhistoryofsleep.Asthe
measurementsrefertofreerunningsleep,littlephaseadvancedataisavailableduetothenaturalwayof
waking.Thecausesofsleepdelaymayincludelight,socialinteraction,stress,aconsciousdecisionto
delaysleep,exercise,ingestionofcaffeine,medication,etc.
Phaseshift(h)standsforaphaseshiftandequalsthedifferencebetweentwoexponentiallyweighted
wakinghouraveragesontwosuccessivedays:thedayonwhichthebedtimedelayoccurredandthe
followingday.Insteadofthebedtimehours,wakinghourswerecomparedasthesearelessaffectedby
thehomeostaticshiftcausedbytheactualdelaythusrepresentingatruerreflectionoftheactualphase
shift.
Theflatteningofthecurve(ascomparedwithatypicalPRC)iscausedbytherecursivereferenceto
actualsleepdata,whichresultsfromthefactthatplottingthecircadianacrophasebySleepChartisan
approximationbasedonthesamesleepmeasurements.Asaresult,polynomialapproximationshowsa
slightincreaseinphaseshiftswithincreasingdelay,whichisnotthecaseintypicalPRCplots.The
deviationofthebedtimehourfromtheoptimumbedtimemayresultfromeitherenvironmentaldelay
factorsorfromtheapproximationerrorresultingfromheuristicproceduresusedtoplotthecircadian
function,whilesleeponsetusuallyoccursnaturallyatoptimumphysiologicaltime.Theinherent
asymmetryofthegraphcomesfromthefactthatearlierbedtimeisnearlyalwaysnatural,whiledelayed
bedtimemaybenaturalorforced.Itistheforcedbedtimedelaythatisthemainsourceofphaseshiftsin
freerunningsleep.
RecursivePRCinDSPS
Thegraphpresentedbelowimpliesthat,inthecaseconsidered,delayingsleepbyfourhoursresultsina
shiftofsleepphaseequalto1.4hours(whichseemstobeclosethemaximumshiftpossible).Phase
advancewouldrequireanaturalonsetofsleepthatprecededtheoptimumretirementtimebyasmuchas
6hours.Goingtosleepattheoptimumhourresultsinthenaturaldailydelay,inthisparticularcase1.0
hour,typicalofDSPSdisordersorconditionsofisolationfromzeitgebers(e.g.constantlighting).
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RecursivePRCandphaseadvance
Delayingsleepshouldalwaysbeavoided(exceptforcaseswhereitisusedasaformofchronotherapy).
Thenextgraphshowshowsleepdelayscanactuallyadvancethesleepphase.Thisisareversesituation
tothedescribedearlierphasedelaycausedbyaneveningmelatoninoverdose.Wherethewakefulness
intrudespastthecircadianacrophase,whichfollowsthestationarypointoftherPRC,phasedelays
decreaserapidlyuptoapointwherefurtherdelayinsleepwillpushthephasebackwards.Naturally,this
"method"ofphasemanipulationisparticularlyunhealthyasitimpliesarousalinthemiddleofthe
subjectivenight(see:Healtheffectsofshiftworkandjetlag).
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RecursivePRCshowingphaseadvancedthatcanbecausedbyeither(1)bedtimedelaysofabove5
hours,or(2)bedtimeadvancesofmorethan2hours.
Inthepresentedexemplarygraphwecanreadthefollowing:
goingtosleepatone'snaturalbedtimecausesa1.3hourphaseshiftresultinginacircadiancycle
periodof25.3hours
phaseshiftsareeliminatedonlywhengoingtosleep2hoursaheadofthenaturalbedtime
phaseadvancesof2hoursarepossible,butrequireanunnaturalearlybedtime(e.g.asinduced
withintenseexercisesuchasrunningamarathon)
phasedelaysofmorethan2hoursareunlikely
adelayinbedtimelargerthan5hourscanresultinanactualphaseadvanceduetotheimpactof
arousalonthemorningendofthesubjectivenight.Obviously,thisshouldnotbeconsidereda
"cure"tophasedelaysbecausesuchseriousdeviationwillseriouslyaffectthequalityofsleepand
producemajorripplesinthecontrolofthecircadiancycle
Ifyourunyoursleepfreeandhaveasufficientlylargesetofdata(e.g.severalmonthsofasleeplog),
youcangenerateyourownrPRCdatawithFile:Export:RecursivePRCinSleepChart(youneed
SuperMemo15orlater).
RecursivePRCinpolyphasicsleep
ItispossibletofeedSleepChartwithdataobtainedfrom"Ubermanexperiments".Obviously,themere
departurefromfreerunningconditionmakestheoutcomehardtointerpret.Eventherecursivenatureof
theprocedureusedtoobtainrPRCcannoteffectivelycopewiththelackoftheleadingcircadiancrest.
Withallthatinmind,itisstillinterestingtopeekat"UbermanrPRC"asitnicelyreflectsthechaotic
natureofthesleepsystemsubjectedtoapolyphasicexperiment.
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Apolyphasicsleeperpusheshissleepphasebackandforthlargelyatrandom.Thatcanonlyresultina
chaosandcompleteasynchronyofallneural,endocrinalandbiochemicalprocessesdependingonthe
circadiancomponentofthesleepcycle.Onemightexpectserioushealthconsequencesofsuchachaotic
inputtothesystemhowever,naturaldefensemechanismsmakelifequitemiserableforthosewho
attemptastruggleagainstthenaturalsleepcycle.Asaresult,thosewhoattemptpolyphasicsleepare
doomedtodropoutsoonerorlater.
Chaoticphaseshiftinginput
Chaoticsignalssenttothephaseshiftinginputsasseen,forexample,inpolyphasicsleep,mayhavehard
topredictnegativeconsequencesforthesleepcontrolsystem.Theriskisnotfullyknownandhardto
estimate.Itcouldincludeintheorderofdecreasinglikelihood:
desensitizationtosignalssentbythesleepcontrolsystem
longterminstabilityinthesleepcontrolsystem
damagetonervecellsinvolvedinthecontrolofthecircadiancycle
Thefirstpossibilitycanactuallybeobservedinshiftworkersandpeoplerunningaconstantbattlewith
sleepdeprivation.Inthoseindividuals,theconceptof"refreshedmind"and"refreshingsleep"becomes
hazy,andonecanobserveanincreasedtolerancetopermanentdegreeoftirednesscomingfrom
insufficientsleeporsleepinawrongcircadianphase.Inotherwords,adegreeoffatiguebecomesa
norm.
Instabilityofthesleepcontrolsystemisalsoobservedinshiftworkers.Iamnotsureifshiftinduced
instabilitiescanbecomechronicorarefullyreversibleinarelativelyshorttime.Eveninaperfectly
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tunedsleepcontrolsystem,minorrhythmperturbations,suchasaswitchtotheDST,canproduce
regulatoryrippleslastingfordays.Largerperturbationsmight,intheory,resultinuncouplingofmaster
andslaveoscillatorswithaparticularlyslowreturntoafullystabilizedcontrol.Perhapsthiskindof
uncouplingistheprimaryfactorthatunderliesamyriadofdisordersthatplagueshiftworkersinthe
longterm.
TwocomponentmodelofsleepinSleepChart
SuperMemousesatwocomponentsleepmodelinspiredbythepublicationsofAlexanderA.Borbly
andPeterAchermann.Unlikeothermodels,SuperMemousesuser'ssleepdatatopredictthehomeostatic
andcircadianstatusofoverallsleeppropensity.Thismodelishelpfulinchoosingtheoptimumtimefor
learningonagivenday(givenaparticularhistoryofsleep).Itcanalsohelpplanningtheoptimum
bedtimeincaseswherethesleeppatternishighlyirregular.Themodeldoesnotpredicateonthetiming
anddurationofNREMandREMsleepepisodes.
ThemodelistunedtofittypicalSleepChartdatalogs.However,thereareindividualgeneticdifferences
thataffectthelengthofthecircadiancycle,steepnessofthehomeostaticdeclineinalertness,sleeplength
preferences,sleeparchitecture,spectralpropertiesofsleep,fragmentationofsleep,etc.Thismodelis
limitedinaccountingforthesevariables.Ifyouaresleepyagainstthesimulationsbasedonthemodel,
youcanprobablytrustyourowninstinctsbetter.Ifyoufeelalertagainstthesimulationsbasedonthe
model,youcancertainlygetdowntolearningandignorepredictionsofthemodel.Moreover,sleep
patternsareagoodmeasureofyoursleepcontrolsystemsonlyiftheyarenotartificiallydisturbed(e.g.
byforcefullydelayingsleep,usingalarmclock,usingmedication,etc.).Inotherwords,ifyouarenot
freerunningyoursleep,thepresentedmodelmayfailtomapyourcircadianrhythmscorrectly.Youcan
markblocksasartificiallyshortenedordelayed(ForcedawakeningandDelayedretirementonthe
contextmenuavailablewitharightclick).However,markedblockswillhavealimitedeffectasthereis
nowayofknowingthedegreeofthecutintothesleepingpatterns,and,consequently,knowingthe
resultingperturbationinthesleepcontrolsystemproducedbyartificiallymodifiedsleep.
InBorblymodel,thetimingofsleepisdeterminedbythepointsinwhichthecurvesrepresentingthe
homeostaticandcircadianprocessescross.SuperMemousesasimpler,butmoreintuitiveapproach,in
whichbothcomponentsofsleepinessareintegratedintoanoverallalertnesslevel( redline inthegraph).
Theadvantageofthatapproachisthepossibilityofinstantfeedbackfromanactuallearning
process,wherethelevelofmemoryrecallissupposedtocorrelatedirectlywiththelevelofalertness
determinedbythemodel.Theformulaforintegratingthetwocomponentsofsleepintooverallalertness
waschosenheuristicallywiththehelpofalertnessdatagatheredinSuperMemo.Thepurposeofthe
integrationwastoachievethebestpossiblematchofthepredictedalertnessinthemodelwiththe
averagerecalllevelinSuperMemo.Asithasbeenshownearlier,bothhomeostaticsleepinessand
circadiansleepinessaffectthegradesinSuperMemo,however,onlyacombinedeffectofboth
componentsprovidesagoodmatchwiththechangesofrecallfordifferentcombinationsofhomeostatic
andcircadiansleepiness.InthemodelusedinSuperMemo,sleepisinitiatedwhentheoverallalertness
dropsbelowacertainlevel.Sleepmaythusbeinitiatedbybothcomponentsofsleepinessindependently,
butthetiminganddurationofsleepwilldifferforvariouscombinationsofchangesinthehomeostatic
andcircadiansleeppropensity.Despiteusingadifferentapproachtodeterminingthesleeponset,
predictionsofthemodelfittheactualsleeplogdataprettywellinfreerunningconditionincasesstudied.
Toseethepredictionsofthemodelforyourownsleepdataforanygivenday,makesureyouhaveyour
sleeplogfilledoutforrecentdaysinSleepChart,andshiftclickthedayinquestioninthesleeplog.
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TwocomponentsleepmodelinSuperMemo:Thehorizontalaxisrepresentstime. Blueblocks show

theactualsleepepisodes. Aqualine showsthe24hcircadiansleepdrivewithamiddaysiestahump.
Greenline isaninverseofthehomeostaticsleepdriveandcanbeinterpretedashomeostatic
alertness,whichdeclinesexponentiallyduringwakefulnessandisquicklyrestoredbyslowwavesleep
(forsimplicity,asinBorbelymodel,theentiresleepblockisassumedtohaveacontribution
proportionaltoitslength,astheSleepChartmodeldoesnotaccountforsleepstages). Yellowvertical
lines showthepredictionofthecircadianacrophase(circadianmiddleofthenightpeak).Acrophase
computationsaredonewiththehelpofaphaseresponsecurvemodel(asopposedtoastatistical
modelusedinearlierversionsofSleepChart). Redline showstheresultantalertness(peaksarebest
forlearning,valleysarebestforsleep).Forexample,AlertnessonOct1,2008at7:43waspredicted
tobeat59%ofthemaximumbutwouldkeepincreasingfastinthefirst2hoursofwakefulness(a
typicalsymptomofanightsleepthatisterminatedtooearly).Thepictureshowstwopeaksin
alertnessonOct1,2008,at9amandat7pm.Thoseperiodswouldlikelybebestsuitedforlearning
onthatday.
ToseeamoreaccuratepresentationofyourownhomeostaticandcircadianalertnessinSuperMemo,see
theAlertnesstabinSleepChart.
REMreboundhypothesis
ResearchersknowthatBorbely'stwoprocessmodelisnotcompleteanddoesnotexplainallknown
propertiesofsleep,norevenallpossiblesleeppatterns(e.g.variousnappinghabits,newbornsleep,
irregularsleeppatterns,sleepinpsychiatricdisorders,etc.).Therehavebeennumerousattemptsto
expandthemodelbynewvariablesthatmayshowupinspecificcircumstances(e.g.addingnoiseto
simulateasleepwakepatterninautisticchildren,ultradiandynamicstomodelNREMREMoccurrence,
addingtheimpactoflightintensity,etc.).BorbelyandAchermannkeepinvestigatingvariousaspectsof
sleepthatwouldhelpmakethemodelmorecomplete.OneoftheirinvestigativetargetsisaREMsleep
reboundfollowingaREMsleepdeprivation.IthasalreadybeendiscoveredlongagothatREMsleep
deprivationreducesalphaactivity,waking,andNREMsleep.TheseareclearsignsofREMhomeostatic
compensation(Borbelyetal.1990[100],Brunneretal.1993[101]).Ithasbeenproposedthatincreasesin
muscleatoniaepisodesinNREM(MAN)beconsideredasmarkersofanincreaseinREMsleeppressure
(Achermannetal.2002[102]).
Kinkynapping
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Formanyyearsnow,IhaveobservedanunusualphenomenoninSleepChartlogsthatIcouldnotexplain
withthetwoprocessmodel.Inpeoplewithirregularsleep,latenapsareoftenexceedinglylongand
unrefreshing.Thoselongnapsclearupthehomeostaticcomponentofsleeppropensity,andoftenresult
inlaterbedtimes.Insomeextremecases,thiscanleadtoconfusionabouttheoptimumtimingofsleep.
Theaffectedpersonwillnaplongenoughtolosethesenseofthetimingofhisorherownsubjective
night.Agraphbelowdemonstratessuchaclassicoccurrence.
"Kinky"nappingmayresultinconfusionastothetimingofthesubjectivenightinDSPS.
Intheexemplarysleeplogabove,amiddleagedwomanworkingfromhomeandsufferingfroma
delayedsleepphasesyndromeshowsaclearandprettyregularprogressionofthesleepphasefroma
bedtimeat2amtosleepingpastmidday.Theladyclaimstosufferfromirregularsleep,daytime
tiredness,andneverknowingwhentogotosleeptogeta"goodnight'srest".OnSep24,duetofeeling
tired,shewentforanapat6:30am.Thisnapunexpectedlylasted3.5hoursandproducedtheimpression
thatnomoresleepwasrequiredonthatday.Despitesometiredness,theladydidnotgotobedthat
eveningeventhoughthechartclearlysaysthatitwastheperiodofhersubjectivenightandsheshould
retire.Afteraparticularlytiringeveningandnight,theladywenttosleep3:30amontheassumptionthis
washer"nightsleep".Thatsleepwas6hourslongandrefreshingenoughto"impersonate"thenight
sleep.Thiscompletedtherolereversalbetweenthenightandsiestaperiods.Thetwocircadianlowshave
beenswappedinthesleeper'smind.Thisswapisthenreflectedinretirementrituals,expectations,and
otherhabitsthatcanperpetuatethereversalforafewdaysdespiteapotentiallyhighlyunrefreshingsleep.
Anightvssiestareversalisnotstablethough.OnSep25,intheperiodofthesubjectivenight,ashort
napwastakenwhichseemedparticularlyrefreshing.Stilltherefreshingimpressiondissipatedfastand
thethird"nightatsiestatime"followed.OnSep26,sufficientsleepdebtaccumulatedleadingtoa"nap"
thatsuddenlyturnedinto8hoursofdeepandrefreshingsleep.Thesleeppatternflippedbacktothenorm
after3prolongednappingepisodes.Thisrolereversalcannotbeexplainedwiththetwoprocesssleep
model.NorcanitbeexplainedwiththemodelemployedinSleepChart.Thosethreeoutliernapstaken
pastthesiestatimeshouldratherbeshorterduetothefacttheywerenotenhancedbythecircadiansiesta
dip.Thosenapswerealsooccurringtooearlytocapitalizeonthenighttimecircadianlow.Inother
words,those"kinky"naps,despitemissingthecircadiancomponentofsleep,lastedunusuallylong.
REMdeficit
Havingseenthosekinksinsleeppatternsdozensoftimes,Icametobelievethatthe2processmodelof
sleeppropensityneedstobeextendedbyathirdcomponent.However,itwashardtocomeupwitha
sensiblehypothesisthatwouldplausiblyfitwithwhatweknowaboutthefunctionofsleepandits
evolution.Abigcluecamefrominterviewswithpeopleaffectedbykinkynaps.Itappearsthatthoselong
napsareveryoftentriggeredbyconsumptionofalcoholor,insomecases,smokingmarijuana.Ifthe
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timingofalcoholorcannabisadministrationalignedwiththelatewakinghours,shortlybeforethe
subjectivenight,thekinkynapcouldfollowonthenextday.Inaddition,thosenapsareprecededbya
particularlystrongfeelingofbeingunrefreshedinthemorning,whichisafrequentcaseinalcoholor
cannabisabuse(asmuchasintheapplicationofsleepingpillsorevenmelatonin).Asbothsubstancesare
knowntoreducetheproportionofsleepspentinREM,IhypothesizedthatitistheREMsleepdeficit
thatmightbecausingthesaidsleepperturbations.
Ihavealsodocumentedcaseswerekinkynapsfollowedahealthyandrefreshingnightsleepthatdidnot
involvealcohol,cannabisnorothersubstancesaffectingsleep.Thoseremainingcasesalsohadanother
commonfactor:asubstantialonetimedelayinoptimumbedtimeandtheresultingsleepphaseshift.This
wouldagreewiththeREMdeficithypothesis.IfsleepisdelayedpastthecircadianREMpeak,itisalso
knowntobelessREMrich.
Finally,thosekinkynaps,unlikethehealthywelltimednapswerereportedtobedreamrich.Thiscould
alsoindicatethattheymightbeinvolvedinREMcompensatoryfunction.
IftheREMdeficithypothesiswastoberight,wewouldneedtoalwaysconsiderseparatehomeostatic
REMandNREMsleeppropensity.Inhealthysleep,theREMcomponentmightbehardtonotice.Some
researchershypothesizethathomeostaticREMdrivedependsontheprecedingNREMsleep.Ifso,
homeostatically,healthynightwouldproducenoREMdeficit,whilewakingactivitywouldonlyproduce
homeostaticNREMsleepiness.
HowcouldREMdeficitproducethoseprolongednaps?TherearesomeindicationsthatREMsleepcan
alsoproduceanincreaseindemandforNREMsleep.Thusthosetwo,functionallyvitalphasesofsleep,
couldproduceamutuallyamplifyingcyclethatwouldrunitscourseuntilthedemandforbothsleep
componentswasfulfilled.WhywouldREMsleepincreasetowardstheendofnormalnightsleep?Some
ofthatincreaseiscircadian,someofitmightcomefromthefactthathomeostaticNREMsleepdemand
issatisfiedfaster.ThebiologicalexplanationofsleepterminatedwithREMisdifficult,esp.inthelight
ofBuzsakimodelofhippocampal"training"inREM.Wakingupwithacleanslateseemsbiologically
moreadvantageous.PerhapsthatlastREMperiodisresponsibleforcreativebreakthroughsoftheearly
morning?Onlyadetailedmathematicalmodellingandcomparisonswithactualsleepcycle
measurementscouldanswerthequestionsaboutthehomeostaticinterplaybetweenNREMandREM
sleep.
Threecomponentsofsleeppropensity
SleepChartcannoteasilyverifythenatureoftheREMdeficithypothesis.Notonlyaresleepstages
missingfromitslogs,detectingREMsleepisnotpracticableinhomeconditionsamongstusersof
SuperMemoorSleepChart.However,thethirdvariableneededtoexplainkinkynapsinsleeplogs,
whichIwillcalltheRDvariable(forREMdeficit),couldpossiblybeincludedinthetwoprocessmodel
inhopeofmathematicallyexplainingtheimpactofkinksontheestimatedsleepphase.Asmentioned
earlier,thosekinkynapsdonotneedalcoholorotherREMsuppressingfactors,sleepblocksmarkedas
Delayedretirementoftencausesimilareffectsduetoawrongphasealignmentvs.thecircadianREM
peak.OncesleepmisalignmentsareexplainedsuccessfullywiththeRDvariable,itwouldbeuptosleep
labstoverifythemodelusingEEGmeasurements.TheinteractionbetweentheRDvariableandtheother
twosleepvariables(HandC)isnotstraightforward.Forexample,highRDwouldnotsufficetoinitiate
sleep,asitisnotpossibletoinitiatesleepwithoutanappropriatecombinationofHandC.HighRDand
highCmightalsobeinsufficient(asitisindicatedbysleeplogswheresleepisprettyshortinthenights
thatfollowkinkynapsduetothelowH).However,highRDandhighHcouldinitiatefullyblownsleep
andresultinkinkynapswithpossiblenegativeconsequencesforthesubsequentnightsleep(lowH),and
sleepphase.Atthemomentofwriting,Iamstillnowsurehowthesleepphaseisaffected,however,Iam
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prettysureitis.Forexample,intheexamplepresentedearlier,thesleepphaseseemstohavebeenshifted
backbyafewhours,however,itcouldaswellbecausedbythedeficiencyofthemodelemployedin
SleepChart(preciselyduetothemissingRDvariable).TheneedforbothhighHandhighRDtoinitiate
sleepforlowCseemsconsistentwithcurrentresearchonthemutualinteractionbetweenNREMand
REMsleepstageswhereoneincreasesthedemandfortheother.
Sleepwakeflipflop
Thesleepwakeflipflopisasystemoftwosetsofbrainnucleithatproducearapidswitchfromsleepto
waking,andviceversa.Onesetofnucleiisresponsibleforinducingsleepandinhibitingthearousal
centers,whiletheothersetactsintheoppositeway.Bothsetsinhibitoneanother.Thismeansthatwhen
thereistimetosleep,thesleepcenterstakeanupperhandandturnoffthewakecenters.Lateron,inthe
morning,thewakecenterstakecontrolandturnoffthesleepcenters.Thissleepwakeflipflopis
constructedinsuchawaythatthetransitionsfromsleeptowakeandbackareprettyfastandthorough.
Inahealthysleepcycle,weshouldbehalfawakeonlyforaveryshorttimebeforesleep,andperhapsa
littlewhilelongerinthemorning.Unfortunatelythisdoesnotmeanthatwecanswitchtheflipflop
whereverwewish.Italsodoesnotimplythatwewon'tfeeltiredbeforesleep.Homeostaticincreasein
sleepinessisanaturalprocessanditproceedsthroughoutthewakingperiod.Itisonlythetransitionfrom
waketosleepthatisfastandthetimewhenhomeostaticsleepinessmeetsasufficientdegreeofcircadian
sleepiness.Thesleepwakeflipflopisstabilizedbyorexinneurons.AsdemonstratedbySiegel,thelevel
oforexins(alsocalledhypocretins)isnotrelatedtothecircadiancyclebuttoaparticularbehavior.
Duringawakingactivity,e.g.duringexercise,theleveloforexinsmayremainhighthuspreventingthe
switchinthesleepwakeflipflop.Whentheorexinstabilizerisoff,narcolepsyentersthepictureandthe
flipflopbecomesunstablecausingmultiplesleepepisodesinasingledayinhardtopredict
circumstances.
Themostimportantcomponentsofthesleepwakeflipflopare:
1. theventrolateralpreopticnucleus(VLPO)onthesleepside,and
2. thetuberomammillarynucleus(TMN),locuscoeruleus(LC)anddorsalraphenucleusDRonthe
arousalside.
Oncesleepisinitiated,anotherflipflopstartsoperating:theonethatisresponsiblefortransitions
betweenNREMandREMsleep.
Suprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN)
Humanbrainharborsaclockthatrunsinacyclethatisslightlylongerthan24hours.Thatclockiscalled
thesuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN)andislocatedintheanteroventralhypothalamus.TheSCNismade
oftwogroupsofneurons(10,000each,0.25mm3)situatedbilaterallyjustabovetheopticchiasm.The
SCNisslightlymoreelongatedinwomen,andthereisamarkeddifferenceinVIPexpressingneurons
betweensexes(uptotwiceasmanyinmales)(Swaabetal.1990[59]).HomosexualmenhavelargerSCNs
andtwicethenumberofVPexpressingneuronsthanheterosexualmen(SwaabandHofman1990[103]).
Incidentally,Iamprettysurethatthisdifferenceisnotbychoiceanditcannotberemediedwithself
disciplineorbyprayer.
In1972,theSCNhasbeenidentifiedasthebody'smasterclockthatcanrunwithoutenvironmentalcues
andreceivesresettinginputsfromtheretina.ClockgenesintheSCNareresponsibleforacircadian
cycleofgeneexpressionthatdeterminestheoutputfromtheSCN.TheneuronsintheSCNexpressthe
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cyclethatfindsitsreflectioninsignalsthattravelfromtheSCNtootherbrainnucleiandtherestofthe
bodyinvariousneuralandhormonalforms.IfwesurgicallydamagetheSCN,thecircadiancyclewanes
ordisappears.ItcanberestoredwithatransplantofSCNcells.
TheSCNsignalismostactiveduringthesubjectiveday,esp.intheeveninghours.Itistheweakest
duringthesubjectivenight,esp.intheearlymorningwhenthebodytemperaturereachesitsminimum.If
youevertriedtosleeppolyphasically,itistheSCNthatwillbotheryouandmakeyoucravethecore
sleepandmakeyouoversleepduringthesubjectivenighttime.TheSCNcontrolsalertness,attention,
releaseofhormones,bodytemperature,melatoninsecretion,feeding,andmore.Mostoftheoutputfrom
theSCNflowstothesubparaventricularzone(SPZ)andthedorsomedialnucleusofthehypothalamus
(DMH).NeuronsinthedorsalSPZ(dSPZ)affectthecircadianrhythmofthebodytemperature,while
thoseinventralSPZ(vSPZ)arerunningthewakeandsleepcycle.vSPZinturncommandstheinputsto
DMHwhichisthechiefcommandcenterforwakingbehavior,motoractivities,cortisolcycles,feeding,
etc.DMHaffectssleeppromotingVLPOandthewakepromotingLHA(lateralhypothalamus).Lesions
toVLPOandLHAcanproducelossofsleeporinsurmountablesleepinessrespectively.
ThiscentralpositioningoftheSCNandtheDMHatthecrossroadsofthemostessentialandinfluential
neuralpathwayscontrollingbehaviorisapowerfuldemonstrationofhowatinygroupofafewthousand
neuronsexertsapowerfulinfluenceonwhatwedoasactivefeedingandsurvivingorganisms.This
shouldremindeveryonethatsleephygieneisessentialfortheproperfunctionofthistinystructureinthe
humanbrain.Disruptingcircadiancycleswithalarmclocks,shiftworkandthelikecanleadtoawhole
volleyofphysicalandmentaldisorders.ForathoroughreviewoftheinteractionbetweentheSCN,the
DMHandtherestofthebodyseeDrCliffordB.Saper"Hypothalamicregulationofsleepandcircadian
rhythms"(Saperetal.2005[104]).Interestingly,DrSaperhypothesizesthatitistheDMHthatintegrates
thecircadianresettingstimulisuchasexerciseorsocialinteraction.Inrodents,DMHcanalsoberesetby
theavailabilityoffoodsoreventhetemperature.Itisunlikelythoughthatyouwillbeabletocombat
jetlagoradapttoanyshiftworkpatternwiththehelpofzeitgeberssuchasfoodortemperature.
SCNoscillateswithaperiodslightlylongerthan24hours.Toadapttothe24hworld,theoscillation
needstoberesetdailytomatchthedaylightcycleoftheEarth.Theresettingisdonewiththehelpof
zeitgebers("timegivers")suchaslight,exercise,feeding,etc.Themostimportantzeitgeberislight.
