lauantai 30. huhtikuuta 2011

Finally Giving Up

Sleep deprivation just keeps battering me into submission. I'm gonna go monophasic for a while to clear any possible debts. I didn't oversleep today, just fell asleep while at my computer as I was so tired.

What next? I don't know, perhaps I'll go Uberman early, as there's not really enough space before June to do any schedule.

Anyway, I won't be posting here for some time, it can be only a few days, or it could be couple of weeks, depending on how long I have patience with monophasic life.

perjantai 29. huhtikuuta 2011

Oops I Did It Again

Another barrier broken - I never expected to quote a Britney Spears song on my header. Anyway, my fears became reality. I still think that the method I have for waking up is foolproof, but that wasn't available last night.

I've overslept so much lately, that it's practically like I've had a monophasic week at this point. I think all of the progress on any schedule has been cleared. But I'll have one more attempt at making this schedule work with my foolproof methods.

Meanwhile, I was aiming to open the website by the end of the April, but I'm learning that I can be quite an procrastinator. Though I already knew that. Earliest you can expect the site is June, which would fit in a sense that I'll be starting Uberman then, so not only would there be interest in that sense but I would also have time to write more. Not that I'm lacking time at the moment.

torstai 28. huhtikuuta 2011

Logging New Schedule Day 2

The first day was a catastrophe in terms of nap lenghts and such and to be honest while I managed to fulfill my own criteria of success this second day was still far from perfect.

The main core was nearly perfect though. Great amount of REM, decent amount of deep sleep. Overall I've gotten less than usual deep sleep during the past two days. It's a bit weird, but I'm not worrying about it.

As for naps, both were extremely short. I guess the lack of sleep deprivation is making it hard for me to fall asleep. Still I did get to sleep for a short while and the results from the evening nap were encouraging as I got five minutes of REM out of 10 minutes I was asleep. In the past over 60 days I've been polyphasing I've only had twice more REM on that nap, so considering it was only ten-minute nap that's great.

The other core was decent. I was asleep nearly the time I was supposed to, 1:25, but that was split as I woke up shortly after falling asleep. Like I've said, we are still long way from drawing conclusions, but that core had super-short amounts of REM and deep. So it still is for the most part ineffective. There's also no data yet to deduce the optimal lenght of it. I think I need at least a week before I can say anything. Meanwhile I'll keep that core around 90-120 minutes.

First nap, my usual money nap in terms of dream recall and lucids, was so short that Zeo didn't even register anything. However I felt that I was shortly asleep and I even had some vague recall of a dream, so it didn't just suck.

Overall stats for the day are: Total sleep: 4:55 / REM: 1:28 / Deep: 1:16
Effective part of the sleep 2:44
Percentage of the total: 56 %

That's a fair percentage, but I am confident that it can be improved from this at least slightly. I would aim for 65 %, but we'll see if that's too ambitious. Better than that would be amazing.

keskiviikko 27. huhtikuuta 2011

Let's Hope We're Finally Underway

Yesterday I overslept once again, but luckily got that streak over today. I'm a bit worried about tomorrow morning as I'm in the sort of mode at the moment that I, for some reason don't get up immediately when I wake up in the morning. I can't help it for some reason. It's hard to explain, so I won't even try.

Anyway, I'm still trying the schedule I outlined couple of posts ago. Tonight's stats got all fucked up, apparently my band was not properly on or something as only 41 minutes of data got collected from my 90 minute nap.

My sleep is probably because of the oversleeps in a sort of fucked up state. There's a ton of light sleep. In fact, out of the 3 hours and 52 minutes of data that got collected today, only 19 minutes were REM! There wasn't even the usual amount of deep sleep, only 1:11 of that. Weird shit, huh? Still, I didn't feel too tired today. I'm now 30 minutes away from my time to sleep, and now I am finally a bit tired, but it's no challenge to stay up for the rest of the time.

Like I said, I hope I wake up properly tomorrow. It would frustrate immensely to oversleep again. I'm doing all I can to tip the odds into my favor.

sunnuntai 24. huhtikuuta 2011

Oversleep

I suck. No updates coming today, I slept nearly 9 hours. For my defence it has to be said that I woke up from the core amidst of deep sleep. No wonder I don't remember much of it.

I don't know... But I'll keep going. Now it looks pretty bad again, like I'm doomed to fail, but at least I'll win some hours if I keep it up.

"Lucid Dreaming" Schedule Ended Up With No Dreams

It's true, my twelve day streak of dream recall is at ruins. I didn't remember any dreams.

