Day Eleven - Starting of the Final Effort

Alright, here we go. I really feel exhausted mentally and I'm ready to call it quits, so all of my remaining willpower will be going to this last effort.

I have this daytime to figure out ways to stay awake during night and of course to avoid oversleeping. I will probably be sleeping on the sofa, that's my first change. I guess I'll be re-introducing the fourth alarm as well.

Things to do to avoid falling asleep when feeling tired:
- Eat.
- Go for a walk.
- Well, you know..
- Play football.
- Cold shower.
- Punching bag.
- Play poker (possibly an expensive one, but I'd think it'd wake me up a bit to have some money on the line).
- Keep active at all times, don't succumb to waiting for next nap.
- Stretch.
- Convince yourself that sleep-deprivation is actually fun.

Things to do to not oversleep:
- Multiple alarms, the obvious one.
- Strong autosuggestion.
- Being in the middle of something while going to sleep.
- Sleeping in weird places.
- Making sleep as uncomfortable as possible.

Oh c'mon, couldn't it be the time to nap already? I hate being tired. I want my REM-nap to get refreshed. Fortunately it's dawn already and I don't have to feel tired during day. I'm already badly sleep-deprived and currently nodding constantly and hearing voices in my head (and having urge to say something back at times). I guess it's the long-term sleep deprivation that's affecting me now. Luckily I can get my REM-nap now. At least it should be that since it's the third nap of the day.. Or at least should be.

Day 11.3
Naptime 9:35-10:00, 25 min
Mental: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tiredness: 0 1 2 3 4 5
REM: Yes

And indeed it was. I went to sleep perhaps a bit early and probably fall asleep instantly, so it was also on the longer side. That didn't matter because I seizured awake the instant my alarm went off straight from REM-dream, that was more vivid than usual, realistic and that had felt like it had gone for a long time. When it comes to being refreshed, there's still some initial groggyness so I'll be evaluating that in let's say like half an hour.

I needed a dream like that to push me some extra motivation, because I was really ready just to dump it all during last phase. Now I again feel like fighting for it. Schedule like Uberman is definitely worst fighting for. When I talked about this with my dad is strongest counter-argument was that "he likes sleep", we'll, I'd argue that Uberman indeed is sleep-lovers schedule.

I mean think about it - if you like to sleep as an experience or recreation in itself, then you'll get much more when you are polyphasic. When you go to sleep, you only remember falling asleep, that state where you drifted between sleep and awake. Then you'll remember possibly some of the dreams in between before finally waking up. In polyphasic, you'll get that falling asleep 6 times, get better dreams and remember them more easily and you're at most 3 hours 40 minutes away from your next sleep. I'd argue that if you really love sleep, you should go polyphasic. However, if you really, really do love sleep I doubt that you could survive the sleep deprivation.

Well, now that some time has passed I still feel a little light-headed, which indicates to me that some of the sleepiness has carried over. It's kind of refreshing to be tired during the day, but I doubt I'll have trouble before night no matter what.

Since this is most probably my last day of this attempt, I guess I feel I have to empty my mind of material before it's too late. Also writing about this helps me keep my concentration on this and perhaps motivates as well. That's why I'll be going to write much today in-between naps about variety of topics, namely whatever comes to mind. Since there's one follower for my log I take it that there might even be some people interested in reading ramblings of a badly sleep-deprived madman.

I gotta say that I'm gravely dissapointment in myself for not adapting when it was so near and so achievable. I might have to wait a chance like this until next summer. That isn't too bad you might think and it may not even be, but man am I dissapointed. To oversleep in such many nights in a row and in very similar conditions means that I really lacked the resilience, determination and discipline to make it through. Not to mention some lazyness in my planning, especially when the problems were there to everyone t odeal.

Okay, it's only 50 minutes since waking up and my eyelids are trying to force shut. It's not overwhelming feeling like it sometimes gets, but I think it's the cue for me to go to kick ball around a little. That ought to wake me up a little more.

This has been tougher-than-usual noon phase, which is kind of ominous sign considering tonight, but maybe I can pull it off, who knows.. At least you could think this daytime tiredness as a practice for night, though I ought to have enough practice by this time. At least it might increase the continuity and make it easier for me to just continue doing the same things I do during day to stay awake.

Day 11.4
Naptime 13:40-14:55, 15 min
Mental: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tiredness: 0 1 2 3 4 5
REM: Yes

Well, there goes the claim that I only have REM during third naps. Had it during this nap as well. It was somewhat refreshing nap and it obviously felt very long again. I woke up before the alarm. My brother commented that I look pretty tired so apparently I am really messed up at the moment. Well not exactly this moment but overall at this point of the effort.

So now two naps into the last attempt and as usual, I'm starting to feel hopeful etc. It has really been a pattern so far, going on for about 4-6 naps and gaining momentum then crashing out.

Day 11.5
Naptime 17:40-18:00, 20 min
Mental: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tiredness: 0 1 2 3 4 5
REM: No

I got up more tired than what I was when going to sleep. Still nothing major. Once the tiredness got away I started feeling pretty normal and functional.

Day 11.6
Naptime 21:45-22:00, 15 min
Mental: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tiredness: 0 1 2 3 4 5
REM: No

I really don't know if I slept that long. I'm not sure about REM either. Anyway, I'm relatively rested now and considering that were on the verge of the night that's good news. Now I just need to figure out something to do that keeps me alert..

I listened to music for an hour and then played football with my dad for half an hour - that's right, I played football with my about 45-year-old overweight dad, who hasn't ran in 20 years - and it was midnight. It was pretty odd scene for sure. His accuracy was a little off, so I had to run pretty much, but still I'd say I didn't exert myself too badly. I doubt this matters at any point during tonight. If anything it was energizing like playing footie usually is.