Lightsignalsarereceivedbyglutamatergicmelanopsinexpressingretinalganglioncellsintheretina
(pRGCs).Fromthere,theyaretransmittedtotheSCNviatheretinothypothalamictract(RHT).The
impactoflightsignalsandotherzeitgebersonthecircadianphaseisdescribedbythesocalledphase
responsecurve(PRC).Mostimportantly,morninglightsignalhelpsresetthecycle.Thecircadianperiod
getsshortenedtomatchthe24hdaylightcycle.Withthehelpofzeitgebers,theoscillatorwithaslightly
longerperiodisbroughtbacktosynchronywiththedaylightbyaminorSCNmediatedreset.This
providesforastableoscillation.Peoplewhocannoteffectivelycuetheiroscillatorssufferfromphase
shiftdisorders.PeoplesufferingfromDSPScouldexperimentwithlightdimmers,toningdowntheir
schedulesintheevening,properlytimedexerciseandbrightlightinthemorning.PeoplewithASPS
shoulduseoppositemeasures(e.g.3000luxlightintheevening).Inadditiontolight,theSCNisaffected
byactivity.LocomotoractivityaffectstheSCNbyactivatingNPYcontainingneuronsinthe
intergeniculateleaflet(IFL)andserotoninergicneuronsinthemedianraphenucleus(MRN).Thisiswhy
exerciseandsocialinteractionactaspowerfulzeitgebers.
TheneuralsymphonycommandedbytheSCNgoesawrywhenweuseartificiallightingordoexciting
eveningactivitiessuchaswatchingTV,surfingthenet,playingcomputergames,reading,etc.Ithasbeen
hypothesizedthatlight(aswellasotherstimuli)mayaffecttheSCNintwodifferentwaysduringthe
subjectivenight.Shortlightpulsessimplychangetheexpressionofclockgenesandresultinphaseshifts
alongthePRC.However,constantlightingmayresultinuncouplingbetweentheSCNneuronsandthe
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downstreamnucleiaffectedbytheSCNresultingindangerousarrhythmicity(Ohtaetal.2005[105]).
Continuousdisruptionstocircadiancyclesasseeninshiftworkorjetlagmayleadtoagradualmental
declineasindicatedbyresearchinrodents(Reeetal.1985[106]).Circadianchangesassociatedwith
agingandAlzheimer'scanbecorrelatedwithlossofcellsintheSCNorchangesinitsinputs.
VasopressinexpressingcellsareparticularlyprominentintheirdeclineinAlzheimer's.Allformsof
artificialcontrolofsleepcycles,includingtheuseofalarmclocks,canaffectthehealthofthosefew
preciousneurons.
TheSCNsendsprojectionstothedorsalPVH(parvicellularparaventricularnucleus)whoseneurons
projecttosympatheticpreganglionicneuronsinthespinalcordthatinturnaffectthepinealglandandthe
releaseofmelatonin.Thistellsusthatmelatonin,whichisoftenadvertizedasa"naturalsleepingpill"is
producedbythepinealglanddownstreamfromtheSCNcontrol.Thisiswhyitcannotbeconsidereda
centralfactorcontrollingcircadiansleepiness.Melatonindoesproducephaseshiftsalongitsunique
melatoninPRC(seepictureinthePRCsection).Itispossiblethatthiseffectiscausedbyadirectimpact
ofthemelatoninontheSCN.However,earlysleepwillalsoresultinearlierwakingandthiswillalso
haveaphaseshiftingeffect.
DorsomedialHypothalamicNucleus(DMH)
DrSaperandcolleaguesdemonstratedthatexcitotoxiclesionstothedorsomedialnucleusofthe
hypothalamus(DMH)inratscauseamajorimpairmenttocircadianrhythms(Saperetal.2003[107]).As
lesionedanimalssleepmore,itwassuggestedthattheimpactofDMHispredominantlyactivatingeven
thoughotherexplanationsoftheavailablefindingsarealsoimaginable.Itappearsthatagreatdealof
outputfromtheSCNtravelsviathesubparaventricularzone(SPZ)totheDMHandonlythen,via
inhibitorytracts,totheVLPOthatisresponsiblefortheinitiationofsleep.TheDMHalsoprojectstothe
lateralhypothalamicarea(LHA)thatcontainswakepromotingorexinneurons.Ithasbeenhypothesized
thattheDMHmightbeinthecenterofcontrolofvariousvariablesthatchangealongthecircadiancycle
sucharousal,feeding,locomotoractivity,cortisollevels,bodytemperature,melatonin,etc.Restricted
feedingsynchronizescircadianrhythmsoftheDMHsothatthehighestcFosexpressionandlocomotor
activitycoincidewithmealtimes(Saperetal.2006[108]).AsmostoftheinputarrivestotheDMHvia
SPZ,itisimportanttonotethatdorsalandventralportionsoftheSPZseemtoplaydifferentfunctions.
LesionstothedSPZreducecircadianrhythmsofbodytemperature,whileitisthevSPZthatseemsto
controlsleepwakecyclesandlocomotoractivity(Saperatal.2001[109]).ThedSPZcontrolsbody
temperatureviathemedialpreopticarea(MPO)thatincludesthemedianpreopticandventromedial
preopticnuclei.TheDMHisaffectedbythehormonescontrollingtheappetite,ghrelinandleptin,viathe
ventromedialnucleus(VMH)andthearcuatenucleus(ARC).VMHenhanceslipolysisinadiposetissue
anddecreasesfeeding.DrSaperhypothesizedthattheDMHmayserveasasecondarycircadiancontrol
centerthatwouldenableentrainmentoftherhythmstotheavailabilityoffood.However,fromthe
standpointofcontrolsystems,itwouldseembiologicallymoresensibletophaseshifttheSCNrather
thantoemployasecondasynchronousorphaselockedoscillator.Inhumans,itisveryhardtoinfluence
thecircadiancycleinanywayotherthanviaaminorphaseshiftwiththeuseofvariouszeitgebers,of
which,foodisaveryweakone.Itthereforeseemshighlyunlikelythatshiftworkersorjetlagged
travellerscouldtangiblybenefitfromchangestothetimingoftheirdiet.Differencesbetweenratsand
humanscannot,naturally,beexcluded.Nevertheless,theDMHisdefinitelyaveryinterestingfurther
researchtarget.
VentrolateralPreopticNucleus(VLPO)
Theventrallateralpreopticnucleus(VLPO)isoneofthechiefbraincentersneededtoinitiatesleepand
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tomaintainslowwavesleep.Lesionsinthisareahalvetheamountofsleep,andresultininsomnia
combinedwithpersistenttiredness.BothNREMandREMcanbeaffecteddependingonthetypeofthe
lesion.Foritsrole,theVLPOisoftencalleda"sleepswitch".Inbothnocturnalanddiurnalanimals,the
SCNisactiveduringtheperiodofdaylight,whiletheVLPOisprimarilyactiveduringsleep.Oncethe
VLPOison,itisbelievedtomaintaininhibitionofthemonoaminergicandcholinergicexcitatory
systemsthatkeepthebraincortex"awake".ThoseVLPOprojectionsgotothetuberomammillary
nucleus(TMN)(histamine),lateralhypothalamusperifornicalregion(LHA/PF)(orexin),ventral
periaqueductalgrey(vPAG)(dopamine),locusceruleus(LC)(noradrenaline),parabrachialnucleus
(PBN)anddorsalraphe(DR)(serotonin),lateraltegmentum(LDT)(acetylcholine)andthe
pedunculopontinetegmentalnucleus(PPT)(acetylcholine).TheinhibitionsenactedbytheVLPOare
mediatedbyGABAergicneuronsaswellasbygalaninergicinputstothehistaminergic
tuberomammillarynucleus(TMN).InhibitionoftheTMNandotheralertnessnucleiresultsinadropin
alertnesshormonesandadropincorticalactivationcausingdrowsiness.Ahypothesissaysthatseparate
populationsoftheVLPOmightberesponsibleforexpressingcircadianaspectsofNREMandREM
sleep.AsubsetofVLPOcellsisabletostimulatecholinergicneuronsintheLDTandPPT.This
contributestoinducingREMburststhatactivatethecortexwithoutwakefulnessduringREMsleep.
TheVLPOreceivesitscircadiansignalinputfromtheSCN(themainbodyclock)viathedorsomedial
nucleusofthehypothamalus(DMH),whichistheotherbrainclockthatisusuallysynchronizedwiththe
SCN.TheVLPOneuronsdonotbuildupahomeostaticneedforsleep,however,somehomeostatic
mechanisms,suchastheintracellularbuildupofadenosine,mayinhibitaminergicorcholinergicwake
centersandthusactivatetheVLPO.Forexample,infusionofadenosineagonistsintothebasalforebrain
increasesbothNREMandREMsleep(Satohetal.1999[110])andincreasescFosintheVLPO
(Scammelletal.2001[93]).Insleepdeprivation,theactivityintheVLPOisnotmuchhigherthanin
ordinarywaking.Thislowlevelofactivitypersistsuntilthebedtime.Oncethesleepbegins,VLPO
neuronfiringratemaydoubleinconditionsofsleepdeprivation(Saperetal.2005[104]).Thisindicates
thateventhoughtheVLPOdoesnotbuilduphomeostaticsleeppropensity,itisimpactedbythe
homeostaticmechanismsintheend.ThisalsoindicatesthattheVLPOislocateddownstreamthe
circadianandhomeostaticsignalintegrator.AminergicarousalnucleisuchastheTMN,LCandthe
rapheformapartofthesleepwakeswitch.Thatswitchisstabilizedbyorexin/hypocretincellsfromthe
lateralhypothalamusperifornicalregion(LHA/PF),esp.duringmotoractivitiesorfeeding.Thearousal
canthusbemaintaineduninterrupteddespitecompetinginhibitoryinfluences.Thearousalnucleiinhibit
theVLPOinwakingasmuchastheVLPOinhibitsthembackinsleep.Scientistsbelievethatthismutual
inhibitionformsaclassicunbalancedflipflopwithsharpstatetransitions.Thisiswhathelpsusfall
asleepfast,andwakeupfast,spendingminimumtimeintransition,andmaximumtimeinthedesired
states:alertnessordeepsleep.
FormoreontheplaceoftheVLPOinthesleepcontrolsystemseeFigure39inFunctionalAnatomyof
theHypothalamusandPituitary.
Forathoroughreviewoftheroleofvarioussleepandwakecenters,seeSaper's"Hypothalamic
regulationofsleepandcircadianrhythms"(Saperetal.2005[104]).
NucleusoftheSolitaryTract(NTS)
Thissectionspeaksmoreoffadsandfashionsinsciencethanoftheactualinvolvementofthenucleusof
thesolitarytract(NTS)insleep.IheardoftheimportanceoftheNTSforsleepintheearly1980sduring
mycollegeyearswhenstudyingbiology.Sometimelater,IaddedacoupleofitemsontheNTSto
SuperMemotoconsolidatethatknowledgeforyearstocome.WhenwritingmyGoodsleep,good
learning,goodlifearticlein2000,IstillmentionedtheNTSandhowrockingbabiestosleepmightwork
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eventhoughIknewthatdestructionofNTSdoesnotleadtoinsomnia,whichshouldbeabigclue.The
NTSseemstobemoreinvolvedinprocessingsignalsreceivedfromthegut.Thesesignalsplayonlya
minorpartinsleepcontrol.Intheend,Ifellvictimtothesameoldafflictionthatpesterssciencesinceits
inception.Sometimesittakestheoldgenerationofscientiststodieoutforanewideatotakehold.Old
knowledgemakesusmoreconservative,becausenotknowingmakesusseekanswerswhileknowing
makesuspassiveevenifouranswersarewrong.Onceyoubelieveyouknowalltheanswers,thereisless
pressuretoinvestigate.Intheend,manyotherbraincentersplayarolecomparabletothatoftheNTS.
Afterall,thebrainisahighlyconnectedstructureandfewthingshappeninginonecornerofthecentral
nervoussystemhavenobearingoneventsinothercorners.Consequently,activationofnearlyallmajor
nucleiwillhaveanarousingorinhibitingeffectwithinthereticularactivatingsystem,whichhasalso
beenforyearsamainstayofourthinkingaboutarousal.Atthesametime,backin2000,Ihardly
mentionedtheVLPO,asitwasperhapsnotfashionableenough.Asimilarsituation,wemayormaynot
facewiththeSLD,whichhasemergedasanalternativetothewellestablishedPPN/LDTREMon
system.EventheDMHmightnotbeimmunetofashions.LiketheNTS,itisalsoinvolvedinfeeding
behaviors.Perhaps,inadecade,thisarticlewillwarrantacompleterewritewithagreatdealofoldfads
gone.Equallywell,intheerawhereallnewfindingsinscienceareavailableatourfingertips,andwe
caneasilycommunicateviaemailandothermeans,wewillallshowalessertendencytoswimwiththe
crowd.Moreimportantly,newinvestigativetechnologiesarelikelytoopennewareasthatmightstillbe
subjecttofads,whilethesubjectmatterdiscussedinthisarticlewillgeloutandsolidify.
Incidentally,thepainoffashionswasoncethemainfactorthatpushedmeawayfrompeerreview
writingtoblogging.Writingthepresentedarticlewastheacmeoffun.Thearticlewaswrittenusing
incrementalwriting,andpolishedcollaborativelyasawiki.Beingpartofacommercialcompany,Iam
notsubjecttopublishorperishpressures.Thisisapreciousfreedom.Backin1992,withDr
Gorzelanczykwestudiedtheliteratureofthespacingeffectandcametoconclusionthatthemountainof
datawecollectedwithSuperMemo,aswellasaclearcomputationalformulationoftheconceptof
spacedrepetitionwillsweeptheworldofeducationandmemoryscienceoffitsfeet.Avastmajorityof
thespacingeffectliteratureofthattimewasfocusedonshorttermstudies(e.g.checkingthememory
effectafterjustaweekfromthetrial).Bahrick'sstudyoftheretentionofSpanishvocabularywasamajor
andstellarexception.However,Bahrickcouldonlystudytheretentionofvocabularymanyyearsafter
theoriginaltrainingwithnospecificdataonthetimingofexposuretoindividualwordsduringtheperiod
oflearning,orduringthelongperiodprecedingthemeasurement.Inthatlight,wethoughtwehaveall
weneededtostartanewrevolutioninlearningandinthescienceofmemory.Toourmonumental
disappointment,wecouldnotpushourpaperthroughtobepublishedinMemoryandCognition.Our
failurecamepartlyduetoourinexperience,andthelackofcredentials.Webothhavejustcomeoutof
theuniversitywithMScdegrees.Howeverhardwetriedtophraseourpaperaroundthefashionable
spacingeffect,wewerenotabletomoldittomatchthemainstreamscienceofmemory.Fromsomeold
obscurejournal,wepickedthebestsoundingscientificnameforourrepetitionschedulingmethodology.
Wecalleditrepetitionspacing.Thistermmutatedlaterintospacedrepetitionandremainstheonly
tangiblelegacyoftheoriginalpaper,eventhoughithasnotyetpenetratedthescholarlynamespace.
Perhapsitneverwill.Moregeneral"distributedspacing"or"distributedpresentation"stillpredominate,
whileusersofcomputerizedflashcardnowconsistentlyspeakof"spacedrepetition".Theeditorsof
Memory&Cognitioncongratulatedusonourresultsandmentionedthatthecomputationalaspectofthe
papermadeitsuitabletojournalsdevotedtocomputeralgorithms.Theworldoffashioninmemory
sciencewassodifferentfromourpropositionthatnotopmodeltookourstance.Intheend,wepublished
inalesserknownActaNeurobiologiaeExperimentalis.Sadly,thepaperhasgotonly18citationsinthe
courseof20yearssincepublishing,andwhenitismentioned,itisquotedwithcaution.Afterall,the
"optimizationalgorithm"feelslikeablackbox.Itwasofferedfreeforanyone,andyetitishardtostudy
itinaction.Itisnotaneatformula.Itisanalgorithm,anditcanbestberunonacomputerandstudied
withcomputermeans.Ourlineofclothingappearedtobehighlyunfashionable.Itisnowcommonly
usedbymillions,andnewdesignershoponboardmonthly.Scientificcommunityremainslargely
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imperviousfornowthough.Itawaitsawaveofnewtalentgrownonthefeedofspacedrepetition.
Fashionsinsciencearepartofourcollectivecognitiveprejudices.Theyslowdownprogress.Theyare
unavoidable.Andstill,inthelongrun,theyregresstothemeanoftheapproximatetruth.Itisimportant
thatforeachstepback,wecanmakeadozenstepsforward.
Adenosine
Adenosineisoneoftheendogenousmarkersofthehomeostaticsleepdrive.Duringthewakingperiod,
asthecortexandotherpartsofthebrainkeepsburningtheirglycogenreserves,ATPisconvertedto
adenosinewhichaccumulatesextracellularly.Theroleofadenosinewasfirstdiscovereduponthefinding
thatitssystemicadministrationpromotessleep(Radulovackietal.1984[111]).
Theincreasedactivityofthecholinergicneuronsinthebasalforebrainneuronscausesabuildupof
adenosinethatinturninhibitstheactivityinthatregionviaitsA1receptor(Streckeretal.2000[112]).
Thisisoneofthehypotheticalhomeostatictriggersofsleep.Theaccumulationofadenosineinthebasal
forebrainisparticularlyimportantasitisherethatitseffectismostpronounced(Streckeretal.
2000[112]).Theaccumulationinthebasalforebraincausestheinhibitionofsomeaminergicwaking
centersandthedisinhibitionoftheVLPO,whichpromotessleep.InfusionofA2Areceptoragonistsinto
therostralbasalforebrainincreasesbothNREMandREM(Satohetal.1999[110]).Moreover,adenosine
A2AreceptoragonistsstimulatetheVLPO.TheresultingactivationoftheVLPOmaybemeasuredby
theincreaseofcFosactivity(Scammelletal.2001[93]).Someofthepresentedscenariohasrecently
beenquestioneduponfindingthatratswitha95%losstocholinergicneuronsinthebasalforebrainshow
intactsleephomeostasisdespitethelackofthehallmarkincreaseinadenosine.
Adenosineisparticularlyinterestingasitswellknownantagonistiscaffeine.Caffeinebindstoadenosine
receptorsthusblockingthehomeostaticsleeppropensity.Thisprovesthatnetworkoverloadisnotthe
causeoratleastnotthesolecauseofthehomeostaticsleepdrive.Thebrainhasevolvedsleepprotection
mechanisms,inthiscaseinvolvingadenosine,toensurethatbeforeanetworkoverloadleadstoany
significantconsequences,homeostaticsleepdrivepushesananimaltotakeasleepbreakanddothe
necessaryneuralhousekeeping.
NREMandREMsleep
NREMandREMalternations
Inthecourseofthenight,wealternatelyentertwophasesofsleep:
NREMsleep(namedfornonRapidEyeMovement)
REMsleep(namedforRapidEyeMovement)
UsingEEGmeasurements,scientistsareabletodistinguish4phasesofNREMsleepwhichcorrespond
toprogressivelydeepersleep.InnewerliteratureyoumayreadofthreestagesasStages3and4of
NREMhavebeenbundledtogetherasasinglestageofslowwavesleep.
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NREMREMcyclingthroughatypicalnight.
Aswecloseoureyes,ittakes315minutestoenterStage1NREMsleep(inahealthyandwellregulated
individual).Inthisstagewewilloftenexperiencelittlejerksassociatedwiththeimpressionoffalling.
Minordisturbanceswillwakeusupandoftenwewillevendenybeingasleep!OnceState1NREM
solidifies,wemovetowardsStage2NREMsleepwhichisstillrelativelylight.Afterthatwemoveto
Stage3(andStage4)NREM,whichisalsocalleddeepsleeporslowwavesleep(SWS).
Historically,theimportanceofREMsleepformemoryandlearningwasdocumentedbeforewebecame
trulyawareoftheroleofslowwavesleep.Consequently,articlesandbooksonsleeparepepperedwith
anoveremphasisontheroleofREMsleepinlearningascomparedwithSWS.Overtime,REM
deprivationstudiesreceivedlotsofcriticism.Today,weknowthatthenaturalharmoniousinterplayof
uninterruptedNREMandREMsleepisessentialformemory,learningandcreativity(Salzaruloetal.
2000[113]).
CruelsleepdeprivationstudiesactuallyshowthatsleepdeprivedratscanlivelongerifREMdeprived
thanifNREMdeprived.Ratsdeprivedofsleepsurvivefor23weeks.RatsdeprivedofREMsleeponly
surviveforsomefivemonths.
NappinghumansubjectsreportedthatitisStage4NREMthatfeelsmostrestorative.Thereleaseof
norepinephrine,serotoninandhistamineisinhibitedduringREM.Duringdreaming,theprimaryvisual
cortexisnotactive,whileitssecondaryareasareactive.Thisissimilartothesituationinwhichpeople
areaskedtoimagineavisualsceneasopposedtoasituationinwhichtheyactuallyseethescene.Blind
peoplehavedreamsthataremoreauditoryandmoretactile.ThisseemstoconfirmtheroleofREMsleep
inthereplayofexperiencesandinoptimizationofmemories.Theydonotshowthetypicaleye
movementpatterninREMsleepeither.ThoseobservationsledtoanideathatREMsleepisvitalfor
creativity(morethanNREMsleep).DuringREM,cholinergicmodulationsuppressestheflowof
informationfromthehippocampustotheneocortex.Thisissupposedtohelpbuildnewassociations
withintheneocorticalareas.
EvolutionofNREMandREM
REMsleepisphylogeneticallyyoungerthanNREMsleep.Fish,amphibiansorreptilesdonotshow
typicalREMsleep.Yet,interestingly,REMsleepispresentinbothmammalsandbirds.Thismadesome
scientistshypothesizethatREMsleephasbeeninventedtwicebyevolution!Clearly,REMsleepplaysa
rolecriticalforsurvivalofcreatureswithbirdmammalIQlevels(see:Howmuchdoanimalssleep?).
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However,DrSiegelwhostudiedREMsleepinechidnaconcludedthatthisanimal'ssleepcombines
aspectsofbothREMandNREMsleep.Asaresult,hesuggestedthatREMandNREMmighthave
evolvedfromaphylogeneticallyolderunifiedformofsleep(Siegeletal.1996[114]).IfREMsleepisas
disparatefromNREMinitsfunctionandascomplexasimpliedbythetheoriesontheneural
optimizationinsleep,thereinventionfactormightbeusedbyevolutionistsasanargumentagainst
neuraloptimization.However,likeaerialflight,reinventioncombinedwithcomplexitycouldequally
welladdweighttoemphasizingthevitalneuralfunctionofsleep.
NREMandREMdeficits
CruelsleepdeprivationstudiesactuallyshowthatsleepdeprivedratscanlivelongerifREMdeprived
thanifNREMdeprived.Ratsdeprivedofsleepsurvivefor23weeks.RatsdeprivedofonlyREMsleep
surviveforsomefivemonths.Aftersleepdeprivation,itistheSWSdeficitthatisrepaidfirst.SWS
deficitisaresultofNREMsleepdeprivation.REMdeficitsarepaidofflater.Afrequentscenarioisthat
theSWSdeficitispaidfullyonthefirstnightofrecovery,whileREMsleepdeficitmaypersistthrough
tothesecondrecoverynight.
Forceddesynchronyprotocolsaresleepprotocolsinwhichsubjectsleepisdissociatedfromitsnatural
circadiancycle.Inconditionofforcedsynchrony,wecanobservethatslowwaveactivitythat
characterizesNREMsleepisassociatedwithhomeostaticsleeppropensity,whiletheproportionofREM
sleepinsleepepisodesdependsonbothhomeostaticpressureandthecircadiancycle.
NREMcontrol
NREMsleepisprimarilycontrolledviaahomeostaticmechanism.Duringthewakingdaywebuilda
pressuretoinitiatesleepanditsdeeperNREMstages.Ifsleepisinitiatedwithoutacontributionofthe
circadiancomponent,itislikelytobeshortandNREMonly.Oneofthesignalscorrelatingwith
homeostaticsleepinessisthebuildupofadenosine.Itistheadenosinereceptorsthatareaffectedby
caffeineresultinginitsshortlivedimpactonreducingthehomeostaticsleeppressure.Oneofthe
consequencesofthebuildupofadenosineistheinhibitionoftheaminergicwakecenters,inhibitionof
thebasalforebrain,andthedisinhibitionoftheVLPO:thechiefbraincenterresponsiblefortheinitiation
ofsleep.REMsleepalsohasahomeostaticcomponent,however,intimesofdeficit,itisNREMsleep
deficitthatiscompensatedforfirst.ThereisalsomoreevidenceindicatingthatREMsleepincreases
NREMsleeppressure(Beersmaetal.1990[115]).Inadditiontoadenosine,othersignalssuchas
interleukin1,tumornecrosisfactor,interferon,prostaglandinD2,NO,GHRH,andothershavealsobeen
associatedwiththeincreaseinhomeostaticsleeppropensity(Kruegeretal.2008[116]).
SleepdeprivationincreasesbothNREMandREMsleeppropensity.ShortsleepershavelessNREM2,
butthereislittledataontheactualqualityandeffectivenessoftheirsleep.ThomasEdisonorNicola
Tesla,ononehand,arewellknownforsleepingrelativelylittle,whileEinsteinisawellknownlong
sleeper,who,supposedly,sleptoverninehourspernight.Interestingly,allthesegeniusesalsobelonged
tonotablenappers.ItistruethatbygettinglesssleepyoucompressthelesscriticalNREM2sleep,but
thereisnoevidencethatthiscanbecomeyourregularhabitwithouthurtingthequalityofyourNREM
REMinterplay.Withthecurrentlyavailablesleepdatatheconclusionis:donottrytocompressNREM2
bysleepingless.Youarelikelytohurtthememoryoptimizationprocessoccurringinsleep.
Somescientistsbelievethatduringsleep,anultradianoscillatorinthemesopontinejunctioncontrolsthe
regularalternationofNREMandREMsleep.However,thetermoscillatorisrathermisleadingasthe
mechanismofNREMREMmutualinteractionismoreofaflipflopnature,andthetimingofalternation
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isprettyirregularindicatingsignificantinternalandexternalhomeostaticinfluencesthatultimately
culminateintheextinctionofthesleepcycle.
Neuromodulationinsleep
TheAIMmodelofsleep((Hobsonetal.2000[89])emphasizestheimportanceofcholinergicmodulation
thatdominatesREMintheabsenceofaminergicactivity.
InNREMsleep,cholinergicsystemsinthebrainstemandtheforebrainarelessactivethaninwaking.
SerotonergicrapheandnoradrenergicLCarealsolessactive.Ontheotherhand,inREMsleep,these
aminergicstructuresarestronglysuppressed,whilethecholinergicsystemsflareup.Releaseofhistamine
isalsodowninREM.Ithasbeenhypothesizesthatcholinergicmodulationsuppressestheflowof
informationfromthehippocampustotheneocortex.Thisissupposedtoplayanimportantroleinthe
dualnetworkmodeloflearninginwhichthehippocampusplaysaroleinbuildingupnewassociations
onthebasisofoldinformation(see:Neuraloptimizationinsleep).
DrSiegel,whodoesnotbelieveintheroleforsleepinmemoryandlearning,believesthatREMsleep
servesrecoveryasserotonergic,noradrenergic,andhistaminergicneuronsstopfiring.Itisasiftheywere
overusedandattemptedtoreplenishtheirresources.Thisinterpretationmightpasstheshutdowntest
(see:Sleeptheories)asmanyoftheseneuronsarevitalformaintainingarousal.However,itishardto
imaginethatevolutionwouldnotfindawaytoredesignthebraininwhichneurotransmitter
replenishmentwouldbepossiblewithouttheshutdown.Someareasofthebrainkeepfiringinwaking
andaswellasinallstagesofsleep.Theneuronsinvolvedareabletoreplenishtheirresourceswithout
goingoffline.
Growthhormoneandcortisol
Inadditiontochangesinfiringpatternsofneuronsreleasingdifferenttypesofneurotransmitters,
circulationofsystemichormonesalsochangesduringsleep.Ofthese,growthhormoneandcortisolareof
particularimportanceastheyimpactglucosemetabolism.Growthhormoneincreasesatsleeponsetand
peaksindeeperstagesofNREM.Ontheotherhand,cortisollevelsincreaseinthelaterstagesofthe
nightdominatedbyREMsleep.Unlikethereleaseofcortisol,whichislargelycircadian,theincreasein
GHisassociatedwithasleeponset(VanCauteretal.1997[117]).Sleepdeprivationorsleepingina
wrongphasearebothinvolvedinmajordisruptionofglucosemetabolismfordifferentreasons.Thisis
whyhealthysleepisvitalforpreventingobesity.
REMHomeostasis
Inthesamewayassleepingeneral,REMiscontrolledviahomeostaticandcircadianprocesses.
AcrophaseofthecircadianREMcyclecomeslateinthesubjectivenight.BeningtonandHellerproposed
thatitisthepresenceofNREMsleepratherthantheabsenceofREMsleepthatleadstoanincreaseof
REMsleeppropensity.SlowwavesleepbuildshomeostaticREMpropensity,andthebestREMcomes
fromthecombinationofslowwave"exhaustion"andthecircadianREMpeakwhichcomesinthelast
hoursofsleep.ThereisalsoastronghomeostaticlinkbetweenlearningandthedemandforREMsleep.