But, on the wakefulness front the new schedule feels promising even as things didn't go perfectly today. I feel compelled to write in old log style as I'm again on a new schedule, so let's go through different phases quickly.

Core
Sleep: 3:22 / REM: 0:44 / Deep 1:33

Core went as I expected after an oversleep - I got all the sleep necessary for it. I was slightly tired upon waking up, but it was no challenge at all to get up. I woke up 5-10 minutes after my REM period was over, so if this keeps up, I need to shorten the core just slightly to hit the right spot. That said you can't put too much emphasis on this as it was after an oversleep.

Nap 1:
Sleep: 0:14 / REM: 0:06 / Deep 0:00

Well I guess I was really well rested after the core as I had huge trouble falling asleep for the first nap and even then it wasn't 100 % REM as it usually is. If this continues, my plan with this schedule might be in ruins. That said, this was probably one-off coincidence.

Core 2:
Sleep: 1:08 / REM: 0:15 / Deep 0:16

This was a little short, I aimed for 90 minutes, but I am not used to getting back to be so early. If this falling asleep problem continues with this nap, I need to shift my schedule a bit, which would be unfortunate, as the current time for this is a perfect fit. In fact, everything is perfectly as it is, I'd hate to break the status quo. That said, REM and Deep during this weren't as I expected them to be. I had really short phase of both in the middle of the nap. I expected something like a bit of deep half an hour in and after that some light sleep, then a long REM phase. Once again, I can still expect anything from this nap in tomorrow, perhaps I even manage to get this to the lenght I intended it.

Nap 2:
Sleep: 0:13 / REM: 0:03 / Deep 0:01

Once again I had trouble falling asleep and even though I shifted the alarm a bit later I still fell short of the intended nap lenght. As previous "core" was nothing like I expected it to be it was a little surprise that this nap would not work as it was intended to do. If I'd get the second core to act like a real core, then perhaps this would serve as an another high-potential REM-nap. We'll see.

Overall the day was very, very good. I felt completely alert all day without a hint off tiredness. I had my lazy moments, but they weren't down to physical or mental fatigue. This was probably the best day of the year so far when it comes to mental state. I wasn't very productive, which is unfortunate, but I expect things only to get better from here on.

Oh, and here are the totals:
Sleep: 4:57 / REM: 1:08 / Deep 1:50

Hell, that's more deep sleep than I get even while on monophasic. No wonder I feel so great! With normal, 9 hour monophasic sleep I do get about 2.5-3x the REM though, but maybe that isn't so important? Besides, I slept just over a hour less than intended and my naps didn't have the effectiveness they should have had, so there's potential to get over two hours with that. If I'd get that big numbers, I'd think we've found a keeper. I can totally see myself using this schedule permanently, after I'm done with all the testing of different schedules.

But whoa, I'm getting way ahead of myself. There's no quarantee that I can keep even these results up. Perhaps it will start to deteriorate just like normal Everyman did. Perhaps not. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

perjantai 22. huhtikuuta 2011

Another Oversleep, Changing Schedules

This morning, for first time in a few months, I genuinely slept through my alarm. Usually I just fall asleep again after waking up to alarms, so I guess in that sense this was more acceptable. I'd had my fill though, it just doesn't seem that I'm going to adapt to Everyman, even to my slightly looser version, not at least now.

I'm switching to another variation of Everyman I came up with. My schedule stays mostly unchanged, just the second nap turns to another core. I have a clear idea what I'm expecting of it, but of course I need to see it in action to see what happens. Lets get to it.

Core - 2:00-5:30
This has varied a bit for me during the Everyman, but overall 3½ hours seems the best for me, I get two short phases of REM and all of my deep sleep here. However, with normal Everyman this would change for some reason - I would only get one phase of REM and wake up very messed up. I believe that this is a part of adaptation, I just need to fare though that phase. However, I believe that the second core changes things, because oversleeps have reset this. Always on the morning after an oversleep, I've had a lot better sleep quality with my core and I wake up less tired. So let's hope that the added sleep to nap helps with this.

Nap 1 - 9.00-9.30 - "Lucid" nap
I have gotten plenty of lucid dreams during this nap. Why? Because it's all REM!

Stats tell you all you need to know: In last four days, average nap lenght has been 25 minutes, with 21 minutes of REM. In earlier effort this month it was 16 minutes of REM in 20 minutes of sleep. I know that this nap works like polyphasic naps should work, so no need to change anything.

Core II: 13.00-14.30
I'll be starting with 90 minutes, but I'll see how my body reacts. All I want is a one solid phase of REM and possibly a few minutes of deep sleep. I want to time my waking up perfectly in the end of REM. It might be best to have two hours here, or I might be able to do that with 60 minutes. We'll see.