Themoreyoulearn,thestrongerthedrivetowardsREM.Thereisanincreaseinboththenumberof
minutesofREMsleepandthedensityofREMsleepfollowingintensivelearning(DeKonincketal.
1989[118]).ItisnotcleariflearningaffectsREMdemanddirectlyorviaNREMdemand.However,itis
morethanclearthatheavylearnersshouldbeheavysleepers!
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Stimulatingthebasalforebraincausesareleaseofacetylcholine,whichinduceswakefulnessandisalso
conducivetoREMsleep.Thismeansthatthebasalforebrainthattakespartintheinitiationofsleepis
alsoinvolvedinNREM/REMtransitions.Similarly,asubsetofVLPOcellscontributetogenerating
REMsleep.
Theimpactofadenosineantagonists,suchascaffeine,isalsoimportant.Adenosineagonistsinfusedinto
thebasalforebrainincreasecFosintheVLPOaswellasincreasethereleaseofacetylcholinebythe
basalforebrain.AcetylcholineisknowntoinducethestatesofwakefulnessandREMsleep.Asaresult
oftheagonistinfusion,boththetotalamountofNREMandthetotalamountofREMsleepincrease
(Satohetal.1999[110],Scammelletal.2001[93]).
Ofotherhomeostatichormonalinfluences,increasedlevelsofVIPandprolactininsleeppromoteREM.
Itispossiblethatsubstanceabuse,delayingsleep,aswellastheuseofalarmclockscanallreadtoREM
sleepdeficits(see:REMreboundhypothesis).
OneofthesleeptheoriessaysthatREMsleephelpsthebrainrecoverfromNREMsleeptospeedupthe
responsesinwaking.Thistheoryfailstheshutdowntestasthesamerecoveringmightsimplybetaking
placeinawakingstateunlessthehardworkofthenetworksindreamingisafasterrecoverymethodfor
someunknownreason.However,whywouldabrainexperienceaREMreboundinconditionsoffull
"recovery"towaking?Theclaimthathistamine,serotoninandnoradrenalineneuronsneedrecoverytime
soundmoreplausible,however,itdoesnotexplainwhywewouldneeddifferentpopulationsofneurons
withdifferentneurotransmitterswithdifferentrestorationandrecoverystrategies.
TransitiontoREM
AfteranhourorsoofhealthyNREMsleepduringthesubjectivenightsleep,thereisagradualincrease
intheactivityofcellsinthepontinetegmentumwhichisresponsiblefortriggeringREMsleep.
StructuresresponsiblefortriggeringREMsleepmightincludepedunculopontinetegmentalnucleus
(PPN)andsublaterodorsaltegmentalnucleus(SLD).GABAergicSLDandcholinergicPPNsendtheir
signalsinmultipledirections.Oneoftheoutcomesismuscleatonia.Anotheristheactivationofthe
thalamus,hippocampus,andthecortexwithanappearanceofthetypicalREMEEG.Asaresultthebrain
behavesasifitwokeupinternally!InjectionsofacetylcholineintotheponsduringanongoingNREM
episodemaytriggerREMsleep,whichillustratestheimportanceofthisneurotransmitterinsleepcycle
regulation.DuringREMsleep,thecortexbehavesasinthestateofwakefulness.Dreamsexperiencedat
thatstageseemtobegeneratedbyrandomimpulsationsentfromthebrainstemtothecortex.Thecortex
producesbestpossibleandmostcoherentimageryofthatchaoticinput.Duringdreamsweexperience
connectedevents,realpeople,realisticscenery,etc.However,alltheseareputtogetherinmost
improbableconfigurationsasifthebrainwastesting"whatif"scenarios.Yetwecannotactuponour
dreams(exceptforpeoplewhosufferfromviolentsleeping).PontinestructuresresponsibleforREM
controlmakesurethatthecerebraloutputgetscutofffrommotornucleithatmovethemuscles.It
happensoftenthatwewanttoactinsleep(e.g.toescapeaferociousdog),andyetweremainmotionless
asifmiredinmolasses.Atthattime,onlytheeyesmoverapidly,whilethemusclesinthemiddleearalso
twitch.
ThemovementsofeyeballsthatgaveREMitsnameiscontrolledbyimpulsationgeneratedinthepontine
nucleusthatprojectstothesuperiorcolliculi.Thatimpulsationisassociatedwithgeneratingoftheponto
geniculooccipitalwaves(PGO)thatarealsousedtodetectREMsleep.
Duringdreaming,theprimaryvisualcortexisnotactive,whileitssecondaryareasareactive.Thisis
similartothesituationinwhichpeopleareaskedtoimagineavisualsceneasopposedtoasituationin
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whichtheyactuallyseethescene.Blindpeoplehavedreamsthataremoreauditoryandmoretactile.This
seemstoconfirmtheroleofREMsleepinthereplayofexperiencesandinoptimizationofmemories.
TheydonotshowthetypicaleyemovementpatterninREMsleepeither.Thoseobservationsleadtoan
ideathatREMsleepisvitalforcreativity(morethanNREMsleep).
REMflipflop
TheinterplaybetweenNREMandREMsleepismostlikelycontrolledbyaREMflipflop.Some
scientistsbelievethatduringsleep,anultradianoscillatorinthemesopontinejunctioncontrolsthe
regularalternationofNREMandREMsleep.However,aflipflopmodelisabetteranalogyconsidering
thetimingofthealternations.
Asitisthecasewiththesleepwakeflipflop,theREMflipflopcausesacontinuousswitchesbetweena
relativelystableNREMandREMstates,however,theflipflopisunderfargreaterinfluenceofvarious
homeostaticinputsresultinginasomewhatchaoticsuccessionofNREM/REMstatesthatgradually
becomedominatedbyREMcircadianpeaktowardstheendofthesubjectivenight.
Formanyyears,anoscillationbetweencholinergicandmonoaminergicstatesseemedlikeafinalanswer
tothecontrolofREMsleep.However,someinconsistenciesandnewresearchleadtoanewersimilar
modelinvolvingGABAergicstructures(seethenextsection).
ModelsofREMflipflop
In1962,Jouvetshowedthatstimulationofthecaudalmesencephalicregionorpontinetegmentumincats
producedastatesimilartoREMsleep.Thisledtoahypothesisthatmesopontinecholinergicstructures
areresponsiblefortheactivationofthethalamusandthecortexinREMsleep.Thehypothesiswould
alsobesupportedbythefactthatinjectionsofcholinergicagonistsintothepontinereticularformation
wouldenhanceREMsleep.
Theoriginalreciprocalinteractionmodelinwhichpontineaminergicandcholinergicneuronshave
formedaclassicalREMon/REMoffflipflophasbeenacceptedasafactforaquarterofacentury.New
researchhasidentifiedGABAergicpopulationsthatmightbepartoftheREMflipfloponbothonand
offsidesoftheswitch.
TheoldREMflipflopincludedcholinergicPPTandLDT,whichareparticularlyactiveinREM(and
wakefulness),aswellastheBRF(brainstemreticularformation).TheREMoffcomponentwas
composedofDR(serotonin)aswellastheLC(NA)(Saperetal.2001[119]).
Newerresearchquestionedsomeinconsistenciesinthemodel.Forexample,selectivelesionsto
cholinergicormonoaminergicnucleiofthebrainstemhaveonlylimitedeffectonREMsleep.LowcFos
expressioninREMonstructuresduringREMwasalsotroubling.Instead,itwassuggestedthatthekey
REMonareaistheGABAergicSLD(sublaterodorsaltegmentalnucleus)(Luetal.2007[120]).Asthe
SLDdoesnotdirectlyinhibitDRLC,theirdirectparticipationintheflipflopwasquestionedaswell.
GABAergicneuronsofSLDprojecttothevlPAG(ventrolateralperiaqueductalgreymatter)andLPT
(lateralpontinetegmentum),whichthusbecameREMoffsuspects.LesionsoftheSLDcausealossof
REMsleep.
TheprecisenatureoftheREMflipflopmustyetbedetermined.Componentsoftheoldandnewmodels
showsomeinteractionaswell.Forexample,PPT/LDTdoexciteSLDneurons,whileDR/LCmayinhibit
theSLDoractivatetheREMoffcomponents.However,thatinteractionisnotdirectlymutual.Hencethe
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exclusionoftheoldcomponentsfromthecoreofthenewmodel.
Terminationofsleep
Thesleepcontrolsystemwouldactasaninfiniteseesawwereitnotforthecircadiancomponentofthe
sleepdrive.Towardstheendofsleep,thecircadiansleepinessdeterminedbythesuprachiasmatic
nucleus(SCN)willproducedeclineinsleeppropensity,andthesleepwillbeterminatedafteroneofthe
REMsleepepisodes.ItistheSCNwhichprovidesthelinkbetweenthestrongestzeitgeber,thelight,and
thecircadiancycle.SCNgeneratestherhythmendogenously,butisabletogetresetbylight.Light
impulsesfromtheretinatraveltothehypothalamusandtheSCNtoproduceastop&resetsignal.Endof
sleepwillseetheendofmelatoninrelease.Instead,anotherneurohormonestartsbuildingup:serotonin.
Ahypothesissaysthatitisthehighlevelofserotoninthatwefeelasthemorningsunshinehappiness.
Highserotonincombineswiththealertnesshormonecortisoltogiveusagoodalertstartintoanewday.
Unlessyousufferfromsleepphaseadvancement,alwaysmakesurethesunshinestreamsintoyour
sleepingroominthemorningtowakeyouup.
Whydoweneedsleep?
Biologicaloriginsofsleep
Humanbrainisthehighestachievementofthebiologicalevolution.Itallstartedfromasimpleabilityto
conductimpulses.Thentheamazingconceptofaneuralnetworkwasdeveloped.Thebrainofprimitive
vertebratesstartedaddingnewstructuresaswellasnewmechanismsforoptimizingthejungleofneural
connections.Sleepisarelativelyoldinventionusedtoreorganizememoriesviamolecularandneural
mechanisms.Circadianrhythmsareknowninplantsandinanimalsindependentoftheneedforsleep.
Theprocessofevolutionhas,however,convenientlyhookedupsleeptocircadianrhythmstoefficiently
alternatebetweentheexplorativestate(i.e.theuseofthebrainforlearningnewthings)andthe
consolidationstate(i.e.sleep).Thecircadiancyclehasbeenassociatedwitharoundahundredknown
physiologicalfunctionsandparametersthatchangeinconcertduringtheday(thisnumbernowincreases
rapidly,e.g.withcircadiananalysisofgeneactivation).Closelyrelatedtosleeparecyclesinthelevelsof
hormonessuchasserotoninandmelatonin,ACTHandcortisol,acetylcholine,adenosine,andgrowth
hormone.Thereisacircadianfunctionthatwecanobserveonourownwithoutcomplexmeasurements:
changesinthebodytemperature(seethefigureTemperaturechangesinthecourseofthedayinBiphasic
natureofhumansleep).
Aswespendathirdofourlivessleeping,thereislittlewonderthatsleephasattractedlotsofattention
fromneurophysiologists.Giventheenormouscomplexityofthebrainanditsfunctions,therehavebeen
literallyhundredsoftheoriesthatattemptedtoexplaintheroleofsleep.Onlyrecently,withthearrivalof
newresearchtechnologies,havewebeenabletoseethebigpictureintheseaofdetail.
Sleeptheories
Overthelasttwocenturies,dozensoftheoriesofsleephavebeenproposed.Somescientistsbelievethat
wesleeptoremember.Othersbelievethatwesleeptoforget.Yetothersbelievethatsleephasnothingto
dowithmemory.Therearealsotheoriesthatcomefromphilosophers,religiousfigures,ideological
movements,etc.Forexample,"sleepmaximizespositivity"isaveryvague"theory"thatisactually
largelycorrect.
Forabiologist,thebestgroundfordeterminingavalidityofatheoryisitsevolutionaryperspective.The
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mainquestiontoaskis:whatvitalfunctionissubservedbysleepthatdemandsturningoffcognitive
functionsforathirdofourlives!Eachsleeptheorymustpastthisprimarylitmustest.Let'scallita
shutdowntest.AllanRechtschaffenputitbestsaying"Ifsleepdoesnotserveanabsolutelyvital
function,thenitisthebiggestmistaketheevolutionaryprocesshasevermade".Theshutdowntestisthe
bestsieveforeliminatingimplausibletheoriesofsleep,however,asanexercise,youcanalsocheck
whichtheoriesexplainthefactthatifwedonotgetsleepononeday,weneedmoreonanother.For
example,ifsleepwastohelpavoidpredation,wewouldnotincurthepredationavoidancedebtthat
needstoberepaid.Ifwesurvivepredationdespiteroamingaround,ourchancesofsurvivalonthe
followingnightareexactlythesame.
Wecannotforget,naturally,thatsomevariablesrelatedtosleepdonotneedtobeanexpressionofits
primaryfunction.Inevolutionaryterms,sleepisaveryoldphenomenon,andallspecieslearnedtoattach
dozensofneuralandnonneuralfunctionstothisstate.Forexample,sleepisthemainanabolicstatefor
thebody.Forthismultifunctionreason,itishardtodeterminetheprimaryfunctionofsleepbyjust
studyingvariablessuchasthesizesofanimals,sizesoftheirbrains,theirhabits,typesoffood,longevity,
levelsofactivity,proportionofsleepspentinREM,etc.Theseallstudiesareveryinterestingbutseemto
explainlittlebecauseofthehugenumberofoverlappingvariableswhicheffectivelyobscurethemain
functionofsleep.
BelowIwillquicklylisttheoriesthatattempttoexplaintheroleofsleep.Iwilldividethemintothose
whichanswerandthosewhichfailtoanswerthatmainquestion:whytheconsciousmindneedstobe
turnedoff.Letmestartwithasubsetofcountlesstheoriesthatfailtopasstheshutdowntest(as
suggestedabove).
Theoriesthatfailtheshutdowntest
Herearejustafewofinnumeroustheoriesthatmaybebasedontruefacts,truemodels,orpartially
explainthefunctionofsleep.However,theydonotexplaintheessentialneedto"loseconsciousness"
formanyhourseachday:
energyconservationIfsleepwasjustaformofrest,whywouldwenotjustliedowninadark
place,whilestayingvigilanttopredation.Thebrainisactuallybuzzingthroughthenightasmuch
asinwaking,soturningitoffwouldnotofferanyextraadvantage.Sleepisnohibernation.
repairandrestorationIfsleepwasjusttorebuildthebodyusedupduringtheday,whydoesit
notemployasimplemetabolicreversalwithoutalossofconsciousness?Manytissuescanrestore
andrepairinwaking.Dedicatedanabolicstateisuseful,butitcouldeasilybeenactedwiththe
brainstillon.
reactivationofinfrequentlyusedcircuitsIfactivationofinfrequentlyusedmemorieswas
necessarytopreventforgetting,evolutionmighthavesimplyemployedmolecularmechanismsin
whichoncesynapseswerepotentiated,theywouldspontaneouslybuildupsynapticstrengthin
timewithoutsecondaryactivation.Naturally,thiswouldabolishthevaluableevolutionary
mechanismofforgetting.Similarly,randomREMactivationforthepurposeofmemoryfixation
wouldsimplybewasteful.Forgettingplaysaspecificevolutionaryfunctionandtheincreasein
synapticstrengthshouldonlyresultfromarepeatedexposuretoaspecificexperience(for
example,arepetitioninSuperMemoservestheexactlythispurpose)
recoveryfromslowwavesleepREMsleepwaspostulatedasarecoverystagefromNREM
sleep.IfREMwasjustarecoverystage,whyshouldithappenseveraltimesduringthenight?
Woulditnotjustbettercomeatthearrivalofzeitgebersindicatingtheendofthesleepperiod?
WhywouldweenterNREMsleepinthefirstplace?NREMandREMclearlyplaya
complementaryfunction,butthetheorysayslittleabouttheneedtoentertheunconsciousstateof
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sleep.
avoidanceofpredationInactivityduringsleepissupposedtominimizeexposuretopredators?
However,whywouldweneedturnoffallthesensesandextendreactiontimestoanearuseless
degree?Moreover,carnivorestendtosleepfarmorethanomnivores.Thiswouldhintthat
vigilancemightbebetterthanslumberineludingthepredator.
reversingoxidativestressdamageHowdoesalossofconsciousnesshelptheprocessof
cleaningupfreeradicals?Carnivoressleepmorethanomnivores?Slowandbigelephantsneed3
hoursofsleepwhilefastlivingtinyratsmaysleepfor18.Notallsleepvariablesneedtobean
expressionofitsneuralfunction.
SiegeltheoryDrJeromeSiegel,afamousopponentofthelinkbetweensleepandmemory,
proposedhisowntheoryofsleep:"sleepismerelyagoodwaytoincreaseananimal'sefficiency,
byhuntingonlywhenthehuntingisgood,forexample,andminimizeitsrisk"(Siegel2009[121]).A
tinysubsetofthecomplexsleepcontrolmachinerywouldbesufficienttomeetDrSiegel's
proposedfunctionofsleep.Forexample,itwouldbeenoughtokeeptheanimalawakeand
paralyzedasinREMsleep.Alltherestofsleepcontrolwouldbeasimplewasteoftimeand
resources.Formoreonthistheorysee:RobertVertesandJeromeSiegel
cornealanoxiaatheorysaysthatREMsleepnourishesthecorneas.Again,wouldnotjust
wakingupdothejobifeyeballmovementisallthatisneeded?Ifthatfunctionneedstheanabolic
stateofsleepthenitisonlysecondarytothemainpurposeofsleep.ThateyesmoveinREMmight
simplybeanexpressionofthefactthatthisisamovementthatcandoanimalnoharm.Possibly,
eyesmovejustbecausetheirmusclesdonotneedtobeturnedoff.
promotinglongevitysleepisvitalforsurvival,assuchitcontributestolongevityindeed.
However,sodoestheliver,andnooneclaimsthatthemainfunctionofliveristopromote
longevity.Moreover,theevolutionaryprocessdoesnotoptimizeforlongevity,butforthe
perpetuationofagenepool.
thermoregulationsomescientistsbelievethatsleepservesthermoregulationwhileothers
attributealargeroleforthebodycoretemperatureingeneratingsleeppropensity.DrKurtKruchi
summarizeshisreasoningasfollows:"allthermoregulatoryeffectswhichleadtoanincreaseinthe
core/shellratio(e.g.areducedshellbyincreaseddistalskintemperature)leadtoincreased
sleepinessand,asaconsequence,toincreasedsleeppropensity.However,thesleepiness/sleep
regulatorysystemfeedsbackontothethermoregulatorysystemonlyindirectlyviasleeprelated
behaviors(e.g.relaxation,lyingdown)"(Kruchi2007[122]).Thattheoryspeaksalotabout
causality,butverylittleaboutthepurpose.Itflunkstheshutdowntest.
detoxificationOneofthefathersofsleepscience,RomanianpsychiatristConstantinvon
Economoassertedthatsleepwasadetoxificationprocess,inwhichthehypnotoxinswereremoved
fromtheblood.However,someNewAgeauthorswhoattempttorevivethisviewseemtocommit
asimplelogicalfallacyinwhichthebrainshutsdownforthepurposeofpreventingahypnotoxic
shutdown.Thehypothesizedfunctioncouldwellbedonebythekidneys,theliverandother
mechanismsthatdonotevencomeclosetopassingtheshutdowntest.
othertheories:othertheoriesofsleepsuchaspsychoanalyticaltheories,Caycetheory,etc.
borderonparanormalandpseudoscience.Theyallmaycarryagrainoftruth(e.g.neuralnetwork
optimizationwillindeedserveselfedification),however,listingthemallgoeswellbeyondthe
scopeofthisarticle.
Theoriesthatpasstheshutdowntest
Ifweconsiderthecurrentstatusofknowledgeaboutthefunctionofsleep,manyoftheoldertheories
startmakingsense.Theyallseemtoconvergeintoacentralthemeandallcarrylotsofinspiration.Here
aresomeofthese:
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KruegerandObaltheory:thetheoryspeaksofanaturalpropensityofneuralnetworkstoenter
sleepstates.However,thetheoryprobablygoestoofarwhencallingsleepanetworkemergent
phenomenonthatrequireslittleornocentralcontrol(compare:Whywefallasleep?).
dreamscreatewisdom:yes!Dreamsareanexpressionofaprocessthatservesreorganizationof
memories.Asaresultofdreaming,knowledgebecomesmorecoherent,moreabstract,more
applicable,etc.Insleep,skillsgethonedandfinetuned.Thismeansthatwearewiserandmore
skillfulinthemorningthanbeforegoingtosleep!
garbagecollection:anearlytheorybyEvans(1965),derivedfromcomputergarbagecollection
metaphor,saysthatsleepisneededtocleanupthebrainfromuselessmemories.Indeed,thereisa
lotofevidenceonsynapticweakeninginsleep.Lotsofgarbageandchaosevaporatesfromthe
brainovernight.
reverselearning:inspiredbytheideasofEvans,reverselearningwasproposedin1983inNature
byCrickandMitchison.Reverselearningtheory,aneuralequivalentofgarbagecollection,says
thatdreamssiftawaymemoriesthatarenotneeded,irrelevantorincongruent.Bornin1916,
FrancisH.C.CricktogetherwithJamesWatsonunraveledthemysteryoftheDNAdoublehelix
forwhichtheywereawardedaNobelPrizein1963.In1983,CrickandhiscolleaguefromSalk
Institute,GraemeMitchisonarguedinNature(CrickandMitchison1983[123])thathumanmemory
cangetoverloadedandREMsleepisusedtorunagarbagecollectionprocessonmemories.They
calledthisprocessreverselearning,andoriginallyattributeditonlyonepurpose:forgettingthe
unnecessarymemoryballast.Cricknamedthoseballastmemories"parasiticmemories",saying
that"REMsleepallowsustohaveasmallerbrainforagreaterpurpose".Crick'sseminal1983
articlewastakenfurtherbymanyresearcherswhohaveultimatelyconcludedthatREMsleepmust
serveoptimizationofmemoriesexpressedbysynapticweightsoftheneuralnetworkofthebrain!
IfREMsleepwasonlytobeusedforforgettingtheexcessinformation,Crick'stheorieswouldrun
intothesameevolutionarytroubleasothertheorieslistedabove.Afterall,spontaneouslossof
synapticinformationwithpassingtimewouldbeacheapsolutionthatcouldbeeasilyimplemented
metabolically.Thevalueofthenetworkoptimizationgoesfarbeyondjustforgetting.
consolidationofmemorysomeresearcherspositedthatmemoriesgetconsolidatedinREM
sleep.WhatisthepurposeofNREMthen?Howcanthisbethatantidepressantsdonotdamage
learningeveniftheyarestrongREMsuppressants?WhydoestheREMbrainbehavelikea
wakingbrain?Thetermconsolidationisabitambiguous.Itmayrefertoprocessesoccurringatthe
molecularaswellasattheneurallevels.Onlyneuralconsolidationmightrequireturningoffthe
brain.Inreferencetoprocedurallearningadistinctionhasbeenmadebetweenacquisition,
consolidation(postacquisition)andenhancement(sleepdependent).Ofthese,onlythe
enhancementwoulddependonsleep.Foranumberofproceduraltasks,sleepdependent
enhancementhasbeendemonstrated(StickgoldandWalker2007[124]).Formoresee:Neural
optimizationinsleep
psychotherapeutictheoryThetheorysaysthatinsleepwedreamupsituationsthatwouldbe
emotionallydifficulttoconfrontinreallife.Thisissupposedtohelpuslearnhowtoreactin
emergencieswithoutactuallylivingthroughthoseemergencies.Thisinterpretationisplausibledue
tothefactthatitinvolvesanactualneedtoturnofftheconsciousness.Moreover,whendream
contentsareanalyzeditisindeedfoundtobedominatedbythreateningsituations.The
psychotherapeutictheory,however,shouldratherbeconsideredanarrowinterpretationofalarger
andmoreencompassingfunctionofsleep:optimizationoftheneuralcircuitry.Inthiscase,known
informationisplayedbackinvariousconstellationstocompilenewbehavioralstrategiesthat
mightbeusefulforsurvival.AsItrytoarguethroughoutthisarticle,creativeandoptimizing
functionofsleepismoregeneralandneededalsoforotherneuralfunctions,notonlythoserelated
tothethreatsencounteredinwakinglife.
activationandsynthesistheoryProposedbyHobsonandMcCarleyin1977(Hobsonand
McCarley1977[125]),ActivationSynthesistheorysaysthatduringsleepthereisasensory
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inhibition(inputattenuation),and,duringREM,thereisamotorinhibition(outputinhibition).
PontinePGOwavescharacteristicoftheREMsleeptraveluptothecortexthattriestointerpret
thatstimulationresultingindreaming.Visual,auditoryandmotorareasofthecortexareactiveand
responsibleforwhateverweexperienceindreams.ActivationSynthesistheoryinspiredfurther
researchintotheneuralfunctionofREMsleep.
AIMmodeltheAIMmodelisaHobson'simprovementupontheactivationsynthesismodelthat
hasdominatedthisfieldofresearchfortwodecades(Hobsonetal.2000[89])(picture).IntheAIM
model,brainstatesaredescribedby3variables:(1)Activation,(2)Inputsource,and(3)
Modulation.AhealthybrainmovesinselectedtrajectoriesintheAIMspace.Variouspsychiatric
andsleepdisorderscanbecharacterizedasthedeparturesfromthosetrajectories.Themodeldoes
notexplainthefunctionofsleep,buthelpsdescribesleepinsimpleneurohormonalterms.For
example,REMsleepischaracterizedbyhighactivation,minimalsensoryinput,andcholinergic
modulation.
braindevelopmentInbraindevelopmenttheories,dreamingissupposedtoprovideinternal
stimulationofbraincircuitrytoensuregrowthanddevelopment.Asbabiesdreamfarmorethan
adults,thistheoryfindsinspirationinthecorrelationbetweenthedegreeofimmaturityininfancy
andtheproportionofREMsleepinanimals.Humanbabiesareparticularlylimitedintheirability
tointeractwiththeirenvironmentanddreamingissaidtoactasasubstituteforthewaking
experience.REMinducedmuscleatoniacombinedwiththebrainactivationwouldenablebrain
growthbyactivatingthesynapseswithoutthenegativeconsequencesofactingout.Theroleof
REMsleepindevelopingthevisualsystemhasbeendemonstratedbyStryker(Strykeretal.
2001[10]).REMdeprivationresultsindevelopmentalabnormalitieslaterinlife.Recently,therole
ofNREMsleephasalsobeenconfirmed.
Sleepasaneuraloptimizer
Alltheabovetheoriesthatpasstheshutdowntestarecompatiblewithwhatseemstobethechief
functionofsleep:
neuraloptimizationAwholeseriesoftheoriesseemstoindicatethatsleepisaneuraloptimizer.
Neuralnetworksgetrewiredovernight.Memoriesmovefromatemporarylowcapacityfast
encodingfastassociationlowinterferencestoragetoareaswheretheycansafelybeusedfor
monthsandyearswithoutmuchinterferencefromnewlyencodedmemories.Abstractpatternsare
extracted,whiledetailsobscuringthebigpicturearediscarded.Formoresee:Neuraloptimization
insleep.
Sleepandmemory
NREMandmemory
NREMsleephasmagicpowers!Ifyoufallasleepforjustacoupleofminutesandmanagetoenterthe
deeperstagesofsleep,youarelikelytowakeupwithabrainthatfeelslikebrandnew.Obviously,a
shortnapofthatsortisonlypossiblewhenitisproperlytimedandwhenawakeningisnatural.However,
theimpactofashortboutofNREMonlearningisstaggering.Ittakesmanyhoursofheavylearningto
makeabrainhomeostaticallysleepy.IttakesminutesofNREMsleeptotakethatsleepinessaway.
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TwocomponentmodelinSuperMemoshowshowa19min.napcannearlydoublethehomeostatic
componentofalertness( greenline ).(formoredetailssee:Twocomponentmodelofsleepin
SleepChart).Thistheoreticalmodelisbackedbyyearsofsleepandlearningdata.
ThiseffectissopowerfulthatthewholemythofUbermansleepwasgroundedonthatfoundation.Even
afewminutesofsleepcanprovidesufficientrefreshmentforthebraintocontinueworkingforatleasta
fewhours.Obviously,thepowerofNREMisonlyafractionofthebigpicture.However,inthisshort
sectionIwouldliketopeekatwhatweknowabouttheeffectsofNREMonmemory.
NREMandhippocampalcleanup
ThemostconvincinghypothesesonthefunctionofNREMsleeppictureitasaprocessinwhichthe
shorttermnovelmemorystoredintemporarystorage(primarilythehippocampus,theentorhinalcortex,
andtheadjoiningstructures)iswrittendownoptimallyintothevastnetworksofthecorticalstorage
(BornandMarshall2007[126]).Thehippocampusconnectsvariousareasofthebraintoformquick
memoryassociations.Forexample,whenwelearnanewFrenchword,itmightprovidealinkbetween
theconceptoritsexpressioninEnglishwiththenewFrenchsound,text,orasetofsyllables.That
hippocampalmemoryswitchboardis,naturally,limitedinsize.Thisiswhyitneedstobeemptied
periodically,sothatthenewconnectionbetweentheEnglishandFrenchwordscouldbelaiddownat
slowerandmorecomplexcorticalstorage.ThehypothesissaysthatthishappensinNREMsleep,andit
happensprettyfast.Scientistsnoticedlongagothatduringslowwavesleep,hippocampaland
neocorticalnetworkstendtoreplaythefiringpatternsassociatedwithnovelexperience(Wilsonand
McNaughton1994[127]).Thisledtothesuspicionthatthehippocampusmightberehearsingthecortex
withthenewlylearnedinformation,incl.thenewFrenchvocabulary.Tounderstandhowsuchtraining
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mightbedone,oneneedstoknowmoreaboutthepropertiesofneuralnetworksandhowtheyfirein
synchronywiththeta/gammaoscillationsduringexplorativeactivity(e.g.learning)andSWP/200Hz
rippleburstsduringconsummatoryactivity(deepsleep)(Buzsaki1996[128]).Formoresee:Neural
optimizationinsleep.
NREManddeclarativememory
ResearchintoNREMsleepandmemoryiscontradictoryanddoesnotfullyalignwiththeneatpicture
paintedabove.EveryonecanseethepowerofsleepinSuperMemo,whereevenashortnapcanbring
recallandconsolidationinlearningbacktothebaseline.SleepspindlesassociatedwithNREMsleep
correlatewellwiththedegreeoffeelingrefreshed(Goetzetal.1983[129]).Thissayslittleaboutthe
functionofthehippocampus,andinnerworkingofthebraininsleep,letaloneNREMsleep.However,
Takashimanoticedthatthedurationofnapscorrelatespositivelywithlatermemoryperformance,and
negativelywiththeactivityinthehippocampusregisteredatretrieval(Takashima2006[130]).Thismight
indicatethatevenashortnapcanreducethehippocampalmemoryload.Otherresearchersnotedthat
afterspatiallearning,theamountofactivityinthehippocampusinslowwavesleepwasproportionalto
overnightimprovementinperformance(Peigneux2004[131]).Ithasbeenobservedinmanyexperiments
thatslowwavesleepdeprivationaffectsdeclarativememoriesmorethanproceduralmemories(Plihal
andBorn1997[132]).Ridingabicycleisanexampleofaskillthatrequiresproceduralmemory,while
textbookknowledgeisdeclarativeinnature.Inotherwords,cuttingdownonsleepbeforeanexam
effectivelymakesithardertoretainknowledgelearnedfortheexam.Thiseffectisparticularly
pronouncedinthelongterm.Thismeansthatitislesspronouncedontheexamday.Thisiswhysomany
studentskeepmakingthesamemistakeoverandoveragain.Theygetsomemorestudytimeonthelast
night,atthecostoflongtermretentionofthelearnedknowledge.Obviously,extrastudytimehasits
benefitsfortheexamitself.Otherwiseitisharmfulforbothhealthandwisdom.
Sharpwaveburstsandlongtermmemory
Indeepsleep,SPWbursts(sharpwavebursts)canberecordedinthehippocampus.Someresearchers
believethatthismaybethecriticalmomentofmemoryconsolidationinwhichthehippocampusworks
astheneuraltrainerfortheneocortexinwhichlongtermmemoriesarestoredincrosscortical
connections.DuringSPWbursts,theexperienceofthedaywilloptimallybetransferredtoneocortical
networksvianeuraltraining.Thiswillbefollowedbytheinitiationofgeneexpressionandprotein
synthesis.Boththeseprocessesareneededformodifyinglongtermsynapticweights.Proteinsynthesis
makesupthebeginningofmemoriesthatwilllastformonthsandyears(ifsustainedbya
repetition/review,e.g.withSuperMemo).Formoredetailssee:Molecularcorrelatesofthetwo
componentmodeloflongtermmemory(Wozniaketal.1998[133]).Thoselongtermmemoriescannotbe
formedwithoutenteringappropriatestagesofthesleepcycle!Youcannotbuildlongtermmemories
withoutsleep.Inaddition,learningwillbelessefficientifitiscutshortinthemorningwithanalarm
clock.
Detectingmemoryoptimizationwithinterferencetests
Allresearchintodeclarativememoriesmaybeconfoundedbytheneuraloptimizationoccurringinsleep.
Sleepwilloftenhaveaformofrefactoringinwhichthesamememoriesarestoreddifferently.Thisway,
itmaynotbepossibletoseetheeffectofmemorychange,butitsinternalrepresentationwillchange.
Suchrefactoringmaynotbedetectablewithbehavioraltestsormaybeverydifficulttotestfor.The
sameFrenchwordstoredinworkingmemoryfeelsthesamewayaswhenstoredinlongtermstorage.It
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doesnotseemtomutateovernight,andifitdoes,thechangesareveryhardtonotice.Lackofsleep,
however,willaffectimperfectlystoredmemoriesmorethanthosewhosestoragewasoptimized.
Researchersfoundithardtoconfirmtheimportanceofsleepfordeclarativememoriesuntilthey
employedinterferencetechniquestoshowhowsleeppreventsmemoriesfrombeingoverwrittenwith
newinformation(Ellenbogenetal.2006[134]).UsingSuperMemo,itispossibletocollectsleepdatathat
wouldmakesimilarlongtermdeterminationspossible.Duetothescarcityofdatawithunambiguous
sleeprestrictions,atthemoment,weonlyknowthatmemoryconsolidationgetsprogressivelyworseas
thewakingdaygoeson(see:Memoryconsolidation).
REMandmemory
TherearemanytheoriesonthefunctionsofREMsleep.Ithaslongbeenknownthatmostdreamsoccur
inREMsleep,yetsomescientistsseedreamsandREMsleepasseparatethoughtemporallyoverlapping
phenomena.IthasbeenfoundinanumberofexperimentsthatREMsleepisimportantforlearning,yet
somescientistsquestionthosefindingspointingtoexperimentalerrorsortothefactthatantidepressants
donotdamagememoryeventhoughtheyarepotentREMsuppressants.SomescientistsbelieveREMis
neededtoreinforcelittleusedsynapticconnections,othersthatitweakensordeleteslittleused
memories,othersthatREMhelpsthebrainrecoverfromslowwavesleep,orsimplypreparethe
networksforthestateofwaking(Klemm2011[135]).StillothersbelievethatREMevolvedjusttofine
tunebifocalvision,topreventcornealanoxia(eyemovementstirsaqueoushumor),orevenrestorethe
hydraulicpropertiesofintervertebraldisks(Fryer2009[136]).Evenafewadvocatesoftheold
psychoanalyticalinterpretationofdreamsoriginatedbySigmundFreudcanbesparselyfoundamong
scientificcommunity.SomeresearchersbelievethatmemoryconsolidationispossibleduringREM,
otherscontestit,andyetothersinsistthatREMhasnothingtodowithmemory.Ononehand,the
percentageofREMsleepdecreaseswithagewhichmightindicateacorrelationwiththedemandfor
learning.Ontheother,thepercentageofREMduringthenightincreases.Someresearchersbelievethat
ifREMwastobeinvolvedinmemory,itshouldratherbeginquicklyaswefallasleep.Otherspointto
thefactthatREMisphylogeneticallyyoungeranditisNREMthatshouldplaythemostessential
functionsrelatedtomemoryandlearning.Historically,theimportanceofREMsleepformemoryand
learningwasdocumentedbeforewebecametrulyawareoftheroleofslowwavesleep.Consequently,
articlesandbooksonsleeparepepperedwithanoveremphasisontheroleofREMsleepinlearningas
comparedwithSWS.Overtime,REMdeprivationstudiesreceivedlotsofcriticism.Today,weknow
thatthenaturalharmoniousinterplayofuninterruptedNREMandREMsleepisessentialformemory,
learningandcreativity(Salzaruloetal.2000[113]).Formoreonthetheoriesofsleep,incl.thefunctionof
REM,seeSleeptheories.
REMandlearning
Itwas1953whenEugeneAserinskyandNathanielKleitmanpublishedtheirfamousarticlethat
demonstratedthatsleepiscomposedofperiodsinwhichrapideyemovementsoccurandwhichmightbe
associatedwithdreaming(AserinskyandKleitman1953[137]).Littledidtheyknowhowmonumentally
importantthatfindingwas.60yearslater,weknowthatREMandNREMsleeparetwototallydifferent
brainstatesthatareasdifferentfromeachotherastheyarefromtheobviouslydifferentstateof
wakefulness.REMsleepshowsaverydifferentpatternofactivityinvariousbrainnuclei.Itis
characterizedbyadifferentdirectionofinformationflow.Itisdominatedbythereleaseofadifferentset
ofneurotransmitters.
CarlyleSmithin1991showedhowtheadministrationofproteinsynthesisinhibitorsduringREMsleep
windowsinratswouldpreventbehavioralimprovementsthatnormallyoccuraftersleep.Thiswasa
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strongindicationthatREMsleepisimportantformemory(notallscientistsagree).Moreover,an
increaseinprocedurallearningwasaccompaniedbyanincreaseinthedensityofREM,andthedegreeof
thatincreasewasproportionaltothelearningcapacityofanindividual(Smithetal.2004[86]).The
functionofREMsleepisdifferentthanthatofNREMsleep.SomeresearchersbelievethatREMmaybe
moreimportantforproceduralmemory(withdeclarativememoriesimpairedmorewithlossofNREM
sleep).However,theseparationbetweendeclarativeandprocedurallearningismorelikelytobe
anatomical(e.g.thecerebellumvs.thehippocampus).Itisimportanttonotethatfish,asanexample,do
notshowanyhallmarksofREMsleepandtheydefinitelydolotsofprocedurallearningafterhatching
(andprobablyalsoevenbeforehatching).
REMdeprivationdiminishestheeffectsoflearninginproportiontothecomplexityofthetask.Some
simpletasksdonotseemtobeaffected(e.g.passiveavoidance,simplemaze,etc.).However,REMsleep
deprivationaffectsmorecomplextasks(e.g.operantconditioning,probabilisticlearning,complexmaze,
etc.)(see"Sleepingbrain,learningbrain.Theroleofsleepformemorysystems"(Peigneuxetal.
2001[138])forreview).
Intheanimalworld,theruleofthethumbisthatthemoreimmaturethenewbornatbirth,thegreaterthe
proportionofREMsleepinthefirstmonths.Humannewbornsareparticularlyimmatureintermsofthe
developmentoftheircentralnervoussystem.ThisiswhyREMisveryimportantforbraindevelopment
inbabies.REMdeprivationintheneonatalperiodcanresultinadecreasedbrainmass,andvarious
developmentalandbehavioralproblems.Asallformsofstressaffectsleepstructure,babiesare
particularlyvulnerabletoallformsofsleepdisruptionandtheresultingnegativeeffectonbrain
development(PeiranoandAlgarn2007[139]).Leavingababyaloneinacottocryitoutisaformof
stressthatwillhavelongtermdetrimentaleffectsonthebrain.InsteadofaREMfirstpatternthat
characterizesnewborns,babynapsinconditionsofstresscanbeREMpoor.Absenceofthemotherisa
causeofstressinbabies.Forthatreason,Iadvocatesleepingandfeedingondemand,aswellasco
sleepingforbabies.
SomeofmySleepChartdataseemstotentativelysuggestthatREMsleepmightalsoaffectsimple
declarativememory(asinlearningwithSuperMemo).ItisnotpossibletologREMsleepinSleepChart
toknowforsure,however,delayedsleepaswellassleepinterruptedbyanalarmclockarelikelytobe
bothREMpoor.Idonotknow(yet)howaREMpoornightaffectsthelearningthatoccurredbefore
sleep.However,aREMpoornightdefinitelyreduceslearningperformanceonthedayafter.Incaseofan
alarmclockdisruption,itishardtosaywhatisactuallycausingadeclineinperformance.However,with
delayedsleep,theonlyconceivablealternativeexplanationisalessernaturalsleeptotal.Itendtobelieve
thatitisratherthescarcityofREMthatcausestheworseperformance.Thisisbecausetherearesubsets
ofnaturalshortnightsthatactuallyleadtoexcellentlearningresults.
AsNREMandREMaretwototallydifferentbrainstates,whatseparatesrolesdotheyplay?Inthelight
ofrecentfindingsontheroleofNREMsleepinlearning,whatcouldpossiblybetheroleofREM,which
bearsnoresemblancetoNREMexceptfortheoutsideappearanceofbeinginthestateofrest?Onebig
cluecomesfromthefactthatNREMandREMstateskeepflippingbetweeneachotherovernight.Bouts
ofREMincreasethedemandforNREMandviceversa.Thetwostagesofsleepshowallthehallmarks
ofthecomplementaryprocessesthataboundinbiologicalcontrolsystems.Theybehaveinaflipflop
mannerlikewakingandsleep,theycounteractlikesyntheticandcatabolicmetabolicpathways,andthey
compensate.Theyactliketheatriaandtheventriclesinpumpingtheblood.Thishintsatcomplementary
functions,andtheplethoraofresearchfindingsseemstoindicatethatthosefunctionsrevolvearound
learningandmemory.
REMasaformofneuraltraining
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OneofthehypothesessaysthatREMsleepisaformoftrainingforthebrain.Whilenormalwaking
activitiestrainthehippocampuswithnewpatternsofactivity,REMsleepdoesthesame,onlybyusing
imaginaryrandomizedhypotheticalpatterns.Itisasifthebraindidnotgetenoughinwaking,itneeded
morespecialtraininginsleep.Theextratrainingwouldbebeneficialforitwouldcostlittle(noneedto
expendbehavioralenergy).Itwouldcapitalizeontheinformationalreadystoredinthebrain.For
example,inREMsleep,thebrainmightgenerateahypotheticalsituationinwhichwemakeasimplebut
costlymistakeinourlives.Thebrainwouldthenreenactthehypotheticalsituationandlookforpossible
scenarioswithpossiblebeneficialconclusions.Perhapswewillwakeupinsweatontherealizationofthe
costofthedamageandtakenecessarysteps.Frequentlyenough,thesolutionwillbeabsurd,which
shouldprobablybeinterpretedasthatweshouldnotreadtoomuchintodreams.Scientistsnoticedthat
somenetworksreplaytheirwakingpatternsofactivityinREM,andstillthesearenotsimplere
enactmentsofepisodicmemoriesoftheday,whichonlyserveasasparseinspirationfordreams.
Asmuchasitiseasiertoprogramacomputerthanmakeitlearnfromreallifesituations,itiseasierand
fastertoloadthehippocampusandotherstructureswithnewmemoriesinREMsleep.Aftereachloadof
newassociations,thebrainneedstoredistributetheinformationinitslongtermcorticalstorage.Thatis
thefunctionofNREMsleepasdescribedearlier.Aftermanyhoursofwaking,weneedoveranhourof
NREMsleep.However,onlyafewminutesofREMseemtoswingthebalancebacktofavorNREM.
Thecyclekeepsrepeating.
REMandcreativity
Asthenightprogresses,thereismoreREMandlessNREM.Ifthe"REMtraining"hypothesiswas
correct,itmightmeanthatitishardertogeneratenewinformationasthenightprogresses.Itmightalso
meanthateachNREMboutisincompleteandtheremnantsofunprocessedinformationkeepblocking
fullswingREMuntiltheveryearlymorninghours.PerhapsthecircadianREMpropensityprovidesfora
balancebetweenthestorageofoldandthesynthesisofnewinformationwithagradualshifttofavorthe
latterinlaterstagesofsleep?Ifalltheabovescenariowastobetrue,wemightwonderwhythebrain
doesnottendtowakeupwithacleanslatebyterminatingsleepwiththelastfinalNREMepisode?
Perhapsthetransitiontowakingisallthatisneededtocleanuptheremnantsofnewly"discovered"
informationlingeringintheworkingmemory?OrthenewloadsproducedbythelastboutofREMmight
havesomespecialsurvivalvalue?Thesecouldbethebuildingblocksforthatcreativemorninginsight
thatthehistoryofscienceissorichin.Itispossiblethatitistheverylastsegmentofsleepthatendswith
REMsleepthatprovidesthemorningbrainwiththatnextbigidea.Someevidencesupportingthisnotion
wasgatheredbyWalkerwhenresearchingperformanceinanagrampuzzlesinsubjectwokenatdifferent
stagesofsleep(Walkeretal.2002[140]).IfthereasoningaboutthecreativecontributionofthelastREM
episodeiscorrect,wecouldarriveatadramaticconclusionthatthealarmclockmightbetheprimary
killerofbigideasinthemodernworld!Stressorratraceareguiltyofundermininghumancreativity
too,butitiseasiertokeepstressinchecktogetgoodsleepthantoproducegreatideasinastressless
worldwithoutsufficientsleep.Researchersandeducatorsshouldbeverycautiouswhendiminishingthe
damageinflictedbyalarmclocks(see:JimHorneandDanielKripke).Parentsshouldalsoshowmore
toleranceforkidswhocannotwakeupforschool(see:Sleepandschool).
REMasaneuraloptimizer
IfREMsleepwasjustatrainingorcreativeoptioninsleep,whywouldwerunREMdeficits?Circadian
REMpropensitymightprovideforabalancebetweenNREMandREM.HomeostaticNREMpressure
mightresultfromlearning(inwakingorinREM).However,thehomeostaticREMsleeppropensity,and
REMsleepreboundsafterREMdeprivationbothseemtoindicatethatREMisfarmorethanjustan
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option.TheintricateimpactofREMdeprivationoncomplextasksandproceduralmemorymaybean
expressionofthemoreimportantfunctionofREMsleepinwhichneuraloptimizationisbasedonthe
reversalofthedirectionoftheflowofinformationinthebrainascomparedwithNREMsleep.Itis
possiblethatNREMmerelyservesasthelongtermmemorystoragetoolwithoutmuchabilityto
optimizethenetworklayout.NREMmightsimplybeanantiinterferencetool.However,sleephelps
organizememories,increasetheirabstractness,andreducethecostofstorage.Perhapsthatoptimizing
rolerestssolelywithREMsleep.Perhapsapseudopatterntrainingmakesitpossibletorelocatewide
networkexpensivememoriesintoasmallermoregeneralizedcircuits(see:Neuraloptimizationinsleep).
Abigcluecomesfrombabysleep.Asnewborn'sabilitytoexploreitsworldislimited,theexploratory
functionofREMsleepmightplayanessentialroleindevelopment.However,DrSiegelnoticedthatthe
timespentinREMinhumansdoesnotcorrelatewellwiththeirlearningabilities.Ibelievethatsuch
inconsistenciesarewellexplainedbyindividualdifferencesthatnotonlyexpressthemselvesinthe
learningability,ortheaverageamountofREMpernight,butalsointheefficiencyofREM(i.e.
learningtoREMratio).Thisisanalogousto,forexample,ourdigestiveabilities.Somepeoplecangorge
themselvesonfoodandletitallgoout.Otherseatverylittleandarestillabletoextractallthenutrients
downtothelastmilligram(andbloat).Ifwelookfurtheratvariousspecies,wewillseeevenalesserlink
betweentheamountofREMand"animalIQ".Thiscouldbeexplainedthatsmartanimalswillextractfar
morevaluefromREMsleep.Inotherwords,noamountofoptimizationcandowondersinasmall
capacitynetwork.EvenmoretroublingmightbetheclaimthatitishardtodetectanyREMincetaceans,
esp.infants(Castellini2002[141]).IfREMwasasessentialforprocedurallearningasdepictedinthis
chapter,itwouldseemindispensableinyoungintelligentpredatoryswimmers.Obviously,asarelatively
newevolutionaryentity,REMbasedneuraloptimizationmighthaveitsvariantswithdifferent
phenomenologythatmightnotbeinstantlyapparenttoresearchers.Moreover,cetaceansleepfeaturing
themiracleofunihemisphericslowwavesleephadover50millionyearstodevelopcharacteristicsthat
wouldsetitapartfromREMsleepinhumans.That'sasignificantproportionofREMsleep'sexistence.
Synapticchangesinsleep
Someresearchshowsthatsynapsesgetstrengthenedinsleepwhileotherresearchfindstheopposite
effect.Overallsynapticstrengthtendstoincreaseinwaking[142],whilethelearningcapacitykeeps
declining.Wakefulnessincreasescorticalfiringfrequencyinallbehavioralstates(Tononietal.
2009[143]).Thesimultaneousweakeningandstrengtheningofselectedsynapsesinsleepcouldbestbe
explainedbysomekindofmemoryreshufflingtakingplaceovernight.Thisdoesnotcontradictthe
memoryconsolidationfunctionofsleep.Thisalsodoesnotstandincontradictionwiththefactthatour
learningabilitytendstodeclineduringthewakingday.
Wheninvestigatingthechangesinsynapticstrengthinsleep,wealwaysneedtodifferentiatebetween:
1. shorttermmemory:shorttermincreaseinsynapticconductivitythatisaresultofaday's
learning
2. longtermmemory:theabilitytorecalloldermemories(e.g.asmeasuredwithSuperMemo)
Toputitmetaphorically,thebrainislikeacomputerthatkeepsloadingchunksofdatatoitsmemory
duringtheday(shorttermmemory).Asthememoryfillsup,thecomputerslowsdown,andall
applicationscrawlintoahalt.However,ifyoutestindividualmemorycells,youwillnoticethatthey
stronglyclingtotheirnewdata.Inthenight,thecomputerwillgraduallyorganizethesechunksofdata,
removediscrepanciesandduplicates,writedownmemoriestotheharddisk(longtermmemory),andrun
adefragmentationprocessforeasyandfastaccess.Weneedtolookatneurophysiologicalcorrelatesof
thatmetaphor,andforthemostlikelyexplanationfortheweakeningoftherecallduringthewaking
periodasboththeincreaseinsynapticconductivityinwakefulness,andthedeclineoflearningcapacity
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duringthedayarewelldocumented.Themostcoherent,attractiveandbestsupportedhypothesissays
thattheoverloadofshorttermlowinterferencenetworksisresponsibleforadecliningcapacityof
memoryduringawakingday(see:NREMandmemory).Thisdeclinecripplestheworkingmemory,and
inconsequence,itaffectstheentirespectrumofhumancognitivecapabilities.Themainfunctionofsleep
wouldthenbetoredistribute,reconsolidate,andoptimizethoseshorttermmemoriesthatslowdown
furtherlearning.
Asforthedeclineinsynapticstrengthsduringsleep,italsofitswellintothepresentmodelsofsleepand
learning.Oneofthemainfunctionsofsleepshouldbetooptimizethememorystorage.Thisentails
representingmemoriesinthemostefficientway,sothattheyaremostabstract,consumeleastspace,
generateminimuminterference,andsoon.Thatprocessshouldindeedresultinreducingtheoverallcost
ofmemories,andresultinweakeningofredundantsynapticconnections.
DrTononibelievesthatwakingactivityproducesanoverallincreaseinsynapticweights,andsleepmay
benecessarytocounterbalancethatincrease.Thehypothesizeddownscalingwouldoccurinslowwave
sleep(TononiandCirelli2006[144]).DrTononiclustersdisparatecomponentsofthememoryhierarchy
fromshortterm(phosphorylation),tolongterm(AMPAtrafficking)toremoulding(sprouting),whileI
wouldratherstakemybetsondailylearningandshorttermmemories.Overallcorticaldownscaling
couldbeabeautifulexpressionofthepostlearningcleanupcongruentwiththeideasofCrickand
Mitchison.Thecleanupcouldbecombinedwithselectivesynapticstrengtheninggovernedbyshort
termmemorystructures(e.g.thehippocampus,theamygdala,etc.).
LetusconsiderafamousHalleBerryneuron,i.e.ahippocampalneuronthatmightrespondselectivelyto
allthingsHalleBerryafteranexposuretoHalleBerrypicturesinatrainingsession.Allcorticalneurons
potentiatedduringthetrainingwouldbestbesilencedinthecourseoftheSWSwiththeexceptionof
sparselyencodedHalleBerryrepresentationrefactoredfromthehippocampalassociation,incl.theHB
neuron,toacorticalshortcut.Thisprocesswouldfreehippocampallearningcapacity,produceanoverall
downscaling,andstillretainsparselyencodedpiecesofnewlylearnedinformation.
YoumayknowthatSuperMemoisbasedontheclaimthatmemoriesgetweakenedovertimeina
molecularlyprogrammedmanner.Thatweakeningdoesnotrefertothelossofshorttermmemoriesin
sleep,buttoalongtermdeclineinmemoriesovermonthsandyears.DrTononiproposedavariantofthe
theoryofforgettingbysuggestingthatsynapticdownscalinginsleepisdoneinproportiontotheexisting
synapticstrengths.Thiswaytheweakestsynapseswouldlosetheirmemorytrace.Tononi'sproposition
mayfinditdifficulttopasstheshutdowntestunlessitshowshowthedownscalingprocessrequiresa
networkwidecomputationaloperationsasopposedtoasimpler"molecularforgettingclock"as
describedinMolecularcorrelatesofthetwocomponentmodeloflongtermmemory(Wozniaketal.
1998[133]).However,itisimportanttonotethatTononioftenspeaksofshorttermmemorytraces
registeredonthedayprecedingsleep,notofwhat,usingthetwocomponentmodelofmemory
terminology,wecallmemoryretrievability,whichtendstodeclineexponentiallybetweenreviewsof
thelearnedmaterial(Wozniaketal.1995[5].Tononifoundthattheactivatedportionsofthebrainshow
mostslowwaveactivityinthefollowingnight.Bothindeclarativeandprocedurallearning,increasesin
corticalSWAarelocallyspecificandproportionaltothedegreeoflearningandovernightimprovements
(Tononietal.2004[145]).Tononiexplainsthosefindingswithanideathatdownscalingaffectsmostly
thoseportionsofthebrainthataresubjecttomostchange.However,anotherpossibleexplanationisthat
thoseportionsofthebraingetreactivatedinsleepasaresultofshorttermstoragechangesinthe
hippocampustoreflecttheexperienceoftheday.Thehippocampuswouldrepresentashortterm
memorynetworkusedinthetrainingofcorticalcircuits.Insteadofgettingweakenedthough,selected
synapsesmightactuallygetstrengthenedwhilereducedpropagationofthestimuliinthecortex(as
documentedbyMassimini(Tononietal.2005[146])couldbeexplainedbytheneedtolayoutmemories
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withoutthefollowingcreativeandassociativepropagationofstimulithatmightactivatemoresynapses.
Overalldownscalingwouldaffectallnewlypotentiatedsynapsesthatwouldnotbesubjectthe
hippocampalreinforcement.
ForanexcellenttakeonthemechanicsofsleepseeDrTononi'slectureat2011AllenInstituteforBrain
ScienceSymposium.
RibeiroandNicolelisbelievethatexperiencedependentplasticityrelatedgeneexpressioninREMis
compatiblewithTononi'ssynapticdownscaling.However,downscalingshouldaffectonlythecircuits
thathavenotbeenactivatedbythewakingexperience.Inotherwords,upscalingwouldaffectactivated
circuits,whiledownscalingwouldaffectinactivecircuits.Thiswouldincreasethesignaltonoiseratio
(SNR)inmemoryconsolidationinsleep(RibeiroandNicolelis2004[147]).DrWalkerbelievesthatboth
theupscalinganddownscalingprocessesmighttakeplaceinsleepinacomplementarymanner:
"homeostaticsynapticdownscalingcouldresultintheremovalofsuperfluousneuralconnections,
resultinginimprovedSNR.However,neuralreactivationandstrengtheningofexperiencedependent
circuits,donewithoutremovingredundantsynapticconnects,mayequallyimproveSNR.Therefore,both
mechanisms,whiledifferent,couldproduceasimilaroutcome:enhancedfidelityofthememory
representation"(Walker2009[148]).