Nap 2 - 21.00-21.30
I don't know where to put this nap to be honest. Usually I have a longer break between 2nd and a third nap, so maybe that's even more approriate now given that I sleep longer during the day. Anyway, I hope that the second core has the same effect as the first and gets me to have REM during this nap as well. I mean just overall this schedule seems perfect for having a lot of lucid dreams.

It shouldn't be too hard to adapt either, but we'll see. I guess the biggest challenge for me will be, once again, to get up once alarm goes off. In a sense this is more of an biphasic schedule with naps, so it shouldn't be too hard. I should have 6 hours of sleep everyday, so this doesn't even win me that many hours.

In a sense this is just a preparation for the real deal. I plan to stay on this schedule for at least a month. If it doesn't seem that I'm fully adapted to it in last week of May, I'll return to monophasic for a week to clear the worst of sleep debts away. Then it's time for the real deal: Uberman. June will be spent on that. If I don't adapt, I'll switch to SPAMAYL in July. August will still be open to pretty much anything. I hope that I do adapt to something. That said, I'll probably have to return to monophasic for last week of July, it's all still open

keskiviikko 20. huhtikuuta 2011

Anti-Climactic 200th Post

This is blog's 200th post - and most likely one of the last ever. In many ways it's a typical post - I'm moaning about an oversleep!

I got up from core well enough, but fell asleep fail sitting. Luckily it was only 30 minutes or so. Then cats or something disrupted my first nap. Anyway, today was already ruined by the morning core

I did stay under 4h 40 mins yesterday and it looks like that will happen today as well. In that sense I'm staying on track. At the very least I'm sleep-deprived... Yay?

tiistai 19. huhtikuuta 2011

Pattern Continues, No Oversleeps Though

I failed today again. Didn't oversleep though, at least in the sense I think of oversleeps. However, I slept too long in the second nap, going over the 25-minute mark to 30 minutes. It's not bad really, but by my new definition of failure, it's a failure. It also seems like I go over the 4 hour 40 minute mark of total sleep today.

Also, I didn't get up straight away on... well, any of the naps or core. I just laid down after waking up, it's almost a miracle I didn't oversleep.

Now this truly is a lack of discipline, instead of just bad decisions while tired. I need to step it back up.

Deterioration Hittinhg Again

I overslept again yesterday. It was a real moment of truth for me, as I realized I was falling back to the old deterioration pattern, which usually by the end of the month means I'm practically monophasic.

It's different kind of tiredness that fucks me up always this late in the month. I feel drowsy, but not total zombie, so it kind of lulls you into this false sense of security - "I'll stay awake fine, I can even lie downzzzZZZZZZZ..."

But I'll try to interrupt that pattern now. To be honest I'm still lacking weapons to fight simple lack of discipline in getting up. When you are in that tired mode it's not the same mind thinking that usually is. That's why it's no use to get too upset to yourself - perhaps on the fact that you couldn't find a way to prevent it, but not the thing itself.

Last four days has been of oversleep - good day - oversleep - good day -pattern. I would like to notch up a few good days in a row for a change. It's not gonna be easy though. I really should train with alarm, but it just seems I never find the time.

perjantai 15. huhtikuuta 2011

Overslept Again

Guess who? Exactly, didn't get up straight away. I need more alarms that require me to get up. It's simple luckily, I just have to put my Zeo further from my bed. I really pondered whether I should continue this as it looks like the same quick deterioration that my Everyman usually gets. But yeah, I'll keep going.

Uberman effort is coming also close, I don't know whether I'll start it late May or early June, but anyway it's only 1½-2 months away. Whether it's doomed to fail, we'll see. I'm hopeful as it really get you to different mindset compared to Everyman.

keskiviikko 13. huhtikuuta 2011

I Must Get Rid of Oversleeping

The details of the morning are a bit in the dark for me, but I did oversleep heavily after seven days of near-perfect adherence - only failed day was the day I last blogged where I had a 20 minute oversleep. I had gone through tough middle period of the week and I was starting to feel better.

This morning, I felt okay. I even typed it on the computer. I'm still keeping records on every phase with the old 1-5 scale. I had put 3 for the morning.

I made the obvious mistake of staying in the bed for extended lenght. In fact, I could from now on consider it a failure - whether I sleep or not - if I don't get up right away. That said, I did remember that after some time of that lying around I was getting up, after all I had already marked data into my records. But I don't know what I did do after that. If I continued to lie around, what the fuck man? It's never acceptable to stay in the bed after waking up, or hell ever, except when you're feeling very good. Then you can do it while you read magazines or watch tv or whatever.