Thisauthorbelievesthatthisprocessmightbeevenmoregeneralinnatureandinvolvelongterm
memoriesthatwouldserveasastructuralblueprintfornewlyoptimizedfabricofmemoriescollectedin
shorttermmemory.Thismeansthatupscalingwouldalsoinvolvenewneuronsintheneocortexthat
havenotbeenactivatedbyexperience.Thisbeliefcomesfromthesimpleneedtorecruitnewcortical
synapsesforlongtermmemoriesthatwouldbecomeconsolidatedinanexperiencedependentmanner
overmonthsandyearsusingasimplemolecularmechanismthatwouldnotbesleepdependent.Inother
words,recruitmentofnewcorticalsynapseswouldlargelybesleepdependent,downscalingwouldbe
associatedwiththepostlearningcleanup,whilethebuildupofmemorystabilitywouldbeaprocess
dependentonreactivationinwakingand/orinsleepoverthelifetimeofamemorytrace(Wozniaketal.
1995[5]).
Neuraloptimizationinsleep
Afteradayofhardworkoveraproblem,iffrustrationsets,andtheproblemseemsunsolvable,or
exceedinglycomplex,ourworkingmemorymayfeellikecloggedupwithpiecesofinformationthatdo
notfallintoacoherentstructureinwhichthesolutionmightbefound.However,afteranightof
refreshingsleep,wemaysuddenlyhituponanidea!Thisisanotnecessarilyaresultoffreshmindand
moremorningthinking.Veryoften,theideaisalreadythereuponawakening.Asifthebrainworked
hardovernightwithoutourconsciousparticipation.Theprocessresponsibleforthismagicinsightis
neuraloptimization.
Eventhoughthelistofbiologicalfunctionsassociatedwithsleepisverylong,sleephasevolvedforone
primarypurpose:optimizationofmemoriesstoredintheneuralnetworksofthebrain.This
functionissoessentialthatnocomplexnervoussystemcansurvivewithoutit.Thisiswhyallcomplex
animalssleep(whichisnotalwayseasytotell(Siegel2008[149]).Evenantstakenaps.
Thesizeofthecortexisfixed.Thismeansthatthereareanatomicalandfunctionallimitationsonhow
muchinformationcanbestoredthere.Don'tbelievemnemonicguruswhotellyou"wecanremember
everything",allweneedisa"waytoaccesshiddenmemories".Tomaintaintheabilitytoformnew
memories,thecortexmustcontinuallyreworkitsrepresentationsinordertoensurethatonlythemost
salientmemoriesarestoredforlongtermuse.Thebeliefthatsleepishelpfulinthatprocessisasoldas
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ourunderstandingofthefactthatthebrainisinvolvedinthinkingandinmemory.Thereareresearchers
thoughwhostillfinditdifficulttoreconcilelearningwithunconsciousstates.
Hippocampallesions
In1953,HenryGustavMolaison(akaH.M.)hadportionsofhismedialtemporalloberemoved
bilaterally.Afterthesurgery,H.M.losthisabilitytoformnewlongtermmemorieswhileretaininghis
pre1953memories,procedurallearningandcorticallybasedworkingmemorycapacity.Thisled
researcherstodiscoveringthepivotalroleofthehippocampusinthelearningcircuitsofthehumanbrain.
Thehippocampusreceivesrichconnectionsfromnearlyallareasofthecortex,anditfeedsbackto
targetsinthesamecorticalareas.Thismeansthatitsdensenetworkofconnectionscanmaintaina
snapshotofthecurrentactivationpatterninthecortex.Itcanalsoprojectthesamepatternbacktothe
cortex.Oncememoriesareformed,theydependonthehippocampusforaperiodofdays.Thissuggested
thatthememoriesmightneedtoberelocatedbacktovariousareasoftheneocortexatlatertime.As
sleepdeprivationaffectsthisprocess,ithasbeensuggestedearlythatsleepmightbeplayingaroleinthe
process.Otherrichlyconnectedareasofthebrainplayasimilarroleforvariousformsofspecialized
memories.Thepurposeof"memorytransfer"becamecleargraduallyovermanyyearswithcontributions
comingfromvariousresearcherscomingfromvariousfields.
Hippocampallesionsprovideaverystrongcluetotheideathattheconversionofshorttermto
longtermmemoriesiscomputational,andnotjustmolecular/synapticinnature.Italsohints
thatthenatureandthelayoutofmemorieswilldifferupontheconversion.
Temporallygradedretrogradeamnesia
Whenthereisaninjurytothehippocampus,inadditiontotheinabilitytoformnewmemories
(anterogradeamnesia),thereisalsoadegreeoflosstopreviouslyformedmemories(retrograde
amnesia).Asearlyasin1881,ThoduleRibotsuggestedthatrecentmemoriesaremorelikelytobelost
inretrogradeamnesia(Ribot'slaw).Lossofmemoriesproportionaltotheirrecencywastermedthe
temporallygradedretrogradeamnesia.Therehavebeenmanyhypothesesforexplainingthis
phenomenon,someofwhich,wronglyimplicatethehippocampusintheprocessofprolongedstorageof
someofthosememories,whicharesupposedlybeinggraduallyconsolidatedintothelongtermstorage.
Otherinterpretationsspeakofagradualphysicaltransferofmemoriesinthenetwork(e.g.one
integratingneuralcelllayerafteranother),intheprocessthatmaylastyears.Toanyonefamiliarwiththe
twocomponentmodeloflongtermmemory(Wozniak1995[5]),itisprettyobviousthattheinvolvement
ofthelesionstothehippocampusinthetemporallygradedretrogradeamnesiadoesnotneedtoimplythe
involvementofthisstructureinstoringmemoriesinthelongterm.Itcouldequallywellbeexplainedby
thehippocampalinvolvementinthereconsolidationprocessthatservesthebuildupofmemorystability.
Thehippocampusdoesnotneedtoslowlyconsolidatememoriesstoredinitsconnections.Itisenough
thatitisinvolvedinreactivationofthosememoriesthroughreviewinthesamewayasitisdoneinthe
originalestablishmentofcorticalconnections.Thisway,inretrogradeamnesia,memorieswithlower
stabilitywillbelostinthefirstorder.Asimplewaytoverifythisfactwouldbetotrackthecourseofthe
amnesiaoveryears(e.g.withSuperMemo).Ifthehippocampusisnecessaryforthebuildupofmemory
stability,thedegreeofamnesiashouldprogressivelygetworseasimpliedbythenaturalprocessof
forgetting.Possibly,theforgettingwouldnotbeasfastasitisthecaseinahealthybrainduetothelack
ofinterferencefromnewmemories.
Iftheaboveinterpretationoftemporallygradedretrogradeamnesiaiscorrect,itwillprovideafurther
clueastotheroleofthehippocampusinestablishingnewmemoriesandbuildingmemorystabilityover
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time.Thiswouldstrengthentheconceptofthehippocampusservingastheprimarygatewayfor
declarativememoriesstoredinthecortex,andreemphasizethecomputationalaspectofthisprocess.
Memoryprocessinginsleep
In1963,Sokolevsuggestedthattheprimarypowerofthebrainrestedinitsabilitytobuildamodelofthe
surroundingworld.However,ithasalwaysbeenhardtofigureouthowachaosofdatathatarrivesat
sensoryinputsgetsreshapedintothemagicworldofabstractshapesandmodelsofthehumanmind.In
1970,Marrsuggestedthatmemoryconsolidationinsleepmightbeaninductiveprocessofsorting
experiencesintocategories.Thisprocesswouldbebasedonstatisticalsamplingoftheenvironment.
Marrproposedthatthehippocampusstoresexperiencesacquiredduringtheday,andreplaysthemback
totheneocortexovernight.Thatreplaywouldbethetimewhenthecategoryformationwouldoccur.In
1979,Wickelgrensuggestedthatthehippocampusisneededtoassigncorticalrepresentationstonovel
conjunctionsofinputs.Theneocortexcanthentreattheseconjunctionsseparately(e.g.likenewitemsin
SuperMemo).In1992,Frenchnoticedthathumansrarelyforget"catastrophically".Toexplainthis,he
suggestedthattopreventcatastrophicforgetting,itwasnecessaryfortheneuralnetworksofthebrainto
separatetheirinternalrepresentationsduringlearning.
Catastrophicforgetting
In1995,inspiredbySquire'sworkonamnesiaandhishypothesesontheinvolvementofthemedial
temporalcortexinmemoryconsolidation(Squireetal.1984[150]),McClelland,McNaughton,and
O'Reillycapitalizedonearliertheoriesandproposedthatthebraincopeswiththeproblemofcatastrophic
forgettingbyevolvingtwoseparatememorysystemstoseparatenovelrepresentationsfromestablished
memories:adualnetworksystem.Theygavetheirtheoryacomputationalframework.Intheproposed
complementaryencodingmode,thehippocampusandtheneocortexplaytheroleofthedualnetwork
system.Usingneuralnetworksimulations,theresearchersshowedtheirowninterpretationofhow
temporallygradedretrogradeamnesiacouldproceed(stillimplicatingthehippocampusasapossible
longtermstorage)(McClellandetal.1995[151]).
In2001,Frenchetal.suggestedhowpseudopatternscouldserveasawayoftransferringinformation
betweenneuralnets(Frenchetal.2001[152])(shortened):"Aneuralnetworkhaslearnedanumberof
inputoutputpatternscorrespondingtosomeunderlyingfunctionf.Howcanwegetanapproximationof
theoriginalfunctionf?Onesolution:sendrandominputintothenetworkandobservetheoutputfor.We
thuscreateaseriesofpseudopatterns,?i,whereeachpattern?iisdefinedbyarandominputandthe
outputofthenetworkafterthatinputhasbeensentthroughit.Pseudopatternswerefirstintroducedby
Robinstoovercomecatastrophicinterference.Robinssuggestedthatwhenanetworkhadtolearnanew
pattern,anumberofpseudopatternsbegenerated.Then,insteadoflearningjustthenewpattern,P,the
networkwouldbetrainedonthenewpatternplusthesetofpseudopatternsthatreflectedwhatithad
previouslylearned.Inthisway,thenewpatternwouldbeinterleavedwithpatternsthat,eventhoughthey
werenottheoriginallylearnedpatterns,nonethelessreflectedtheoriginalfunctionlearned.Robins
showedthathistechniquedid,indeed,reducecatastrophicinterference".
Twostagememoryprocessinginsleep
Itmightseemanattractiveandplausiblepropositiontoenvisagethehippocampusasadevicefortaking
snapshotofthecorticalactivationstatus.ThosesnapshotscouldbetakeninNREMandplayedbackto
theneocortexintheREMtrainingmode.Someneuronalfiringexperimentsseemedtoevenindicatesuch
apossiblesequence.However,DrGeorgiBuzskiconcludedthattheprocessisactuallyreversein
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nature.Againthesequenceofneuronalfiringmeasuredexperimentallywasimportanttocometohis
conclusion.
In1989,PavlidesandWinsondemonstratedthathippocampalneuronsactiveduringalearningepisode
aremoreactiveduringsubsequentsleep(PavlidesandWinson1989[153].Inthesameyear,Buzski
suggestedthathippocampalsharpwavebursts(abundantindeepsleep)mayrepresentamechanismfor
theconsolidationofrepresentationsinintraandextrahippocampalcircuitsandformemorytransferfrom
thehippocampustotheneocortex(Buzski1989[4]).BuzskiideasledtoabeliefthatSPWresultin
reactivationofcellassemblieswhichwereearlierpotentiatedbyexploratoryactivity(experienceorREM
sleep).
AstudentofAlexanderLuria,andSokolev'sdisciple,OlgaVinogradova,inherlastpublication,which
wasacceptedaweekbeforeherdeathattheageof72,summarizedher35yearsofworkoverthe
hippocampalfunctionin"HippocampusasComparator:RoleoftheTwoInputandTwoOutputSystems
oftheHippocampusinSelectionandRegistrationofInformation",whichpaintsthehippocampusasthe
primarynoveltydetectorwithfarreachingimplicationsforitsroleinmemoryoptimization(Vinogradova
2001[154]).
Buzski,however,proposedamodelinwhichtheentorhinalcortexisthecomparator(Buzski,
unpublished,2000).Hehypothesizedthattheentorhinalcortexwouldhelpdetectnoveltyinthesystem
asfollows:"TheECfunctionsasa"comparator"andevaluatesthedifferencebetweenneocortical
representationsandthefeedbackinformationconveyedbythehippocampus(thereconstructedinput).
Theresultingdifferenceor"error"isregardedas"novelty"anditisthisnovelinformationwhich
initiatesplasticchangesinthehippocampalnetworks(errorcompensation).Alterationofsynaptic
connectivityinthehippocampus,inturn,givesrisetoanewhippocampaloutput.Inthisprocess,the
hippocampusgeneratesseparated(independent)outputs,i.e.,itminimizesmutualinformationbetween
itsoutputs.Theoutputofthehippocampus,inturn,trainsthelongtermmemorytracestominimize
mutualinformationtransferamongstthem.Afterlongtermmemoriesaretrainedproperly,the
hippocampaloutputwillnolongeraffectsynapticweightsintheEC.Thisfeatureisexpressedbythe
autoassociativenatureofthemodel:thehippocampusprovidesthereconstructedinput(theauto
association)andthedifferencebetweentheinputandthereconstructedinputdrivesthetrainingoflong
termmemories.Becauseonlythereconstructionerrorentersthehippocampus,arelativelylimited
computationalnetworkissufficientfortraininglongtermmemoriesintheEC/neocortex".
AccordingtoBuzski,thememoryoptimizationmaybeexecutedwiththemediationofthehippocampus
thatwouldworkin
1. explorativemodeduringtheREMsleep(inwhichneocorticalinformationisusedtotrain
hippocampalcircuitry),and
2. inconsummatory/sleepmodeduringtheNREMsleep(inwhichthehippocampusisusedtotrain
neocorticalcircuits).
Thenetworkoptimizationhypothesiswouldexplainwhyitishardtodetectrotelearningdeteriorationin
sleepdeprivation.NREM/REMinterplaydefinedasaboveshouldhavelessbearingontheoutput
generatedbythesameinputsinreferencetolowlevelassociations(suchasstimuluspairing).Todetect
thedamageinducedbysleepdeprivationmorecomplextestsshouldbeused.IndeedsomeresearchbyDr
CarlyleSmithhasalreadybeenabletoshowthedifferenceintheimpactofREMsleepdeprivation
(REMD)onpairedassociatelearning(whichsufferslittledamageinREMD)andcomplexlogictasks
whicharemostaffectedbyREMsleepdeprivation(Smith1993[155]).
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Buzskimodelisbasedonthechangesinthedirectionoftheflowofinformationinthebrainduring
NREMandREMstagesofsleep.Thecontrolofthatflowisprobablypartlysystemic/neuralandpartly
neurohormonal.Anticholinergicdrugssuchasscopolaminecanproduceadeliriouswakingstatewith
hallucinations,anxiety,andconfabulations(PerryandPerry1995[156]).TheAIMmodeldescribes
variousbrainstatesthatpivotaroundthemodulationaxisanditscholinergicdimension,whichiscentral
tomemoryoptimizationinsleep(Hobsonetal.2000[89]).CholinergicmodulationinREMand
wakefulnesscouldhelploadthehippocampalcircuitswithnewmemorieswhileaminergicdominance
wouldreversetheflowtoenhancetheencodingofmemoriesintheneocortexwhileinhibiting
hippocampalencoding(Hasselmo1999[157]).
Optimizingmemories
Wecannowconcludethat,insleep,memoriesmovefromatemporarylowcapacityfastencodinghigh
associativitylowinterferencestoragetoareaswhere,onthebasisoftheirnoveltyandapplicability,they
cansafelybeusedformonthsandyearswithoutmuchinterferencefromnewlyarrivingmemorydataat
littlecost.Abstractpatternsareextracted,whiledetailsobscuringthebigpicturearediscarded.Rewiring
ofthenetworkmightbringsomeofthefollowingadvantages:
convertingpoorlyassociativememoriesintohighlyassociativememories(theoriginoftheancient
phrase:letmeconsultmypillow)
eliminatingknowledgeinterferencetohelpavoidconfusionbetweensimilarconcepts
extractingcommonpropertiesofobjectsandbuildingmodels(pictorially:insteadofholding100
picturesofsomeone'sfaceandsearchingoneachencounter,recognizeallcommonmodel
characteristicsandexecuterecognitioninmilliseconds)
optimizingproceduralreflexes(someresearchersevenproposedthatREMismostlytargetedon
consolidationofproceduralskillswhichseemtosuffermostfromREMdeprivation,whileNREM
sleepwouldserveonlytheconsolidationofdeclarativeskills)
transferringmemoriesfromoverloadedcircuits(e.g.thehippocampus)tospaciousareasofthe
neocortex
Garbagecollection
Networkoptimizationisnotonlyaprocessthatensureslongtermusabilityofmemories,butalsoavital
cleanupmechanismthatmakessureworkingmemorystorageisunaffectedbythepileupofdata.We
canseeacorrelationbetweentheactivityinprefrontalcortexandthedegreeofsleepinessinmemory
tasks.Inlinewiththedualnetworktheory,oncetheshorttermmemorystoragestartsfillingup,a
compensatorymechanismisinvolvedandthecortexmaytemporarilybeusedtoassistinmemorytasks.
GiulioTononioftheUniversityofWisconsinproposesthatthenetworkoverloadsimplymakesthebrain
moreandmoreexpensivetomaintain(see:Synapticchangesinsleep).Thisiswhythesleepisneededto
dosynapticdownscaling.Thosedowncalingideasthrewsomeconfusionintosleepresearch.Some
findingsindicatethatsynapticconnectionsgetstrengthenedinsleep,whileotherresearchersnoticedthe
oppositeeffect.Ifsleepwastobeaneuraloptimizer,weshouldexpectsomeconnectiontogetweakened
whileotherswouldgetstronger.MarcelloMassimini(Tononietal.2005[146])usedTMStoseehow
activationinoneareaofthecortexgottransmittedtootherareasofthebraininwakingandinsleep.He
noticedthatinNREMsleep,theinitialresponsewasverystrong,butwouldgetquicklyextinguishedand
didnotpropagatefarbeyondthesiteofstimulation.InlinewithEvansorCricktheories,Massimini
noticedaweakeningofsynapticconnectionsinsleep.Thiscouldagreewiththeoveralldownscaling
processobservationsofTononi,however,thepicturecouldbeconfusedbytheeffectsof
neuromodulationthatchangesthemodesinwhichthenetworksoperateinsleep.Videosofthesignal
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propagationinwakingandsleepingbraincanbeseenhere.
WhileTononiandMassiminihypothesizedonthesynapticdownscalinginsleep,otherscientists
theorizedandshowedexperimentallythatslowwavesleepcanalsoenhancesynapticconnections(Lee
andWilson2002[158]SejnowskiandDestexhe2000[159]SteriadeandTimofeev2003[160]).Sleep
deprivationleadstoahighercorticalactivation,andincreasesthenumberofareasactivewhensolving
complextasks(Drummondetal.2000[161]).Tononiinterpretsthoseresultsasaneffectofanoverall
increaseinsynapticweightsinthecourseofwaking.Increasedweightsresultinhigheroverall
activation.However,theshiftingpatternsofactivation(e.g.fromtemporaltoparietallobes)might
suggestthatthecauseisabitdifferent.Itseemslikethebrainrecruitsnewareasofthecortexto
compensateforoverloadednetworksthatcannotkeepupwiththeextraencodingandprocessing.This
observationisessentialinfiguringouttowhatdegreethesleepprocessisanetworkemergent
phenomenonassuggestedbyhypothesesbyKruegerandTononi,andtowhatdegreeitrequirescentral
controltofulfillitscomputationalroleinNREMREMsequenceinterplay.
Unihemisphericsleep
Aninterestingquestionarisesinthecaseofdolphinsandbirdsthatdevelopedunihemisphericsleep.That
formofsleepshouldbesuboptimalforstorageoptimization.Itcouldbecomparedtodisk
defragmentationinwhichonlyhalfofthediskspaceisavailablefordiskhousekeeping.Suchaprocess
couldbehighlybeneficial,andyettoapproachanoptimumfullstorageoptimizationitwouldrequirean
exponentiallymoretimeforeachincrementinqualitymeasurement.Mostimportantly,wecouldexpect
morehemisphericspecializationandlessinterhemisphericcommunication.Obviously,unihemispheric
sleepwouldbepreciousasatemporarymeasureinconditionsofdanger,migration,etc.
Iftheevolutionarysteptowardsunihemisphericsleepseemscomplex,oneonlyneedstonotethatcats
withseveredcorpuscallosumwereabletosleepwithonehemisphereinNREMsleepandtheother
hemisphereinthestateofwaking.Inotherwords,blockingtheinterhemisphericcommunicationmaybe
allthatisneededtoproducehemisphericasynchrony.Onalighternote,effortsofpolyphasicsleepers
mightactuallybringasimilaradaptationinhumans.Itwouldprobablytakethousandsofyearsandmany
evolutionarycasualtiesbeforepolyphasicsleeperswouldfinally"adapt"andbeabletosleep
unihemispherically.
Problemsolvinginsleep
Inspiredbytheconceptofneuraloptimizationinsleep,yearsago,Idevelopedmyownformulafor
problemsolving,whichworksformeeachtimeIneedasolutiontoacomplextaskmarredbyexcess
contradictoryinformation.Sleepmakesahalfofthesolution!Thisismyformula:
1. getgoodsleep:sleepingintherightphaseandwithoutanyartificialcontrolisvital!(seeFree
runningsleep
2. thinkabouttheproblem:howcanIsolveit?whatinformationcanhelpsolveit?Thissteprequires
100%isolationfromtheoutsideworld.Itworksgreatinnatureorwhenjustpacingaroomupand
down.
3. readabouttheproblemuntilmybrainsizzles.Withincrementalreading,itcanreallytakeanhour
ortwotoloadtheworkingmemoryuptoitscapacity,andpushthebraintoexhaustion.Again,this
steprequiresminimuminterruptiontoensure100%focusontheproblem.Notasinglebraincell
shouldbeabsorbedwiththeconflictsoftheworld.Allresourcesmustgointoproblemsolving.
4. exercise:tostimulatecirculation,toprovidetimeforlazyunstructuredthinking,andtofillthetime
beforethenextopportunesleepepisode,Iexercise.Iknowmanypeoplewhosolveproblems
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successfullywithouteverexercising.Sothismightbejustmypersonaloptionalfavorite.Ithinkit
isimportanttokeepthebrainpureinitsfocusontheproblem.I"pollute"themindwithirrelevant
informationonlyincasesofamajorlockup,ormentalblock,wherethesolutiontotheproblemis
particularlyelusive.
5. gobacktoStep1,onlytodiscoverthatthepreviousroundpushedmythinkingbyacountrymile,
andthatsleepportionwasessentialforbeingabletoseethebigpicture.Nappingisgreatasit
countsasmuchinthecycleasnighttimesleepdoes.Pitywehavebeendesignedtonaponlyonce
perday.Perhapsmultiplenappingwouldprovideformorecreativestepsforwardperday(ifitwas
feasible).
Fordifficultproblems,timeisanally!Themorethinklearnsleepcyclesyoucanrun,thecloseryoucan
gettothetarget.Keepingthemindpureisvital,buttakingoccasionalbreaksforunrelatedinformation
processingcanunclogprejudicedpathwaysinthebrain.
Conclusions
Duringtheexploratoryactivityinwaking,theassociativenetworksofthebrain(incl.thehippocampus)
integrateinformationfromvariousportionsofthecortexwithnewinformationcomingfromvarious
highlyprocessedsensoryinputs.Corticalprocessingisresponsiblefortheworkingmemoryand
thinking,whiletheassociativenetworksholdpatternsofrecentactivity.Duringwaking,cortical
networksgetoverloadedwithpotentiatedconnections,whilethehippocampusgetsoverloadedwithnew
associativepatterns.InNREMsleep,corticalprocessingisinhibited,thecortexisgloballydepotentiated
andhippocampalpatternsareusedtointegratenewlyacquiredinformationwithpreviouslystored
corticallongtermmemories.REMsleepisusedtotrainthehippocampalnetworkwithnewpatterns
garneredfromthecortexinaprocessthatcanbelikenedtoa"simulatedwaking".Thosenewpatternsare
thentransferredbacktotheneocortexinthesuccessiveNREMepisode.NREMREMinterplayisusedto
remouldknowledgeawayfromdetailrichpatternstowardsgeneralizedpatterns.Thisinterplay,which
repeatsseveraltimesinthecourseofthenight,iswhatmakesussmart.Thisinterplayhelpsususelittle
informationformaximumeffect.Frequentlyusedpatternsgetreinforcedinthecortexbygradually
buildingtheirsynapticstability,whilethesynapticretrievabilityspontaneouslydecaysinanegatively
exponentialmannertomaximizetheutilityofmemoriesandminimizethecostofstorage(Wozniak
1995[5]).
Notallscientistsagree
November2,2001issueofScienceincludedopposingarticlesonthephysiologyofsleepthatprovided
morefueltothefireofascholasticdisputeonthefunctionofsleep.Atthetimewhentheeffortto
disentangledetailsofcomplexneuraloptimizationprocesscalledsleepseemedclosetobringingmajor
breakthroughs,therewerereputableresearchersthrowingaspannerintheworks.Prominentnarcolepsy
expert,DrJeromeM.SiegelfromtheCenterforSleepResearchoftheDepartmentofVeteransAffairs
analyzedtheevidencefortheroleofsleepandfiguredoutthat...theevidenceisscant!Anarrayofwell
organizedevidenceagainsttheroleofsleepinmemoryconsolidationwasrolledoutinajournalthatfor
yearshasstoodasthebastionofhighestqualityscience(Siegel2001[162]).Siegelacknowledgedthevital
evolutionaryfunctionofsleepbut,atthattime,didnotpresentaviablealternativestothepositiontaken
byStickgold,HobsonandMaquetinthesameissueofScience(Stickgoldetal.2001[163],Maquet
2001[164]).
Inhislaterpublications,Siegelproposedhisowntheoryofsleepsaying:"sleepismerelyagoodwayto
increaseananimal'sefficiency,byhuntingonlywhenthehuntingisgood,forexample,andminimizeits
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risk".Ihavementionedearlierthatthistheoryfailstomeettheshutdowntest,anditwouldbeenoughto
keeptheanimalconsciousandatonictoaccomplishSiegel'scriteriaforpreservingsleepinthecourseof
evolution.FormoreonSiegel'stheorysee:RobertVertesandJeromeSiegel.
Behindallopposingpositionsinscience,thereisarootbelieformodelwhichisonlylaterenhancedor
muddledbyexistingclutterofevidence.Therootoftheroleofsleepinlearningisintheevolutionary
explanationoftheneedtoturnofftheconsciousmindforathirdofourlives.Thosewhoopposetherole
ofsleepinmemoryconsolidationstartoffwiththedifficultyinreconcilingwiththefactthatunconscious
brainmightbeinvolvedinlearningwhichseemstorequireaconsciousmind.Someresearchersdismiss
findingsshowingtheroleofsleepinlearningasasideeffectofstressfulmethodsusedinsleep
deprivation.Othersclaimthatsleephelpslearningbynothingmorethan"refreshing"themindand
restoringenergyreserves.InthewelterofdataconfusingtherolesofNREMandREMsleep,procedural
anddeclarativelearning,memoryconsolidationvs.memoryoptimization,shorttermvs.longterm
memory,spacingeffectvs.forgettingvs.interference,animalandhumanstudies,stressfulvs.stressless
researchmethods,therewillalwaysberoomforthevoiceofdissent.Itwilltakestrongcomputational
andunequivocalexperimentalmodelstoleavelessscopeforhairsplittingovertheroleofsleepin
learning.Untilthathappens,youwillhearmanyconfusingvoices.
RobertVertesandJeromeSiegel
JeromeSiegelisnottheonlydissentingvoiceintheroleofsleepinmemory.RobertVertesisalsoa
highlyreputablesleepresearcher.SiegelandVertescomefromtwooppositecoastsoftheUS
(respectively:CenterforComplexSystemsandBrainSciences,FloridaAtlanticUniversity,BocaRaton
andDepartmentofPsychiatry,SchoolofMedicine,UCLA,LosAngeles).Theyalsocomefromdifferent
fieldsofneuroscienceandsleepresearch,andyethavebeenunitedintheirlonebattlewiththehighly
establishedviewsontheinvolvementofsleepinprocessingmemories.Theyhavebeendisappointed
withDrStickgold'smakinganimpressionthat"thedoorisclosed"inthedebateontheinvolvementof
sleepinlearning.AsIhopetobeopentonewideas,IwouldliketoaddresstheconcernsofDrsVertes
andSiegel.
Allscientists,includingthebrightestones,havetheirprejudicesandintuitions.Actually,nothing
producesastrongerprejudicethanrichknowledgethathasbeenfilteredorselectedforaspecific
purpose.Prejudicedandselectiveknowledgecharacterizeseveryexpert.Thiscomesfromthesimplefact
thatitisprettyhardtoaccumulatemorethanafewhundredthousandsofpiecesofinformationinone's
memoryoveralifetime.Atthesametimeitisoftensaidthattoqualifyforthetitleofanexpert,one
needssome50,000piecesofinformationfromagivenfield.Nowonderthenthatallexpertscantruly
encompassonlyonefieldthatwillpermeatealltheirthinking,evenwhentheydoubletheirexpertiseon
generalknowledgewith50,000piecesofinformationinotherfields.Evenifthenumbersdon'tsound
convincing,judgingbythedefinitionofanexpert,itisveryhardtobecomeoneinonefield,letalonein
twoormore.
Onlyexpertlyprejudicecanexplainwhytopscientistsinthefielddisagreewiththerestofthefieldthat
includesequallybrightindividuals.Theproblemofprejudiceaffectseveryone,andthisparagraphis
certainlyalsoareflectionofmyownprejudice.Myprejudicecomesfromyearsofinvolvementin
memoryandlearning,frommybackgroundincomputingsciences,aswellasfromnumerouseventsin
myownlifethatleftalonglastingimprintonmythinkingaboutsleep(seelaterinthischapter).
VertesandSiegelopposedtheideaofmemoryconsolidationinsleepforoveradecade.Astheirvoices
areprettysolitary,theyhaveunitedtheirefforts.Afteryearsofthebattlewith"theestablishment",in
2005,theyissuedthefollowingappealinthejournalSleep:TimefortheSleepCommunitytoTakea
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CriticalLookatthePurportedRoleofSleepinMemoryProcessing(VertesandSiegel2005[165]).Here
aresomepointsraisedbyVertesandSiegel:
1.Sleepdoesnotservearoleindeclarativememory?
Indeed,researchseemstobeprettycontradictoryinthisrespect.Therecallofvocabularylearnedonone
daydoesnotseemtobemuchaffectedbylackofsleeponthefollowingnight(exceptonthedaysthat
followssleepdeprivation).However,allresearchpapersshouldbesiftedfortwoimportantobservations:
1. Itishardtoknowwhatishappeninginsideablackboxbywatchingtherelationshipbetweenthe
inputandtheoutput.Thetransitionfunctionmayremainunchanged,whiletheinternalworkings
oftheautomatonmaychange.Metaphorically,thebrainaftersleepcouldbecomparedtoa
computerafteradiskdefragmentation.Thetransitionfunctionisthesame,andyettheoperations
aredifferent.
2. Ifsleepisconsideredaneuraloptimizer,andthedualnetworktheoryisright,weshouldlookat
longtermeffectsofmissedsleep.Ifthepurposeofsleepistheavoidanceofcatastrophic
interference,thenitisnotenoughtotestthestatusofthememoryaftersleeporlackthereof.We
alsoneedtoallowofasufficientlylongwakingperiodthatinvolvesfurtherlearning.Asimple
mentalexperimentshouldillustratethatsleepisvitalfordeclarativememories:cananyoneexpect
anymeaningfullearningafterasleeplessnightortwo?Itisnotjustamatteroftiredness,evena
fewminutesofdeepsleepseemstomakeaworldofdifferenceinourabilitytosoakinnew
knowledge.DataobtainedwithSuperMemoshowsunequivocallythatsleepisaremarkabletool
forunplugginghumanmemoryfornewinput!
2.REMsleepdeprivationdoesnotleadtocognitiveimpairment?
VertesandSiegelwrite(shortened):"SeverallinesofevidenceindicatethatREMsleepisnotinvolved
inmemoryprocessing/consolidation.Perhapsthestrongestargumentforthisisthedemonstrationthat
themarkedsuppressionoreliminationofREMsleepinindividualswithbrainstemlesionsoron
antidepressantdrugshasnodetrimentaleffectoncognition.AclassiccaseisthatofanIsraelimanwho
attheageof19suffereddamagetothebrainstem,andwhenexaminedattheageof33heshowedno
REMsleep.Theman,now55,isalawyer,apainterandinterestinglytheeditorofapuzzlecolumnforan
Israelimagazine.Recentlycommentingonhisfamouspatient,PeretzLaviestatedthat"heisprobably
themostnormalpersonIknowandoneofthemostsuccessfulones".
REMsleepisyoungerthansleepoverallintermsofitsevolutionaryoriginandmightindeedbejusta
mentalextraforsmarteranimals.REMsleepdeprivationresultsinmuchlaterdeathinratsascompared
withsleepdeprivation(monthsratherthanweeks).SuppressionofREMwithdrugsdoesnotleadtoa
drasticcognitivedecline.However,thiscannotbeusedtodiminishtheimportanceofREM.Aftera
sleeplessnight,humanscanalsofunctionremarkablywell.Afterasleeplessnight,worldleadersoften
takedecisionsaffectingbillionsofpeople.Thisdoesnotunderminetheimportanceofsleep.Data
obtainedwithSuperMemoshowsthatsleepdeprivationhasadramaticeffectonlearning.
AsfortheIsreaelinoREMman,wewouldneedtoknowexactlywhatportionoftheREMcontrol
systemhasbeendamaged.Afterall,theexpressionofREMiscomplexandmultithreaded,andwedonot
knowexactlywhichcomponentsofthecomplexprocessaremostessentialforwhatmemoryand
creativityaspects,andtowhatdegreetheseareexpressedphenomenologicallyasinterpretedbytheEEG,
ormuscleatonia,orotherREMconstituentsthatcanbecomedissociatedinvariousREMdisorders,or
eveninhealthypeople(e.g.blindpeople'sREM).WecouldbedealingherewithasubsetofREMthatis
sufficientforretainingreasonablecognitivepowers.Nowadays,neuroscientiststendtoshiftfromthelink
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betweenREManddreamingtoamoreanatomicalapproach(e.g.thelinkbetweenthepontinebrainstem
activityanddreaming).Leadinga"normallife"isaveryweaktestforcognitiveassessment,creativity,
mnemoniccapacity,etc.Afterall,millionsofpeopledestroytheirREMrichsleepwithanalarmclock
andstillleada"normal"life.Evenpeoplewithdamagetothehippocampus,whichdestroystheirshort
memorycapacity,canbedeceptively"normal"inaconversation.Brain'scompensatorycapacityis
enormous.AccordingtoBuzsaki,REMsleepmightbethechiefoptimizerthatwouldhelploadthe
hippocampalcircuitrywithpatternsacquiredfromtheneocortexforamemoryrewriteinthesuccessive
NREMsleep.Ifthatinterpretationwastakenintoconsideration,REMdeprivationwouldallowof
"normal"life,however,one'screativeinsightwouldbediminishedsignificantly.Wealsoneedto
distinguishherebetweenareasoningcreativity,andanartisticcreativityofapainter.Artisticcreativity
mayactuallybenefitfromadegreeofinformationchaos(TMSexperimentsshowhowdiminished
abstractthinkinghelpsacreativeartisticexpressioninaclearneuraltradeoff).Anecdotalevidence
comingfromtheinterpretationofSleepChartgraphsseemstoindicatethatmisalignmentofsleepthat
wouldproduceanexpecteddropintheproportionofREMsleepdoesindeedaffectcognitive
performanceandperhaps,evenmoreimportantly,thecreativeinsightthatshouldcharacterizeahealthy
awakening.Thestoryisnotdifferentincasesofalcoholorcannabisconsumptionbeforesleep.Asmuch
aswecannotignoreasinglepointofdatainthecaseofREMnonexpression,wecannotignoremultiple
pointsofanecdotaldatacomingfromSleepChartreports.
3.Sleepdependentenhancementofprocedurallearninghasnotbeenproven?
Theoretically,duetoitsstochasticnature,procedurallearningshouldbenefitfromsleepevenmorethan
declarativelearning.Itsimplyprovidesmoreroomforneuraloptimization.Thisiswhypreandpost
sleepdifferenceshouldbemorepronounced.However,IcannotverifythiswithSuperMemoasitis
generallynotemployedinprocedurallearning.Icanonlyrelyonreportsfromothersources.DrMatthew
Walkerresearch,forexample,isprettyconvincing.Iamabitconfusedhere.Incontrasttohisstancein
thediscussedpaper,SiegelhimselfapparentlytoldWebMDthat"Studiesofprocedurallearningshow
clearevidencethatyoudon'tgetimprovementuntilyousleep".Andlater:"Studiesshowthatwhen
learningmusclerelatedtaskslikedancing,pianoplaying,gymnasticsthereissignificant
improvementafteranight'ssleep".Perhapstheanswercomesfromthefactthattheinterviewwas
conductedin2001.
4.Learninginwakingisfarmoresignificantthanovernightenhancements?
VertesandSiegelwrite:"Althoughwefindthenotionofenhancementtobecounterintuitive
(improvementsinlearningwiththemerepassageoftime),thequestionarisesregardingthecontribution
ofenhancement,comparedtopracticeontasks,tooverallimprovementsonthem.[...]Myguessisthat
sleepcontributesverylittle".
Tome,overnightimprovementstotheeffectsoflearningarenotmorecounterintuitivethanmuscle
growthinlazysleepfollowingaheavyworkout.Theintuitionsayingthatlearningisdonebestinwaking
isthebasisofshorttermlearningstrategiespopularamongst(notsogood)students,whereanallnighter
beforeanexamseemslikeagoodidea.Afterall,morecanbedonewhencrammingbeforeanexamthan
onemightexpectfromovernight"consolidation".However,ifonetriestostretchtheideatojusttwo
days,itbecomesapparentthatwithoutsleepthereisnolearning.Andthisisnotjustaquestionofrest.If
weemployWalker'smetaphorofanoverflowingInbox,wecanseethatmissingonenightof
"enhancement"won'tdomuchdamage.Everyonecanhandlehisorhermailokforadayortwowithout
keepingone'sInboxclean.ManypeoplekeepamountainofmailintheInboxforweeksormonths.
However,inthelongrun,thebulgingInboxwillresultinsomeimportantmailnevergettinganswered.
Thesameappliestolearning,incl.procedurallearning.Inthelongruntheadditivepowerofchaoswill
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renderfurtherprogresshardlypossible.Itistruethenthatasinglenightmightnotmattermuch,but
withouttheneuraloptimizationtakingplaceduringsleep,ourcapacityforcreativethinkingorabilityto
acquirenewskillwill,atsomepoint,becomesaturatedandthelearningprogresswillgrindtoahalt.
Comparingthevalueandcontributionofthelearningprocessinwakingwiththevalueofovernight
optimizationsisnotmuchdifferentthanquantifyingthecontributionsofthebrainandthehearttoour
survival.Itdoesnotmatterthatitisthebrainthatprovidesthespectacularandthesalient.Bothorgans
arevitalandindispensable.Similarly,wakingandsleeparebothvitalforlearningandmemory.
5.Sleepmodelsshouldbesimple
Asalwayslexparsimoniaeisahelpfulguidanceinscience.Theconceptofsleepasaneuraloptimizer
seemstomeetthecriteriaofconvincingsimplicity.StudyingPGOwaves,thetarhythmsorsleepspindles
isimportant,too,toproviderawdataforsimplemodels.Afterall,withouttheEEGwewouldnot
separateNREMfromREMinthefirstplace.Andthosetwosleepmodesseemtoprovidethebasisofthe
essentialoptimizationinterplay.Moreover,brainwavesaretheexpressionofthebehaviorofcell
populationsthat,inthesynchronousmode,canbeanindicationofimportantphysiologicalfunctions
underway.IamhereabitconfusedagainasVertesoncewrote:"Weproposethatthetaservestogate
and/orenhancethestorageofinformationreachingthehippocampussimultaneouswiththeta.Inthe
awakestate,the'informationarrivingwiththeta'isgovernedbythesituationi.e.,thesumofinternal
andexternaleventstimelockedtotheta"(Vertes1995[166]).Ishypothesizingonthefunctionofbrain
wavesokforwakingstatesandnotokforsleep?Sleepwillimprovememorynotonlybecauseofneural
optimization.Noninterferenceorregenerationdoalsohavetheirroletoplay.These,however,cannot
explainalltheeffectsofsleeponlearning.Weneedtokeeptheevolutioninmind(seetheshutdowntest)
andtheneuralaspectsofsleep(e.g.why5min.napmakesahugedifferencetoone'slearningcapacity).
Siegel'sowntheory:"themainfunctionofsleepistoincreaseananimal'sefficiencyandminimizeitsrisk
bycontrollinghowaspeciesbehaveswithregardstoitssurroundings"isadequatelysimple.Neural
optimizationinsleepisdoingjustthat:increasingananimal'sefficiency.
HowcanrandomimpulsationsinREMmakeasenseindreams?
Asmuchastheearlyopponentsoftheevolutionwonderedhowrandommutationscouldleadtothe
developmentofthemarvelofthehumanspecies,somuchsomesleepresearcherswonderhowcould
randomREMimpulsationbepossiblybeneficialinlearningorotherwise.RobertP.Vertessays:"The
problemseemstobe,thatunlikewaking,inwhichthenatureoftheinformationreachingthe
hippocampusisessentiallydictatedbybehavioralcircumstances,thereappearstobenomechanismfor
theselectionandorderlytransferofinformationtothehippocampusinREMsleep.Ifthisisthecase,
andthetransferprocessinREMisnotorderlyorisbasicallyrandom(asonemightconcludefromeven
themostcasualinspectionofdreams),thentheprocesswouldappeartohavenofunctionalvalueforthe
animaltherewouldappeartobenobenefitinencodingor'remembering'arandomlyordered,non
relatedseriesofevents.Instead,ahypothesisisadvancedthat"theprimaryfunctionofrapideye
movement(REM)sleepistoprovideperiodicendogenousstimulationtothebrainwhichservesto
maintainminimumrequisitelevelsofCNSactivitythroughoutsleep"(Vertes1986[167]),whichnaturally
raisesthequestion"whysleepinthefirstplace",whichthenonthebasisofresearchandevolutionary
eliminationleadsusbacktotheneedforsleepfortheeffectivefunctionofmemory,andbacktoREMas
theprimarynetworkoptimizer.SeealsoVertes,R.P.andEastman,K.E."Thecaseagainstmemory
consolidationinREMsleep"(VertesandEastman2000[168]).Theroleofrandomnessand
pseudopatternsintransferringinformationbetweenneuralnetworkshasbeenmentionedinNeural
optimizationinsleep.Examplesofselforganizationinthenaturalworldaretoonumeroustolist:growth
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ofcrystals,foldingofproteins,flockingofbirds,orthelifeitself.Complexsystemsmayarisefromchaos
byanapplicationofasimplesetofrules.Thebraincanconvertrandomshapesinthecloudsintovivid
imagesandassociations.Thevisualsystemcandomiracleswhenjuxtaposingcontradictorydatain
stereoscopicvision.Neuralnetworkscanrecognizefaceswithjustatinyfractionofdataavailable.
Unlikecomputers,thebrainexcelsinextractingmodels,producingremoteassociationsandresolving
contradictions.Thoseabilitiesareessentialforreorganizingnetworksinsleepandforexercising
hypotheticalsurvivalscenarios.
DrSiegel'stheoryofsleep
DrSiegelproposedhisowntheoryofsleep.HereareacoupleofstatementsbyDrSiegelthatdonot
squarewellwiththatIknowaboutsleepphysiologyandevolution:
"Sleepismerelyagoodwaytoincreaseananimal'sefficiency,byhuntingonlywhenthehuntingis
good,forexample,andminimizeitsrisk".Forthatparticularformulation,onlyatinysubsetofthe
complexsleepcontrolmachinerywouldbesufficienttomeetDrSiegel'sproposedfunctionof
sleep.Forexample,atopportune"sleep"times,itwouldbeenoughtokeeptheanimalawakeand
paralyzedasinREMsleep.Alltherestofsleepcontrolwouldbeasimplewasteoftimeand
resources.Whywouldweneedahomeostaticcontrolofsleepassociatedwithslowwaveactivity?
Circadiancontrolwouldbeenough.Orevenasimplersolution:ahomeostaticreactiontothe
availabilitytolight.Animalswouldjustdropparalyzedassoonaslightwasunavailableforlong
enough(incaseofdiurnalspecies).
"Smalleranimalshavehighermetabolicrates,andthisresultsinthegenerationofhigherlevelsof
small,highlyreactivemoleculessuchasfreeradicals.Studiesonratsshowthatwhentheyare
deprivedofsleep,theiroxidativestressincreases".Oxidativestressindeedincreaseswithactivity,
butturningofftheconsciousnessdoesnothelpinrecovery.Thebrainworksashardinsleepasin
waking.Thatworkisnotdirectedatreducingoxidativestress,butatmakingsurethatallnetworks
areready,amongothers,tocombattheeffectsofoxidativestressviahomeostaticmechanisms.
"Mytheorydoesn'tmeanthatsignificantthingsdon'thappeninsleepitjustmeansthereisno
vitaluniversalfunctionforsleep"."Awholespectrumofthingsareaccomplishedbetterinsleep
thanawakeinsomeanimals,suchasdigestingfood,butitdoesn'tmeanthefunctionofsleepis
digestion".Evolutionteachesusthatifafunctionisconservedovermillionsofyears,itisanear
guaranteeforthereisanunderlyingvitalcomponent.Allaggregatesoflesseradaptivefunctions
disintegrate,getmolded,mutate,modify,geterasedoramplified,splitandjoin.Digestiveor
respiratoryfunctionsmightgoinsyncinonesetofcircumstances,andpartwaysindifferent
evolutionarysettings.Itistheneuraloptimizationthatretainssleepasanunavoidablepartof
animallifeformillionsofyears.
"Sleephasalotincommonwithinactivestatesobservedinawiderangeofspecies.Thisincludes
plantsandsimplemicrobes,whichinmanycasesdonothavenervoussystemsachallengetothe
ideathatsleepisforthebrain".Weallknowthatsleepwashookedtocircadianrhythms.That
meansthatthecircadianfunctionisolderthantheneuralfunction.Thatimpliesthatthereare
primitiveorganismsthatexpresscircadiancycleswithoutsleeping.However,forSiegel'slogicto
hold,hewouldhavetopointtoorganismswithacomplexnervoussystemthatdonotsleep.
"Sleepislyingonacontinuumthatrangesfromdormantstatesliketorporandhibernation,onto
periodsofcontinuousactivitywithoutanysleep,suchasduringmigration".Sleepispartofthe
continuumofdormantstatesandoccupiesitsmostadvancedandextremeposition.Sleepisthe
acmeofevolutionarysuccessthatunderliesthecreativecomponentofourcivilization.
Mypersonalbias
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Imentionedmypersonalbias.Oneeventinmylifeperplexedmeandleftadurableimprint.Theyear
wasprobably1980.Mycommunistmaderadiotaperecordergotdamaged.Icouldnotpossiblygo
throughmydayswithoutadoseofheavyblackfunk,soIstrainedattryingtorepairtherecorder.
However,afterhalfadayoftrying,Iwasatmywitsend.Seriouslydisappointed,Iwenttosleep.WhenI
wokeupinthemorning,IrealizedthatIwasprobablydreamingabouttherepairs.Ievenhadahazy
recollectionofoneofmyrepairtricksthatsucceededinbringingthetaperecorderbacktolife.Oncemy
mindcleared,IwasconvincedthatIdiscoveredarepairmethodinsleep.Firstthingongettingup,Itried
themethod.Thetaperecorderwasresurrected!SomepeoplemeetGodinsleep,othersgetabductedby
theUFO.Dreamscanbevividandconvincing.Theycanaffectone'slifeandconvictionsformanyyears
tocome.Onthatday,Ibecamecognitivelybiasedtowardsthebeliefthatsleepproducesnewqualityin
ourmind!Overtheyears,Ikeptnoticingsimilarovernightbreakthoughtsafteradayofunsuccessful
problemsolving.Ikeptconfirmingthatthebraininthemorningisofanentirelydifferentstatusthanthe
brainintheevening.Ikepthearingdozensorhundredsofanecdotesaboutinventionsmadeinthe
morningafteradayoffailedtrying.Yes.Iamprejudiced.Withallthatanecdotalevidence,Ihaveno
doubtthatbrainisdoingheavydutymemoryprocessinginsleep(seealso:Sleepinspiresinsight
(Wagneretal.2004[169])).
Olivebranch
MathewWalkermadethefollowingpredictionin2009:"Wewillsoonhaveanewtaxonomyofsleep
dependentmemoryprocessing,andonethatwillsupersedethepolarizedallornoneviewsofthepast
(StickgoldandWalker2005[170]VertesandSiegel2005[165]).Withsuchfindings,wecancometoa
revisedappreciationofhowbothwakeandsleepuniteinasymbioticalliancetocoordinatethe
encoding,consolidationandintegrationofourmemories,theultimateaimofwhichmaybetocreatea
generalizedcatalogueofstoredknowledgethatdoesnotrelyontheverboseretentionofallpreviously
learnedfacts"(Walker2009[148]).
Morereadingforskeptics
IfyouareinterestedinthepointsofviewbyDrsVertesandSiegelsee:
aboatloadofinterestingpublicationsbyDrSiegel:http://www.semel.ucla.edu/sleepresearch
DrRobertVertes2000:"WebelievethatthecumulativeevidenceindicatesthatREMsleepserves
noroleintheprocessingorconsolidationofmemory"
Clockgenes
Thesuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN)isthemasteroscillatorattherootofourmaincircadiancycle.
IndividualcellsintheSCNfireinsynchronyonthebasisofageneticloopthattakesroughly24hoursto
complete.Theloopisverycomplex,itincludesmanygenes,theirtranscriptsandproteinproducts.
Individualcomponentsofthiscomplexsysteminhibit,suppress,oractivateothercomponents.Allthe
variousinteractionsarenotyetfullyunderstood,however,asimplifiedmodelispresentedbelowforthe
sakeofhintingatthegeneralprinciplesbehindthegeneticclock.
Theclocksystemformsanegativefeedbackloop,inwhichclockproteinsbuiltupinthecytoplasmare
shuntedtothenucleustorepresstheirowntranscription.Thismechanismiscalledatranscription
translationnegativefeedbackloop(TTFL)thatiscapableofprettyregularoscillations.Thekeygenesof
theclocksystemareClock,Bmal1,period(Per),andcryptochrome(Cry).Thosecomponentsarehighly
conservedinallkingdomsoflivingorganismsindicatingtheiressentialroleinsurvival.Thetwo
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transcriptionalactivatorsCLOCKandBMAL1formaCLOCK:BMAL1proteindimeratthatstartofthe
day.Thatdimerpromotesthetranscriptionoftheirtranscriptionaltargetgenes:period(Per)and
cryptochrome(Cry).TheRNAofPer,Cry,Bmal1andClockistranslatedintoproteinsinthecytoplasm.
PERandCRYproteinsaccumulateinthecytoplasmduringtheday,peakbytheevening,andbysunset
startbuildingupinthenucleusaswell.Inthenucleus,PERandCRYfunctionasnegativeregulatorsof
CLOCK/BMAL1activity,andrepresstheirowntranscription.Asaresult,PERandCRYplummet
duringthenightandthusclosethenegativefeedbackloop.Thisrestartsthecyclefromtheproductionof
CLOCK:BMAL1,andsoon.TheloopformedbyClock/Bmal1andPer/Cryoscillatesinaroughly24
hourcycle.ComplexesthatcontainCRYinhibittheCLOCK:BMAL1dimerproduction,andslowdown
thetranscriptionofPerandCrygenes.Thepicturegetsmorecomplicatedwiththefactthatthereareat
leastthreevariantsofPer(Per1,Per2,andPer3),andtwoofCry(Cry1,andCry2).Complexesthat
containPER2proteinenhancethetranscriptionofBmal1.PER1modestlyinhibitstranscriptioninduced
bytheCLOCK/BMAL1complex.
Circadianroleofindividualgenesiswellillustratedbyengineeringknockoutmice.Forexample,mice
lackingCry1orCry2havealteredfreerunningcircadianperiods.Ifbothgenesaremissing,theanimals
becomearrhythmicinconstantconditionswithconstantelevatedlevelsofPer1mRNA!Similarly,
Per1/Per2doublemutantsloserhythmicity.MutationstothePer2genecancausefamilialASPS.The
nonredundantroleofBmal1canbeshownbydeletion,whichleadstoimmediatearrhythmicityin
constantdarkness.Theclockgenesareaffectedbyvarioushormonal,metabolicandimmuneinputs(e.g.
adenosine).
ThecircadiangeneticmachineryissowellconservedintheevolutionthatthestudyofDrosophila
providesacheapalternativetoknockoutexperimentsinrodents.Orthologshavebeenidentifiedin
mammalsformostoftheDrosophilacircadianclockgenes.Ininsectsthough,unlikeinmammals,CRY1
functionislightdependent.Evencyanobacteriahaveacircadiangeneticclockthatcanbereconstituted
invitrofordetailedquantitativeanalysisandcomparativesimulations.Oneoftheconclusionscoming
fromstudyingcyanobacteriaisthattheTTFLclockmayactuallybeaslavetoamasterbiochemical
oscillatorcalledthePTO(posttranslationaloscillator)(Qinetal.2010[171]).Theinitialsuggestionon
theroleofbiochemicaloscillatorscamefromthepersistenceofthecircadianrhythminconditionsof
inhibitedtranscriptionandtranslation(Iwasakietal.2005[172]).Beyondtheircircadianroles,thegenes
arealsoinvolvedinotherfunctions.Interestingly,cryptochromeshavebeenshowntobeinvolvedin
magnetoceptioninbirds,andphotoreceptioninplantgrowth.
Itseemsthatmanysubcomponentsoftheoscillatorsystemcanrunin24hourcycles,andevenasimple
theoreticalthreeproteinphosophorylationloopcanbeformedthatistemperaturecompensatedand
whosestabilitymaydependonminorregulatoryadjustmentstothepropertiesoftheproteinsinvolved
and/ortheirprocessing.Thismightmeanthatindividualproteinsmusthavebeenperfectedandtunedup
inthecourseofevolutiontoproducestablerhythmsthatcanideallymatchourlifestyleslinkedtothe
rotationoftheEarth.Nowonderthenthatscientistshaveidentifiednumerousmutationsthatproduce
minorchangesinthepropertiesoftheoscillatororitsentrainmentsystems(see:mutationsaffectingthe
clockperiod(GolombekandRosenstein2010[30])
Mythsandfacts
Lengthofsleep
1. Myth:Weshouldget8hoursofsleeppernight.Fact:Manypeoplecandowithlesssleepand
theydonotneedtostriveat8hours.Othersmayneedmorethan8.Weshouldallsleepexactlyas
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manyhoursasoursleepsystemdemands.Tryingtogettheprescribed8hoursofsleepwilldrive
somepeopletoinsomnia,whileotherswillremainsleepdeprived.
2. Myth:Peoplewhosleeplesslivelonger.In2002,DrKripkecomparedthelengthofsleepwith
longevity(1982datafromacancerrisksurvey).Hefiguredoutthatthosewhosleep67hourslive
longerthanthosewhosleep8hoursandmore.Nowonderthatamessagestartedspreadingthat
thosewhosleeplesslivelonger.Fact:Thebestlongevityprognosisisensuredbysleepingin
compliancewithone'snaturalbodyrhythm.Thosewhosticktotheirowngoodrhythmoftensleep
lessbecausetheirsleepisbetterstructured(andthusmorerefreshing)."Naturallysleeping"people
livelonger.Thosewhosleepagainsttheirbodycall,oftenneedtoclockmorehoursandstilldonot
feelrefreshed.Moreover,diseaseisoftencorrelatedwithincreaseddemandforsleep.Infectious
diseasesarerenownedforadramaticchangeinsleeppatterns.Whenincoma,youarenotlikelyto
beaddingyearstoyourlife.Correlationisnotcausation
3. Myth:Ifyouaresleepy,itmeansyoudidnotgetenoughsleep.Fact:Therearefactorsthatare
farmoreimportantfortherefreshedmindthanthelengthofsleep.Thesameperson,dependingon
circumstances,canbelesssleepyafterawellexecuted3hoursofsleepthanafteralongnightof
poorqualitysleep.Themainfactorsthatresultindaytimesleepinessare:usinganalarmclock,
sleepinginawrongphase(eithertooearly,ortoolate),sleepapnea,inducingsleepwithsleeping
pillsoralcohol,andsubstanceabuse.