I'm rambling a bit. I gotta get going, my schedule went FUBAR because of that oversleep, so I have to do some stuff that was supposed to have been done YESTERDAY.

I'll proceed as normal, but this time with even stricter conditions of failure.

sunnuntai 10. huhtikuuta 2011

Day Four - Zombie Mode

Remember last summer (if you were around here) when I wrote some weird shit half-asleep? Well, I'm in that mode now. Probably the first time that has happened under Everyman. I've been tired, but no as tired as this.

Overall there's something weird going on with this effort. It's a lot harder than it's supposed to be. I've been tired all the time. I guess that's because for once I've actually somewhat of adhered to the schedule. Today was the day I slept the most, 4½ hours, just the amount my schedule is supposed to provide. My average for four days is now exactly four hours.

I'll still trying to survive until 2 am, it's now only 0:45 here, so over a hour to go before core.

perjantai 8. huhtikuuta 2011

Day Two's End - I'm Tired

I've adhered perfectly now for two days. According to Zeo though I didn't sleep on couple of naps yesterday and one on today, but that's a bit bizarre when the graph shows a bit of sleep on every one of those. What's important though is that I remember sleeping, so I've marked up only a couple of minutes of sleep for those naps.

I'm very tired, the most tired I'd been for a while. I'm just writing this to stay awake for the last 10 minutes before I can go to sleep. My schedule basicly sets itself up for about 4½ hours of sleep / day, but I've gotten barely 4 hours, which basicly makes it more like standard Everyman. But it's the naps where the sleep is lacking - the core and the first nap are longer than usual still.

I'm still playing around with the core lenght. I thought I had it figured out but this morning, despite having 10 minutes more than yesterday I didn't get the second REM cycle which left me fucked up for the whole day. Yesterday I managed to get it fully, this time it didn't even start by the time my alarm went off. So today I'm probably going to sleep the full 3½ hours my schedule allows. We'll see what happens.

I put that bounty on my head also by the way, but I don't even know if anyone knows. I just put a note on the refridgerator that has my sleep times and that tells if you catch me sleeping outside those times, he/she who reads must wake me up and collect the reward. I don't know if it will matter at all, especially since most of my oversleeps come around 5 am, when nobody else is awake.

God I'm tired. I gotta go now, just going to grind couple of minutes more awake. I'm gonna pass out soon. Tomorow morning's gonna be tough, but I'm constantly psyching myself to push harder.

keskiviikko 6. huhtikuuta 2011

Restarting

Well I'm embarrased to make another one of this kind of posts, but what can I say... You can't change your results without changing yourself. That's apparently the case. I had heavy oversleep today so I might as well consider myself starting from day one.

I'm putting a reward on my head that if I'm sleeping outside my pre-planned zones and someone spots me doing that, I'll pay them. That alone probably isn't enough to change me, so I'll start training when I feel good by going to bed, setting my alarm couple of minutes away and then just instantly getting up. Repeat ad nauseam and maybe, just maybe I could get a pavlovian response out of myself when it matters and get up.

But anyway, the point of this is, that I'm going in again, and this time I'm going in hard - I have to have results before the summer, at least that's how I feel.

maanantai 4. huhtikuuta 2011

Three Strikes and You're Out

STTTTRRRRRRIKE ONE!

So I overslept today - it was the good old lack of discipline thing. I either should just practice getting up so much it becomes a pavlovian response to shut down the alarm and get up or just have many more alarms scattered across the room. I read about an alarm that shoots a ball when it goes off, now I do want that! But yeah, it wasn't bad oversleep, 30 minutes extra on core and 30 minutes extra on first nap.

I've recently decided exactly what I consider as a failure. For core, anything over 3h 30 min is an oversleep. First nap can be a little longer than the others, so I allow 35 minutes for it - I want to try WILD with this nap. The other two naps have 25 minutes max each. I guess that's really tight, but it's better to have tight standards than loose.

So how many times can you oversleep before you might as well quit? Well, in my experience, three times is a good guess. Obviously if you keep trying you're going to have a few oversleeps more before the schedule completely crumbles, but I feel that after three oversleeps you have lost all the momentum and have no chance to adapt.

That means I can still fuck up once before I might as well give up. That said, if the third oversleep happens too early in the month, I'll still keep trying, just trying to prove me wrong.

I haven't made any progress on the site (god I hate being lazy). I'll at least go through a tons of sleepwrite I've made here in case I find something useful for the site.