4. Myth:Thebodywillalwayscraveexcesssleepasitcravesexcessfood.Somepeopledrawa
parallelbetweenourtendencytoovereatwithsleep.Theybelievethatifweletthebodydictatethe
amountofsleep,itwillalwaysaskformorethanneeded.Asaresult,theyprefertocutsleepshort
withalarmclockto"optimize"theamountofsleeptheyget.Fact:Unlikestorageoffat,there
seemstobelittleevolutionarybenefittoextrasleep.Probably,ourtypical68hoursofsleepare
justenoughtodoall"neuralhousekeeping".Peoplewithsleepdeficitmayindeedtendtosleep
obscenelylong.However,oncetheycatchupandgetintotherhythm,thelengthoftheirsleepis
actuallylikelytodecrease
5. Myth:Sleepinglittlemakesyoumorecompetitive.Manypeoplearesobusywiththeirlivesthat
theysleeponly34hourspernight.Moreover,theybelievethatsleepinglittlemakesthemmore
competitive.Manytrytotrainthemselvesforminimumsleep.DonaldTrump,inhisnewestbook,
tellsyou:"Ifyouwanttobeabillionaire,sleepaslittleaspossible".Fact:Itistruethatmany
geniusessleptlittle.Manybusinesssharkssleptevenless.However,theonlygoodformulafor
maximumlongtermcompetitivenessisviamaximumhealthandmaximumcreativity.IfTrump
sleeps3hourspernightandenjoyshiswork,heislikelytorunitonalertnesshormones(ACTH,
cortisol,adrenaline,etc.).Hissleepisprobablystructuredverywellandhemayextractmore
neuralbenefitperhourofsleepthananaverage8hourspernightsleeper.Yetthatshouldnot
makeyoutrytobeatyourselftoactionwithanalarmclock.Youwillgetshortestandmaximum
qualitysleeponlythenwhenyouperfectlyhityourcircadianlowtime,i.e.whenyourbodytells
you"nowitistimetosleep".Sleepinwronghours,orsleepinterruptedwithanalarmclockis
boundtoundermineyourintellectualperformanceandcreativity.Occasionally,youmaythinkthat
alossonintellectualsidewillbecounterbalancedwiththegainontheactionside(e.g.clinching
thisvitaldeal).Rememberthough,youalsoneedtofactorinthelongtermhealthconsequences.
Unless,ofcourse,youthinkaheartattackat45isagoodpricetopayforbecomingabillionaire
6. Myth:Wecansleep3hoursperday.ManypeopleenviouslyreadaboutTesla'sorEdison's
sleepinghabitsandhopetheycouldtrainthemselvestosleeponly3hoursperdayhavingfarmore
timeforotheractivities.Fact:Thismightworkifyouplantopartyallthetime.Andifyourhealth
isnotaconsideration.Andifyourintellectualcapacityisnotatstake.Youcansleep3hoursand
survive.However,ifyouraspirationsgobeyondthat,youshouldrathersleepexactlyasmuchas
yourbodywants.Thatisanintelligentman'soptimum.Withyourimprovedhealthandintellectual
performance,yourlifetimegainswillbeimmense
7. Myth:Youcanaccumulatesleepbenefitinadvance.Fact:Ifyouexpectasleeplessnight,itis
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naturallybesttobeinagoodshape.Goodsleeponaprecedingnightwillhelp.However,you
won'tgetmuchbenefitfromsleepingwellintheprecedingweekormonth.Sleepisnotfood.You
cannotaccumulateitinadvanceforfutureuse.Thisisalsowhyyourbodywillnotattempttosleep
longerinfreerunningsleep.Ifyoueversleepinordinatelylong,thisisonlyanexpressionofprior
sleepdebt.Sleepcreditdoesnotexist.
Napping
1. Myth:Avoidnaps.Fact:NapsmayindeedworseninsomniainpeoplesufferingfromDSPS,esp.
iftakentoolateintheday.Otherwise,napsarehighlybeneficialtointellectualperformance.Itis
possibletotakenapsearlyinthedaywithoutaffectingone'ssleepingrhythm.Thosenapsmustfall
beforeorinsidethesocalleddeadzonewhereanapdoesnotproduceaphaseresponse(i.e.shift
inthecircadianrhythm)
2. Myth:Anapisasignofweakness.Fact:Napisnotasignofweakness,illhealth,lazinessor
lackofvigor.Itisaphylogeneticremnantofabiphasicsleepingrhythm.Notallpeopleexperience
asignificantmiddayslumpinmentalperformance.Itmaybewellmaskedbyactivity,stress,
contactwithpeople,sport,etc.However,ifyouexperienceaslumparoundthe5thto8thhourof
yourday,takinganapcandramaticallyboostyourperformanceinthesecondhalfoftheday
3. Myth:Napsreducelifeexpectancy.Fact:Habitualnappingincreaseslongevity.Nappingmay
stillbeunhealthyinsomecircumstances(e.g.seePhase11Eveningnaps),however,welltimed
napsareablessingforcognitionandcardiovascularhealth.
4. Myth:Nappingmaycausediabetes.Fact:WhileaChinesestudyfoundthatnappingwas
correlatedwithdiabetes(Chenetal.2010[173]),itdidnotdifferentiatebetweenthetypesof
napping,ordidnotimplycausality.Nappingisoftenassociatedwithsleepdeprivation,which
couldbetheprimarycauseofthelink.Nappingatwronghourscouldalsocausecircadian
disturbances,whichcouldalsobeacontributingfactor.Finally,prediabeticpeoplenapmorefor
health.Thisimpliesreversecausality.Welltimednapsinfreerunningsleepshouldreducetherisk
ofdiabetes,cardiovasculardisorders,cognitivedecline,andmanyotherhealthproblems.
5. Myth:Coffeebeforeanapishelpful.Fact:Coffeemayhelpyouwakeupfromthenapfastand
feelprettyrefreshed.However,thefreshnessislikelytodissipatefasterifthenapisprevented
fromrunningitsnaturalcourseduetotheimpactofcaffeine.Drinkcoffeebeforeanaponlyifyou
areinahurry(e.g.whiletakingapitstoponalongdrivingtrip).
6. Myth:Napsarealwaysgood.Fact:Improperlytimednapsmayworseninsomnia,shiftthesleep
phase,orresultinsleepinertia.See:Bestnaptiming
7. Myth:Longnapssendyouintodeepsleepandresultinsleepinertia.Fact:Indeed,napstaken
toolatecanbeverylongandresultinsleepinertia.However,thereisnothingwrongwithlong
napsaslongastheyaretakenattheoptimumphase(usu.aroundthe7thhourfromnatural
waking).Forawelltimednapwithoutsleepdeprivation,theoppositemaybetrue:thelongerthe
nap,thegreaterthegaininalertnessandlearningcapacity.
8. Myth:Larksshouldnapat1pm,whileowlsshouldnapat2:30pm.Fact:Bothlarksandowls
differlittleintheirpreferrednaptiming,whichcomesroughly7hoursfromnaturalwaking.This
meansthatalarkthatwakesupat4amwouldfeelleastalertat1112am,whileanowlthatwakes
upatmiddaywouldgladlynapat78pm.Notealsothatnaturalearlyriserarelesslikelytobe
nappers.
9. Myth:Everyonehashisorherownoptimumnaplength.Fact:Optimumnaplengthdoesnot
exist!Napsaresubjecttomanyhomeostaticregulatoryinputs,andwillvaryinlengthfromdayto
daydependingoncircumstances.Somepeoplenapverypredictably(e.g.alwayswithinthe1520
min.range).Othersshowhugevariations(e.g.fromnonapto3hours).
10. Myth:Powernapof20min.ismosteffective.Fact:Welltimednapsaremosteffectivewhen
theyterminatenaturally.Theymaylast3min.or3hours.Theireffectwilllargelybedetermined
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bythetiming,nappingconditions,and,importantly,lackofartificialinterferenceinthecourseof
thenapsleep.
11. Myth:Don'ttakenaps,youwillonlybemoretired.Fact:Welltimednapscandoubleyour
productivity.Churchillnoticedthatanapmakesthesecondpartofhisdayasvaluableasthefirst
part.Ifyouconsiderthatacreativemindmakesmoreerrorsinatiredstatewhenworkinginthe
evening,anderrorscanoftenwipeouteffectsofone'swork,thereisnotexaggerationinthe
statementthatnapsdoubleproductivity.Naturallytheymustbetakencorrectly.Otherwisethey
canreduceone'sperformancethroughsleepinertia,worseninsomniaorsleepphaseproblems.See:
Bestnaptiming
12. Myth:Keepyournapsat15min.withanalarmclocktowakeupfromStage2NREMand
avoidgrogginess.Fact:Welltimednapsinahealthycircadiancycleshouldneverleaveyou
groggy.Justtheopposite.Theywillofferagiftofacrispmindforthesecondhalfofyourday.
See:Bestnaptiming.Moreover,thedurationofsleepstagesdependsonmanyhomeostaticcontrol
factorsaswellasonthecircadianphase.Inasleepdeprivedstateatawrongcircadianphase,you
mayhitStage4inawink.Thealarmwillfindyoustunnedanddisorientated.
13. Myth:Napsshouldbeavoidedininsomniacs.Fact:Earlynaps,andnapsinhabitualnappers,
haveanegligibleimpactontheonsetofnightsleep.Slightdelayinsleeponsetcomesfrom
slightlylesserhomeostaticpressure,butshorternightsleepisasrefreshingassleepinnonnappers.
Inmostcases,insomniacswouldnotsufferfrominsomniaiftheywerejustallowedtogotosleep
laterandwakeuplater.Itistrue,however,thatlatenapscanhaveadisastrousimpactonthesleep
phaseandnightsleep.Allnapsbeyondthe9hoursfromnaturalwakingshouldbeconsideredlate.
See:Bestnaptiming
Sleepinertia
1. Myth:Mostpeopleexperiencesleepinertiainthemorning.Fact:Sleepinertiainthemorning
isentirelyavoidable.Ifyouthrowawaythealarmclock,youarenotlikelytoexperiencesleep
inertia(unlessjetlaggedforsomereasons).Ifyouneedtogetupataspecifichour,withsomehelp
fromchronotherapy,youcaneithereliminatethealarmclockormakeitlessharmful.Morning
sleepinertiahitsmostlythosewhoseriouslycutdownonthelengthoftheirsleep.Hasmankind
degradedtoadegreethatthesepeopleformamajority?
2. Myth:Wakingupisaslowprocessthatneedstotakeitscourse.Fact:Wakingupattheright
timewithoutthehelpofthealarmclockshouldbeprettyfast.Onagoodday,itshouldtakeas
muchtimetowakeupasittakestofallasleep,i.e.35minutes.Thereisstillsomeimprovementin
thelearningcapacityinthefirsthour.However,thesleepswitchhasbeendesignedsothatto
accomplishprettyfastawakeningassumingthesleepisnatural,healthyandunregulated.
3. Myth:Excesssleepcausesheadachesandgrogginess.Shortersleepisbetterforhealth.Fact:
Thismythisyetanotherexampleofconfusedcausation.Whenpeoplecatchacoldvirustheir
thermostatsshifttofavorpyrogenesis(feverhelpsfightviruses).Thismeansthatinfectedpeople
oftenshiverinconditionsthattheywouldotherwisefindcomfortable.Thisledtothemyththat
"coldcontributestocatchingacold".Eventhenameoftheviruswronglyassociatesitwiththe
cold.Themythisreinforcedbythefactthatflusandcoldsruleincoldweatherwhenpeopleclose
windowsandcrowdinpoorlyventilatedspaces.Beingcoldisasignofcatchingacold,nota
preludetotheinfection.Similarly,sleepdeprivedpeopleoftensleepverylongtorepaythesleep
debt.Longrecoverysleepindeedoftenleadstoheadachesandotherunpleasantsymptoms.
However,itisshortsleepthatcausedtheprobleminthefirstplace.Whenpeopleareallowedto
sleepasmuchastheywant,theyquicklyreducetheirtotalsleeptime,andexperienceno"sleep
excess"symptoms.
4. Myth:Sleepinertiashowsnocircadiancycle.Fact:Itdependsonthetypeofsleepinertia(see:
Sleepinertia).Thesickgroggyfeelingthatshowsupwhenweareawakeatthetimewhenwe
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shouldbeasleep(e.g.duringapoorlyplannednightshift)shouldalsobeclassifiedasatypeof
sleepinertiaasitmayshowupinaverysimilarformindependentofwhetheritfollowsinterrupted
sleeporaprolongedwakingperiod.Thattypeofinertiaispurelycircadian.Itgoesawayonits
ownone'sthecircadianlowpassesaway.
5. Myth:Napscausesleepinertia.Fact:Onlynapstakentoolatecausesleepinertia.Properly
timednapstakenintheabsenceofsleepdeprivationshouldberelativelyshort(3090min.),and
veryrefreshing.Sleepitselfshouldnotbeblamedforsleepinertia!Sleepinertiaisaresultof
violationsintheartofgoodsleeping!
6. Myth:Sleepinertiaiscorrelatedwiththedurationofpriorsleep.Fact:Youcansuffersleep
inertiawhenbeingwokenupfromdeepsleepshortlyafterfallingasleep.Youmaysufferfrom
sleepinertiawhenwakingupfromalongboutofsleepatthetimesofyourREMpeak(e.g.dueto
fallingasleeptooearly).Youmayalsofeelgroggyatyourcircadianlowmanyhoursafteryour
lastsleepepisode.Sleepinertiaiscausedbydisruptingnaturalsleep,NREMorREMsleep
processes,andisn'tmuchrelatedtothelengthoftheprecedingsleep.
7. Myth:Increasingthebloodflowtothebrainisagreatremedyforsleepinertia.Fact:Only
healthysleepisatrueremedyforsleepinertia.Caffeine,exercise,noise,brightlights,stress,etc.
canonlymaskit.Veryoften,maskingtheinertiawilldomoredamagethantheinertiaitself.For
example,exercisingduringthesubjectivenightisaformulaforcardiacstress,injuries,andmany
otherunhealthyeffectsofcontradictoryhormonalandmetabolicsignals.
Insomnia
1. Myth:Silenceanddarknessarevitalforsleep.Thismaybethenumberoneadvicefor
insomniacs:useyoursleepingroomforsleeponly,keepitdarkandquiet.Fact:Silenceand
darknessindeedmakeiteasiertofallasleep.Theymayalsohelpmaintainsleepwhenitis
superficial.However,theyarenotvital.Moreover,formillionsofinsomniacs,focusingon
peacefulsleepingplaceobscuresthebigpicture:themostimportantfactorthatmakesussleep
well,assuminggoodhealth,istheadherencetoone'snaturalcircadianrhythm!Peoplewhogoto
sleepalongtheirnaturalrhythmcanoftensleepwellinbrightsunshine.Theycanalsoshow
remarkabletolerancetoavarietyofnoises(e.g.loudTV,familychatter,theoutsidewindownoise,
etc.).Thisisallpossiblethankstothesensorygatingthatoccursduringsleepexecuted"inphase".
Absenceofsensorygatingin"wrongphase"sleepcaneasilybedemonstratedbylesserchangesto
AEPs(auditoryevokedpotentials)registeredatvariouspartsoftheauditorypathwayinthebrain.
Noiseswillwakeyouupifyoufailtoenterdeeperstagesofsleep,andthisfailurenearlyalways
comesfromsleepingatthewrongcircadianphase(e.g.goingtosleeptooearly).Ifyousufferfrom
insomnia,focusonunderstandingyournaturalsleeprhythm.Peacefulsleepingplaceissecondary
(exceptincasesofimpairedsensorygatingasinsomeelderly).Insomniacsrunningtheirdaily
ritualofperfectdarkness,quiet,stresslessnessandsheepcountingarelikeastrandeddriverhoping
forfairwindsinsteadoflookingforthenearestgasstation.Evenworse,ifyoukeepyourplace
peaceful,youruntheriskoffallingasleepearlyenoughtobereawakenedbythequickelimination
ofthehomeostaticcomponentofsleep.Learntheprinciplesofhealthysleepthatwillmakeyou
sleepinallconditions.Onlythenfocusonmakingyoursleepingplaceaspeacefulaspossible
2. Myth:Caffeinecancauseinsomnia.Fact:Caffeinecanmakeinsomniaworsebutitisnevera
primarycause.
3. Myth:Insomniaiscausedbymagnesiumdeficiency.Fact:Therearemultiplecausesof
insomnia.Mineraldeficitsdonotevencomeclosetothetopofthelistofcauses.Themost
frequentcausesofinsomniaarestress,illhealth,andsleepinginawrongphase(tooearly).People
onanormalhealthydietshouldgetplentyofmagnesiumtomeettheirneeds.Moreover,incasesof
deficiency,insomniawouldnotbethemainreasonforworry.Variousformsofdiet
supplementationareinvoguethesedays,andfewpeoplerealizethatsupplementationmayoften
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domoreharmthangood.
4. Myth:Segmentedsleepisnatural.Thisishowpeoplesleptforcenturies.Fact:Segmented
sleepisprobablyanexpressionof"excessnighttime".Itcanbeobservedinmodernconditions
whenpeoplegotosleeptooearly.Earlybedtimeisafrequentcauseofnocturnalawakenings.
Despitethemyth,wakingupinthenightforlongerthanafewfleetingmomentsisnotasignof
normalhealthysleep.12hourbreaksinnighttimesleeparemostoftenanindicationofearly
bedtimeorotherfactorsthatcontributetoinsomnia.
5. Myth:Magnesium,folates,andothersupplementscanhelpyousleepbetter.Fact:Nutrients
neededforgoodhealtharealsogoodforsleep.However,supplementationisnotlikelytoplaya
significantroleinresolvingyoursleepproblems.Vitaminsmayhelpifyouareindeficit,butavast
majorityofsleepdisordersinthesocietycomefromthelackofrespectorunderstandingofthe
circadianrhythm.Ifyouarehavingproblemswithsleep,sticktotherulespresentedinthisarticle.
Asforfood,sticktoastandardhealthydiet.Thatshouldsuffice
Bedtime
1. Myth:Goingtobedatthesametimeisgoodforyou.Fact:Manysleepexpertsrecommend
goingtosleepatthesametimeeveryday.Regularrhythmisindeedaformofchronotherapy
recommendedinmanycircadianrhythmproblems.However,peoplewithsevereDSPSmay
simplyfinditimpossibletogotosleepatthesametimeeveryday.Suchforcedattemptswillonly
resultinaselffeedingcycleofstressandinsomnia.Insuchcases,thestrugglewithone'sown
rhythmissimplyunhealthy.Unfortunately,peoplesufferingfromDSPSareoftenforcedintoa
"natural"rhythmbytheirprofessionalandfamilyobligations
2. Myth:Sleepbeforemidnightismorevaluable.Fact:Sleepismostvaluableifitcomesatthe
timeplannedbyyourownbodyclockmechanisms.Ifyouarenotsleepybeforemidnight,forcing
yourselfcanactuallyruinyournightifyouwakeupearly
3. Myth:Itisbesttowakeupwiththesun.Fact:Youshouldwakeupatthetimewhenyourbody
decidesitgotenoughofsleep.Ifthishappenstobemidday,acurtainoverthewindowwillprevent
youfrombeingwokenupbythesun.Atthesametimesunmayhelpyouresetyourbodyclock
andhelpyouwakeupearlier.Peoplewhowakeupnaturallywiththesunareindeedamongthe
healthiestcreaturesontheplanet.However,ifyoudonotwakeupnaturallybefore4am,tryingto
dosowiththehelpofalarmclockwillonlyaddmiserytoyourlife
4. Myth:Earlytobed,earlytorise,makeamanwealthy,healthyandwise(BenjaminFranklin).
Fact:Manycentenariansareearlyrisers.Thisaddstotheimpressionthatearlyriserslivelonger.
However,earlyriserslivelongonlyiftheirearlyrisinghabitisnatural.Youcannotaddtoyour
longevityifyoutrytoforceyourselftoanearlyscheduleagainstyournaturalsleephabits.
Everyonecanbesynchronizedwiththesun,atleastforawhile,andeveryonecanexperiencethe
beautyofgettingupwiththesun.Everyoneshouldtasteitatleastoncetoknowitispossible.
However,foralargeproportionofpeoplethiscannotlast.Eitherduetostress,electricity,ora
naturalpredisposition,gettingupearlyinanaturalwayisnotpossibleinthelongrun.Whenyou
askachildtocompletethisphrase:Earlytobed,earlytorise,makeamanwealthy,healthyand...
Youaremorelikelytohear"tired".Unfortunately,foralargeportionofthepopulation,"tired"is
thecorrectanswer.Personaldevelopmentguruswilloftenputearlyrisingclosetothetopoftheir
productivitylist.Ifyourprimarytoolatworkisyourbrain,donotfollowthisadvice!Wakeup
onlynaturally,evenifyournaturalwakehourislate!Naturalwakingishealthier,andismore
likelytohelpyougainwisdom.Materialwealthcanoftenbegainedfasterifyousacrificeyour
healthandothervalues,butonlywithgoodsleepwillyouaccomplishatruewealthandwellbeing
inlife.
5. Myth:Goingtosleepearlymakesusmoreenergized.Fact:Maximummorningfreshnessand
energycomesfromsleepingintherightphase.Goingtosleeptooearlymaycauseinsomniaor
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prematureawakening.Bothwillaffectthequalityofsleep.Foreveningtypepeople,goingtosleep
relativelylatewillimprovemorningenergy.
Bodyclock
1. Myth:Humanbodyclockrunsa24hourcycle.Fact:Thecycleisactuallylongerthan24hours.
Thetrickisthatthebrainemploysaresetbuttonthatsynchronizesthecyclewithone'sactivity
pattern.
2. Myth:Peopleareofmorningoreveningtype.Fact:Thisismoreofamisnomerthanamyth.
Eveningtypepeople,withchronotherapy,caneasilybemadetowakeupwiththesun.What
peoplereallydifferinistheperiodoftheirbodyclock,aswellasthesensitivitytoandavailability
ofstimulithatresetthatrhythm(e.g.light,activity,stress,etc.).Peoplewithanunusuallylong
naturaldayandlowsensitivitytoresettingstimuliwilltendtoworklateandwakeuplate.Hence
thetendencytocallthem"eveningtype".Thosepeopledonotactuallypreferevenings,they
simplypreferlongerworkingdays.Thelifestyleaffectsthebodyclockaswell.Atransitionfroma
farmer'slifestyletoastudent'slifestylewillresultinaslightchangetothesleepingrhythm.Thisis
whysomanystudentsfeelasiftheywereoftheeveningtype
3. Myth:Youcannotchangetheinherentperiodlengthofyourbodyclock.Fact:Withvarious
chronotherapeutictricksitispossibletochangetheperiodoftheclockslightly.Itcanberesetor
advancedharmlesslybymeansofmelatonin,brightlight,exercise,mealtiming,etc.Itcanalsobe
resetinalesshealthyway:withanalarmclock.However,significantlifestylechangesmaybe
neededtoresolveseverecasesofDSPSorASPS.Thetherapymaybestressful,andtheslightest
deviationfromthetherapeuticregimenmayresultintherelapsetoanundesirablerhythm.Those
whoemployfreerunningsleepmaytaketheeasiestwayoutoftheperiodlengthproblem:stickto
theperiodthatisthenaturaloutcomeofyourcurrentlifestyle
4. Myth:Humanbodyclockcaneasilyadapttovarioustypesofschedule.Fact:Thelengthof
theclockperiodcanonlybechangedslightly(perhapsasmuchasanhour).Thephaseoftheclock
canalsobepushedonlyslightlyeachday(perhapsasmuchas2hours).Otherwise,allattemptsto
rearrangetheclockareharmfulforhealth.Millionsofpeoplesufferduetothismythdailythrough
badlydesignedshiftwork,rapidtimezonechangesorexperimentssuchasUbermansleep
schedule.
5. Myth:Nightshiftsareunhealthy.Fact:Peopleworkinginnightshiftsareoftenforcedoutof
workbyvariousailmentssuchasaheartcondition.However,itisnotnightshiftsthatareharmful.
Itistheconstantswitchingofthesleeprhythmfromdaytonightandviceversa.Itwouldbefar
healthiertoletnightshiftpeopledeveloptheirownregularrhythminwhichtheywouldstay
awakethroughoutthenight.Itisnotnightwakefulnessthatisharmful.Itisthewayweforceour
bodydothingsitdoesnotwanttodo
Sleepinchildren
1. Myth:Newbornssleepnearlyallday.Fact:Newbornsaremorelikelytospendhalfoftheirdays
asleep.HalfoftheirsleepisREM(asopposedtotheusualadult20%)
2. Myth:Babiesshouldnotplaybeforesleep.Fact:Unlesstheplayisexceedinglyexcitingorin
anywaystressful(evenahappyplaymaybeaformofstress),playincreasesthehomeostatic
pressureforsleepandshouldmakeiteasierforababytofallasleep
3. Myth:Beinglateforschoolisbad.Fact:Kidswhopersistentlycannotwakeupforschoolshould
beleftalone.Theirfreshmindandhealtharefarmoreimportant.60%ofkidsunder18complain
ofdaytimetirednessand15%fallasleepatschool(US,1998).Parentswhoregularlypunishtheir
kidsforbeinglateforschoolshouldimmediatelyconsultasleepexpertaswellasseekhelpin
attenuatingthepsychologicaleffectsofthetraumaresultingfromtheneverendingcycleofstress,
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sleepinessandpunishment
4. Myth:Beinglateforschoolisasignoflaziness.Fact:IfayoungpersonsuffersfromDSPS,it
mayhaveperpetualproblemswithgettingupforschoolintime.Thosekidsareoftenactually
brighterthanaverageandarebynomeanslazy.However,theiroptimumcircadiantimefor
intellectualworkcomesaftertheschoolorevenlateintotheevening.Atschooltheyaredrowsy
andslowandsimplywastetheirtime.Ifchronotherapydoesnothelp,parentsshouldconsiderlater
schoolhoursorevenhomeschooling
Learningandcreativity
1. Myth:Geniusessleeplittle!Fact:WhenlookingatEdisonandTeslaitiseasytobelievethat
cuttingdownonsleepdoesnotseemtoposeaproblemincreativeachievement.Thosewhotryto
workcreativelyinconditionsofsleepdeprivationwillquicklydiscoverthoughthatfreshmindis
byfarmoreimportantthanthose23hoursonecansavebysleepingless.Alessvisiblesideeffect
ofsleepdeprivationistheeffectonmemoryconsolidationandcreativityinthelongterm.Lackof
sleephampersremembering.Italsopreventscreativeassociationsbuiltduringsleep.Itisnottrue
thatgeniusessleepless.Forexample,Einsteinadmittedthathewouldworkbestifhegotasolid
ninehourblockofsleep.ThedifferencebetweenEdisonandEinsteincouldbeacombinationof
physiologyandworkingmode.Edisonwouldspendhoursonmanualexperiments,whichmay
involvelessdemandforsleepascomparedwithhighlyabstractreasoning.Edisonalsousedtorun
hisownbusinessaffairsthatcouldaddsomeadrenalinetoaffectthesleepphysiology.Apartfrom
thedifferenceintheworkingmode,thesleepphysiologycandifferbetweenindividuals.Inan
extremecase,itispossiblethatEinstein'sbrainwas"slower"insleepandrequiredmoretimetodo
thesamejob.Hissleepcouldalsoincludealargerproportionofnonoptimizingstages(i.e.stages
thatarelikelytoactastransitionbetweenphysiologicallymostimportantStage3/4NREMand
REMsleep).Whatevertheunderlyingcause,youshouldfollowyournaturalsleepdemandand
nevercutdownonsleep
2. Myth:Sleepbeforelearningcandiminishtheeffectsoflearning.Fact:Thismythcomesfrom
thefactthatpoorlytimedsleepmayresultinsleepinertia,andlearninginconditionsofsleep
inertiaisparticularlyinefficient.However,sleepisactuallythebestallyoflearning.Bestlearning
occursinthemorningaslongassleepistakenintherightphase,isnotdisrupted,isnotdiminished
bysubstancesorsleepmedication,etc.
3. Myth:Sincewefeelrestedaftersleep,sleepmustbeforresting.Askanyone,evenastudentof
medicine:Whatistheroleofsleep?Nearlyeveryonewilltellyou:Sleepisforrest.Fact:Sleepis
foroptimizingmemories.Despiteseeminginaction,themetabolicratedropsonlyby15%insleep.
Inanaveragenight,thatamountstosavingscomparabletotheenergycontainedinasingleapple.
Toeffectivelyencodememories,mammals,birdsandevenreptilesneedtoturnoffthethinking
anddosomehousekeepingintheirbrains.Thisisvitalforsurvival.Thisiswhytheevolution
producedadefensemechanismagainstskippingsleep.Ifwedonotgetsleep,wefeelmiserable.
Wearenotactuallyaswastedaswefeel,thedamagecanbequicklyrepairedbygettingagood
nightsleep.Itisourbraindishingpunishmentfornotstickingtotherulesofintelligentlifeform:
letthememorydotherestructuringinitsprogrammedtime
Alertness
1. Myth:Wearetheleastalertat8aminthemorning.Alertnessincreasesduringtheday.
Fact:Alertnesshastwopeaksduringtheday.Formostpeopleonahealthysleepregimen,the
alertnessishighest3080min.afterawakening.Ifyouralertnessislowinthemorning,youknow
youdonotsleepright.Lowestalertnessat8ammightbetrueforpeoplewhogotosleeptoolate
andwakeupwithanalarmclock.However,itisdefinitelynottrueinfreerunningsleep.The
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personwhogotlowestalertnessat8amwouldmostlikelykeepsleepingtill1011amandonly
thenwakeupnaturally.IfyouuseSuperMemoandcollectyoursleepdata,youcanseeclearlyon
youralertnessgraph,thatalertnessishighestatthebeginningoftheday(perhapsstartingwiththe
firsthourafterawakeningduetothetransitionfromsleeptowakethatsometimesmaytakesome
time).Lowmorningalertnesscanonlybeexplainedbythemisalignedcircadianrhythm.If
circadianlowsoccurredearlier,morningwouldbebriskandalert.
2. Myth:Teenagersshowstrongeralertingintheevening.Fact:Teenagershaveanatural
difficultyinreconcilingtheireveningactivitieswithmorningschoolschedules.Theirlifestyle
predisposesthemtodrifttolatersleepphasesandshowowlishbehaviors.Theireveningalertness
doesnotcomefromanaturaldifferenceintheircircadiancyclecontrol(ascomparedwithadults).
Itcomesfromdelayedphaseshiftproblemthatisprimarilyinducedbytheirlifestyles,whicharea
reflectionfortheirpassionfortheireveninghobbies,andtheirhighdemandforsleep.Whenateen
cutshisorhersleepinthemorningwithanalarmclock,heorsheislikelytotakeadelayednap
afterschoolandbeunusuallyalertintheevening.Thisresultsinlatebedtimeorinsomniathat
compoundstheviciouscycle.Teensonvacationoftenadoptdifferentsleephabits.See:Sleepand
school
Alarmclock
1. Myth:Alarmclockcanhelpregulatesleeprhythm.Fact:Alarmclockcanhelpyoupushyour
sleepingrhythmintoyourdesiredframework,butitwillrarelyhelpyouaccomplishahealthy
sleepingrhythm.Theonlytriedandtruewaytoaccomplishahealthysleepandahealthysleep
rhythmistogotosleeponlythenwhenyouarereallysleepy,andwakeupnaturallywithout
externalintervention
Sleepingpills
1. Myth:Sleepingpillscanhelpyousleepbetter.Fact:Sleepingpillscanhelpyousleep,butthis
sleepisoffarlessqualitythannaturallyinducedsleep.Sleepingpillscanbeusefulin
circumstanceswheresleepismedicallyvitalandcannotbeachievedbyothermeans.Otherwise,
avoidsleepingpillswheneverpossible
2. Myth:Melatonincanbeusedtoboostanap.Fact:Theoppositeistrue.Melatoninislikelyto
makethenapfeelveryunrefreshing.Melatoninisthehormoneofthenight(oratleastthe
subjectivenight).Itcanbeusedtoadvancethesleepphaseorincreaseeveningsleeppropensity.It
cannotbeusedasasleepingpill,esp.thatitseffectsarelikelytolastpastthedurationofanap.
Polyphasicsleep
1. Myth:Wecanadapttopolyphasicsleep.Lookingatthelifeofsailors,manypeoplebelievethey
canadoptpolyphasicsleepandsavemanyhoursperday.Inpolyphasicsleep,youtakeonly45
shortnapsduringthedaytotalinglessthan4hours.Therearemany"systems"differinginthe
arrangementofnaps.Therearealsomanyyoungpeoplereadytosufferthepainstoseeitwork.
Althoughavastmajoritywilldropout,asmallcircleofthemoststubbornoneswhosurviveafew
monthswillperpetuatethemythwithadetrimenttopublichealth.Fact:Wearebasicallybiphasic
andallattemptstochangetheinbuiltrhythmwillresultinlossofhealth,time,andmental
capacity.Asimpleruleis:whensleepy,gotosleepwhileasleep,continueuninterrupted.See:The
mythofpolyphasicsleep
Incrementalwriting
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Thisarticlewaswrittenusingacreativewritingtechniquecalledincrementalwriting.
SuperMemocanbeusedintheprocessofcreativewriting,whichcombineswritingtextswiththe
learningandreviewoftheincrementalreadingprocess.Byanalogytoincrementalreading,thisprocess
iscalledincrementalwriting.Themaindifferencebetweenincrementalreadingandincrementalwriting
isthatthe"bigpicture"ofthearticleisbuiltwithinthecollection,notinthewriter'smind.Thisis
suitableforlargefactpackedmaterialthatisdifficulttoorganizesequentially.Inaddition,one'sown
writingmaybethesourceofmostinput,asopposedtoexternalelectronicsources.Incrementalwritingis
alsosuitableforacompilationofalargebodyofpriorwriting,esp.ofmaterialsthatarerepetitive,fact
richandoftenlooselyconnected.Incrementalwritingislessusefulfortextswithalinearlineofthought.
Thepresentedarticleisacompilationofmultipletextsrelatedtosleepandlearningfrom
supermemo.com.AlltherelevantmaterialshavebeenimportedtoSuperMemo15andprocessed
incrementally.Thestructureofthearticlewasdeterminedwiththehelpofthecontentstree.The
explanatorynoteswhereprocessedincrementally.Figures,annotations,links,andliteraturecitations
werealsoprocessedincrementallyinorderofpriority.Incrementalarticlewritingisanopenended
processthatcanbeinterruptedatanystageforthearticletobeexportedtoasasingledocumentfortext
flowrewrites.Articleswrittenusingincrementalwritingmaybeparticularlysuitableforincremental
reading.TheycanbecomparedtoWikipedia.Wikipediaisanexcellentsourceforincrementalreading
duetoitsincrementalgrowthandsolidlocalcontext.Fortheexactlysamereasons,materialscompiled
withincrementalwritingarehighlysuitableforincrementalreading.Theymaybebloatedandrepetitive,
however,withincrementalreading,theycanbeprioritizedinarationalway.Incrementalwritingleaves
thetextshighlygranualandtheflowofthoughtisjagged,however,inincrementalreading,thisisan
advantageasallindividualarticlesandsubarticlescarrysufficientlocalcontexttobereadindependently.
Formoresee:Incrementalwriting.
Acknowledgements
Thisarticlewouldnotbepossiblewithoutmultiplecontributionsfromfriends,partners,andfamily.Iam
particularlygratefultoMikoHejwosz,DariuszMurakowski,DrAleksandraWozniak,DrEdward
Gorzelanczyk,DrJanuszMurakowski,MonikaMorawska,KrzysztofBiedalak,andKubaChodakowski
fortheirhelp,patience,contributions,andideas.Inaddition,countlessindividualshelpedmyworkby
submittingtheirsleepdataandansweringmyquestionsthatoftenrequireddisclosinghighlypersonal
information.
Glossary
Thisglossaryusesdefinitionsthathaveintentionallybeensimplifiedoroversimplifiedtocarryimportant
messages.Formoreprecisedefinitionsfollowtheprovidedlinksordoyourowngooglinvestigations:
acrophase
peakofasinewave.Inthisarticlemostlyusedtomean"middleofthenight"or"circadiannadir"
adenosine
asubstancethataccumulatesinthebrainduringwakingactivitiesinducingsleepiness(see:
Adenosine).Itsantagonistiscaffeine.
Ambien
popularsleepingpill
apnea
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absenceofbreathing
ASPS
advancedsleepphasesyndrome,aconditioninwhichapatienttendstogotosleepveryearlyand
wakeupwellbeforesunrise
BDNF
brainderivedneurotrophicfactor,proteinthatstimulatesbraingrowth(increasedwithsleep,
learning,andexercise)
BF
basalforebrain
Borbely
Hungariansleepscientistknownforhistwoprocessmodelofsleeppropensity
Buzsaki
HungariansleepscientistknownforhistheoryofreverseinformationflowinREMandNREM
benzodiazepines
classofpopularsleepingpills
biphasicsleep
sleepthatismadeoftwodailyepisodes.Inthisarticle,biphasicsleepisunderstoodascomposed
ofalongnightsleepandashortdaytimenap.Othervariantsofbiphasicsleeparealsopossible,but
othermeaningsarenotusedinthisarticle(e.g.segmentedsleepcanalsobebiphasic)
caffeine
activecompoundofcoffee,teaandcokethatmakesonemorealert
catastrophicforgetting
massiveforgettingthatcanoccurinartificialneuralnetworksduetointerference.Oneofthe
theoriessaysthathumansuseadualnetworksysteminsleeptopreventcatastrophicforgetting.
See:Neuraloptimizationinsleep
chronotype
characterofaperson'ssleepcontrolsystemthatmakeshimintoalark,owl,longsleeper,irregular
sleeper,etc.
circadiansleepcomponent
oneofthetwomaincomponentsofsleeppropensitythatdrivespeopletosleep.Circadian
componentisusuallyexpressedinthenightanddeterminesthetimingofthenightsleep
circadiancycle~24hourcycleofchangesinthebody
circadianrhythmtherhythmofchangesinthecircadiancycle
circadianphasetimeofdayinreferencetothecircadiancycle
circadianshiftshiftinthephaseofthecircadiancycle
circadianlowthetimeincircadiancyclewhenwefeelmostsleepy
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circadiancurvethesinewavethatrepresentsacircadiancycle(withhighsandlowsrepresenting
thedegreeofsleepiness).Itmaybeasuperpositionoftwoormoresinewaves,esp.atyounger
ages
circadianpreferencespreferencesastothetimingofsleep(e.g.larksliketogotosleepearly)
complementaryencodingtheory
theoryofmemorythatsaysthattwocomplementarymemorysystemsareneededforsafeencoding
ofmemories.Fast,lowinterference,andsmalltemporarysystem,aswellasslow,overlapping,
vastlongtermsystem.Newmemoriesarrivetothefastsystemandareredistributedefficientlyin
thevastsystem.Thatredistributionislikelytooccurinsleep.Thehippocampusandtheneocortex
arechiefexamplesofcomplementarysystems
consolidation
1.MEMORYInSuperMemo,theprocessinwhichmemoriesgetreinforcedbyrepetition.In
SleepChart,sleepcanbeshowntohaveanimpactonmemoryconsolidation
2.SLEEPEPISODESMergingofadjacentsleepepisodestoeliminatetheeffectofshortnight
timeawakeningsthatshouldnotaffecttheprocessofcomputingthecircadianminima(in
SleepChart)
cryitoutmethod
amethodofputtingbabiestosleepbyteachingthemthatcryingforthemomisfutile.This
"method"standsagainsthumanbiologyandcannegativelyaffectbaby'sbraindevelopment
DMH
dorsalmedialnucleusofhypothalamus,braincenterresponsiblefortheintegrationofcircadian
signalswithinformationfromotherbraincentersincontrolofcircadianbehaviorsandcircadian
physiology
DR
dorsalraphe,oneofthearousalcentersinthebrain
DSPS
delayedsleepphasesyndrome,tendencytowakeuplaterandlatereachday
dualnetworktheory
sleeptheory,whichsaysthatthebraindevelopedasystemoftwonetworks:oneforshortterm
lowinterferencememories,andtheotherforlongtermmemorystorage.Transferofmemoriesto
thelongtermstoragehappensduringsleep
entrainment
theprocessinwhichone'snaturalsleepcycleisadaptedtofitthe24hourdaywiththewaking
hourearlyenoughforone'swork,school,sociallife,etc.Entrainedsleepissleepthatdoesnot
requireanalarmclockto"bringitintophase"
farmer'slifestyle
alifestylethatfavorsgoodsleep.Itconsistsinearlyrising(possiblywiththesun),lotsofhard
work(orexercise)outdoors,andarelaxedeveningwithoutelectricity(e.g.inadimlightofa
fireplace).Departurefromthisancientlifestyleisthesourceofthesleepdisorderepidemic.
freerunningsleep
sleepthatisnotartificiallycontrolled(e.g.withsleepingpillsoralarmclocks)
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garbagecollectiontheory
atheorythatsaysthatthemainfunctionofsleepiscleaningupinformationgarbagefrommemory.
Thistheoryislargelycorrect.See:Neuraloptimizationinsleep
habitualnapper
apersonforwhonappingisaregularhabit.Ahabitualnapperdoesnotneedtobetiredtogeta
goodnap.Habitualnappersareoftencalledappetitivenappersinsleepliterature
hippocampus
asmallpartofthebrainthatisneededfordevelopmentoflongtermmemories.Itisinvolvedin
memoryoptimizationduringsleep.Peoplewithdamagetothehippocampuscansleep,butthey
quicklyforgetnearlyeverythingtheylearn
hypocretins
akaorexins,animportantalertnesshormoneinthebrainthattakespartinregulatingsleep.
Mutationsinthegenesaffectingthereleaseofhypocretinscanresultinnarcolepsy
homeostaticsleepcomponent
componentofsleeppropensity.Homeostaticsleepinesscanbecomparedto"tirednessofwaking".
Itincreasesinthecourseoftheday
homeostaticprocesstheprocessinwhichsleepinessincreasesduringthedayinproportionto
mentaleffort(oftendenotedinliteratureasProcessS)
homeostaticsleepinesssleepinessthatisaresultofmentaleffort(asopposedtocircadian
sleepinesswhichusuallycomesinthenight)
homeostasistheprocessinwhichthebodycontrolsitsinternalvariablesinresponsetoexternal
stimuli(e.g.REMhomeostasisisthebuildupofREMsleepdriveinproportiontoREMsleep
deficit)
hypnogram
graphwhichshowstheprogressionofsleepstagesthroughoutthenight
insomnia
problemswithfallingasleepormaintainingsleep(see:Insomnia)
LC
locuscoeruleus,oneofthealertnesscentersinthebrain
melatonin
naturalsleephormonereleasedinthebrainduringthenight
monophasicsleep
sleeppatternthatincludesonlyonelongnightsleepepisodein24hours
MPO
AlsoMPA,MPOA
medialpreopticarea,oneofthebraincentersresponsibleforintegratinginformationneededforthe
initiationofsleep.MPOAisalsoinvolvedinparentingandsexualbehaviors(incl.sexual
preferences)
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NREM
nonREMsleepthatusuallystartsthenightsleep
orexins
see:hypocretins
orexinreceptor
receptorthatdetectsthepresenceoforexins/hypocretins
phaseshift
changeinthephaseofthecircadiancycle.Forexample,1hourphasedelayisequivalenttoadelay
inbedtimebyonehour,delayinwakingtimebyonehour,delayinminimumbodytemperatureby
onehour,etc.
pinealgland
groupofcellsinthebrainthatisinvolvedinsleepcontrol.Itisresponsibleforthereleaseof
nighttimemelatonin
polyphasicsleep
sleeppatternthatconsistsofmanysleepepisodesinasingleday(throughoutthisarticle,biphasic
sleepisnotconsideredpartofpolyphasicsleeppatterns)
PRC
phaseresponsecurve,acurvethatillustrateshowbodyrespondstosignalsthatshiftthesleep
phase(e.g.howeveninglightsmakesusgetsleepylater,andwakeuplater)
PVN
AlsoPVH
paraventricularnucleusofthehypothalamus,oneofthebraincentersresponsibleforthe
integrationofsleepinitiationstimuli
RAS
reticularactivatingsystem(inthebrainstem),portionofthebrainresponsibleforoverallarousal
recall
theabilitytobringinformationupfrommemory(see:Memoryrecall)
REM
rapideyemovementsleep
REMdeficit
debtinamountofREMsleepobtained.Thisdebtmustbepaidassoonaspossible,butusually
afterNREMsleepdebtispaid
reverselearningtheory
atheorythatsaysthatinsleepweforgetlessimportantthings(see:Sleepasneuraloptimizer)
siesta
middaynap
sleepapnea
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absenceofbreathinginsleep
SleepChart
freewareapplicationforchartingsleep
sleepdeprivation
chronicoracutelackofsleep
sleeplatency
thetimebetweengoingtobedandfallingasleep
SPW
brainwaves(sharpwaves)thatshowupindeepsleepandmightbeassociatedwiththetransferof
shorttermmemoriestotheneocortex
SWS
slowwavesleep,thedeepeststageofsleepthatisnecessaryfortheconsolidationofnew
experiencewitholdmemories.Stages34ofNREMsleep
subjectivenight
thetimewhenthebodywantstosleep.Itusuallyhappensduringthenight,butforowlsinmay
equallywellbeearlymorning,orevenmiddleoftheday
SuperMemo
programforacceleratedlearningthatmakesitpossibleforeveryonetostudytherelationship
betweenhisorherownsleepandlearning
THC
tetrahydrocannabinol,psychoactivecompoundfoundinmarijuana
TMN
tuberomamillarynucleusofthehypothalamus,oneofthealertnesscentersinthebrain
TMS
transcranialmagneticstimulation,amethodofstimulatingportionsofthebrainwithoutsurgery
withthehelpofamagneticfield
VLPO
ventrolateralpreopticnucleus,oneofthemaincentersresponsiblefortheinitiationofsleep
Summary
ABCofsleep
Sleepisimportantforlearning,andcreativity!Sleepdeprivationresultsinintellectual
deprivation!
Sleepasmuchasyoufeelyouneed.Inawellalignedcircadiancycle,youcannotgettoomuch
sleep.
Sleepisnotfood.Youcannotgetmoreinadvanceandstoreitforlater.(see:Excessivesleeping)
Avoidalarmclocks.Theyarebadforlearningandbadforhealth!
Forgetabouttryingtofallasleepatpreplannedtime!Letyourbodydecide!
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Forgetabouttryingtofallasleepquickly!Ifyourbodydecidesitistherighttime,quicksleepwill
comenaturally!
Donottrytomakeyourselfsleepy!Itisenoughyoustayawakeandkeeponworking/learning
longenough!Naturalsleepwillcome!(see:Insomnia)
Itismuchbettertoeliminatethesourceofstressratherthantotrytoforgetstressfulsituations
rightbeforethebedtime!(see:Stress)
Ifyoucannotfallasleepin30minutes,getup!Youarenotyetreadyforsleep!(see:Insomnia)
Rememberthatabadnightisafactoroflife.Fewcanavoidit.However,religiousadherencetothe
sleephygieneruleswillhelpyoudramaticallyreducethebadnightoccurrence.Lifeisbeautifulif
yoursleepworksoutgreat!
Ifyousticktotherulesofhealthysleep,youshouldnotknowsleepinertia
Evenasmalldegreeofsleepdeprivationwilladdupoveraperiodofdaystoseverelyreducethe
performance
Sleepdeprivationcarriesastronomicalcoststosociety
Shiftworkandjetlagarebadforhealth!
Adulthumansarebiphasic,butbabiesarepolyphasic.Nonnappersalsoshowadipinlearning
performanceinmiddaytypicaltoabiphasicindividual.
Optimizingsleep
Thebestweaponagainstinsomniaistheappropriatetimingofsleep.Youshouldgotosleeponly
whenyouaretiredenough.
Ifyouwanttomaximizethetimespentinproductivewakefulness,readaboutfreerunningsleep.
Letyourbiologyworkforyou,notagainstyou
Insteadofminimizingsleep,youshouldoptimizetheamountofsleep.Thismeansyoushouldget
exactlyasmuchsleepasisneededtofulfillitsneuralfunctions
Learnthedetailsofyourownsleeptiming:howmanyhoursyousleep,howmanyhoursbefore
youneedtotakeanap,orgotosleepagain,etc.Usethisarticletofindouthowtocomputeyour
optimumschedule.UseSleepCharttogetvisualassistanceforhardercases.UseSuperMemoif
youwanttoseehowyoursleepaffectsyourlearning.
Everyoneexperiencesasubstantialdipintheirlearningcapacityinmidday,roughly7hoursfrom
naturalwaking.Thisisagreattimeforasiesta.Donotnaplaterthan8hoursfromnaturalwaking.
Ifyousleepitoutandstilldon'tfeelrefreshed,besureyoudonotsleepagainstyourcircadian
rhythm.Tryfreerunningsleep.Rememberthatyoumayneed12weekstosynchronizeallbody
functionsbeforethisstartsworkingtoperfection!
Ifyoucannotgetrefreshingsleepeveninfreerunningconditionsafteratleastamonthoftrying,
consultasleepexpert.Rememberthatevenfreerunningsleepmaybetrickyforpeoplewithsleep
phasedisordersorhighlyirregularsleep.However,youprobablystandatleast9095%chancethat
itwillanswermostofyoursleepqualityproblems!
Eveniffreerunningsleepisanearsolidguaranteeofgoodsleep,thefreerunningschedulemay
beincompatiblewithyourworkorsociallife.
Withoutsleepdeprivation,youminimizetotalsleepifyourunitfree.Humantendencytosleep
excessivelyisamyth.(see:Excessivesleeping)
Sleepandlearning
Alarmclocksarebadforlearning!
Yourabilitytolearndependsonyourcircadianclock,notontheclockthathangsonyourwall
Youshouldadjustthetimingofintellectualworktoyourcircadiancycle
Tapesforlearninginsleepareamarketingploy
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Afterahealthywelltimedsleep,bestrecalloccursintheearlymorninghours.Ifyouareanapper,
thesecondgoodlearningperiodisafterthesiesta.(see:Recall)
Afterhealthywelltimedsleep,bestmemoryconsolidation(bestlearning)occursintheearly
morninghours(see:Memoryconsolidation)
Forbestlearningresults,youneedgoodsleepbeforeandafterlearning(Walker2008[174])
Heavylearningimpedeslearningitselfmakingcrammingdoublycounterproductive
1. crammingleavesfewlongtermmemorytraces,
2. crammingquicklyinhibitsshorttermmemory
Thereisabigdifferenceinlearningcapacitybetweenbeingjustalertandbeingcrisplyalert
Thereisasubstantialmiddaydipinlearningperformance.Atthattime,anapisbetterthan
learning!(see:Biphasicnatureofhumansleep)
Napsaregreatforlearning.Donotconfusenaturalnapsofbiphasicsleepwith"designernaps",
e.g.polyphasic"Uberman"sleep!
Toolsforlearninginarelaxedstateareconducivetonapping.Theirusefulnessforactuallearning
islimited.
General
Sleepisgreatforbraingrowth.
Exerciseisgreatforsleepifproperlychosenandproperlytimed.Sleepisalsogreatforexercise.
Learningisgreatforsleepandsleepisgreatforlearning
Stress,alcohol,recreationaldrugsandsleepingpillsareallbadforsleep,esp.whenadministered
shortlybeforesleep
Stickwithgoodpeople!Fewthingscanruinsleepaseffectivelyasbadpeople!
Ifyouexperienceracingthoughtsatthetimewhenyourbodycallsforsleep,thebestmethodis:
getupanddosomethingthattiresyouintellectually!
Ifyouwanttocontributetosleepresearch,ortofindmoreaboutyourownsleepandlearning,orif
havenewideasinthesubject,pleasewritetome
Notallscientistsagreewithfactspresentedinthisarticle(seeexamples:JimHorneandDaniel
Kripke,RobertVertesandJeromeSiegel)
Children
Letbabiessleepondemand,cosleepingisvitalfortheiremotionalandintellectualdevelopment
Givenbasicsafetymeasures,bedsharingisgreatforbabiesandithelpsdeveloptheircircadian
patterns(aslongasthemomdoesnotviolatesleephygienerulesherself)
Don'teverwakebabiesorlittlechildren!Thisisbadfortheirbraingrowth!Unlessspecifically
indicatedbyapediatrician,feedingschedulemusttakeabackseat.Sleepingpatternsshouldrule
thewaythebaby'sdayisorganized
Ifyoumustsendkidstoakindergarten,makesureyouentrainanappropriatesleeppatternsothat
toneverneedtowakethekidsup!Thisisvitalfortheirbraingrowth!Ifyoucannotentraintheir
sleep,considerotheroptions(incl.nursingkidsathome)
Napping
Napsimprovementalperformance
Onenapperdayisenough
Napsshouldbetakeninthe7thhouroftheday,earliernapsareinefficient,laternapscanmessup
thecircadiancycle(see:Bestnaptiming)
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Napscannotmakeupfornighttimesleepdeprivation,however,theyareagreatboostforawell
restedmind!(see:Optimumnapduration)
Substances
Becarefulwithcaffeine.Drinkcoffeeonlyuponawakening(orafteranap,ifyoutakeone)
Donotgobeyondasingledrinkofalcoholperday(unlessyouexercisealot).Avoiddrinking
beforesleep(esp.inthelast23hoursbeforeyournightsleep)
Quitsmoking!
Marijuanaisafrenemy!Itmayhelpyousleep,butthatsleepwillnotberefreshing!
Melatonincanhelpyousleepearlierandadvancethesleepphase,butitwillalsoresultinaless
refreshingsleep
Roleofsleep
Themainfunctionofsleepistheoptimizationofmemoriesstoredintheneuralnetworksofthe
brain
Sleepdeprivationwouldresultindeathifitwasenforceable(probablyinamatterofweeks)
Thefataloutcomeofsleepdeprivationisprobablycausedbyamajorneuralnetworkmalfunction,
andpossiblyalsoduetothesecondaryeffectsofthesleepprotectionprogram(see:Whydowedie
withoutsleep?)
Healthypeoplewhoneversleepareamyth.Eithertheysleeportheydie.
DSPS
AmarkedportionoftheyoungstudyinggenerationisaffectedbyadegreeofaDSPSdisorder
TheepidemicincreaseinDSPScaseismostlikelycausedbythemodernlifestylebasedontheuse
ofelectricitythatdisruptsthetraditionalcycleofdaylightanddarkness,andtheassociatedsocial
cues(see:IsDSPSadisease?)
Normalpeoplemayexperienceaphaseshiftonafreerunningschedulerevealinganepidemic
mismatchbetweenmodernlifestyleandthebiologyofsleep
Polyphasicsleep
Polyphasicsleepresultsinchaoticphaseshiftresponses
Itislikelythatinpolyphasicsleepattempts,thecircadiancycleisrunninginthebackgroundasif
inzeitgeberfreeconditionswiththechaoticphaseshiftinginputscancellingeachotherout
Healthyhumanscannotentrainpolyphasicsleep,andcannotsustainapolyphasicschedulewithout
sleepdeprivation.Itisnotpossibletosleeppolyphasicallyandretainone'smaximumcreativity,
alertness,andhealthinthelongrun.Duetoalackofdirectentrainmentresponsefromthesleep
controlmechanism,longtermhealthyadaptationtoapolyphasicsleeppatternisnotpossible
Whoeverclaimstobeonaperpetualpolyphasicschedulemustbeeithersufferingfromasleep
disorder,orbeuntruthful.Claimsofsuccessfullyswitchingbetweenmonophasic,biphasic,and
polyphasiclifestylecannotpossiblybetruthfulunlesstheswitchismadeataseriouscosttoone's
cognitivefunctionandproductivity
Physiologyofsleep
Wefallintoahealthysleeponlyiftwoconditionsaremet:
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1. ourtirednessfromwakingishigh(highhomeostaticsleeppropensity),and
2. ourbodyclocksays"bedtime"(highcircadiansleeppropensity)
(see:Borbelymodel)
Sleepoperateslikeaflipflopwithsharptransitionsandstablesleeporwakingstages.Those
healthyfasttransitionsfromwakingtosleepandbackmaybelessefficientwhensleephygiene
rulesareviolated
Sleepalternatesbetweentwodifferentmodesinthenight:NREMsleepandREMsleep.Those
keepchangingin~90min.cycles.Bothstagesareveryimportantandplaydifferentrolesinthe
processoflearningandcreativity
Brainundergoesamajorreorganizationinsleep.Somesynapticweightsgetweakened.Othersget
strengthened.Neuralconnectionsareoptimizedforconsistentabstractassociativememorywith
minimuminterference
Humansleepcanberepositionedinreferencetotheclockbymeansofchronotherapy.The
changesinthesleepphaseproceedalongaphaseresponsecurve(PRC)
Sources
Thepresentedarticlehaslargelybeencompiledfromothersourcesatsupermemo.com.Thoseinclude:
Rootsofcreativityandgenius
FAQ:Goodsleepforgoodlearning
Poorsleep=poorlearning
SleepChart:Formulaforhealthysleep
Polyphasicsleep:mythsandfacts
PolyphasicSleep:5YearsLater!
FAQ:Polyphasicsleep
Goodsleep,goodlearning,goodlife(2000)
Howtojoinsleepandlearningresearch
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Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Sleepblocksaremarkedin blue .Learningblocksaremarkedin red .Totallearningtimeon

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Blue and red continuouslinesarepredictionsofoptimumsleeptimeusingtheSleepChartmodel

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Ifyouaretryingtodetermineyouroptimumbedtime,findtheeveningpeakinthe bluecurve and

Good sleep, good learning, good life

choosenearbypointsthatproducesufficientlylongsleep( redcurve highenough).Inaddition,pay

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life

Good sleep, good learning, good life