Well a couple of weeks ago I got my first cold since becoming anasomnatic (that's today's alias for polyphasic . From Ancient Greek prefix ana meaning again + Latin Somnat meaning pertaining to sleep. Gosh how I hate the word polyphasic, it's inaccurate, redundant and just plain ugly sounding.)
My cold progressed quickly - more quickly by far than any I have had. I was teaching and noticed a scratch in my throat. By the next day I was hoarse, and my throat sore. The next day my I was stuffy and sneezing, and the day after my cold had cleared up almost completely. I did not change my sleep schedule, I stuck with my regular three hours' sleep a night, and my regular gym schedule as well.
It was over in three days. I have never had a cold progress so quickly. I find it remarkable that I could have gotten over it in any less time than normal. Logic dictates that with so much less sleep this cold should have progressed to laryngitis (as it has done for me every other time I got a sore throat while teaching) and should have lasted two weeks as it always does.
I can only presume that sleeping deeply and often is what helps one heal best; sleeping for long periods of time seems counter-productive now since it seems that the longer one sleeps, the lighter one sleeps.
Things get more interesting all the time.
p.s. This morning I had another optical disturbance - the wallpaper in the hotel bathroom, consisting of shape-edged high-contrast vertical strips of black, yellow and white seemed to float in my vision a few inches from my face, demanding my attention and distracting me. Blinking did not make it go away, only looking away stopped it.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Polyphasic Weirdities and On-Demand Hallucinations
As much as I try to feel normal on this sleeping schedule, I still encounter episodic weirdness. For example, to make myself feel normal, I go to bed at midnight and get up at 3 am. Lots of people go to bed at midnight; many get up at 3am. Yet wandering the halls at 4 am recently I felt like a private detective lurking in a long dark alleyway; or like a cop walking the beat in a precinct of one.
Along with my mucous membrane improvement (which by the way, continues, although I have accommodated the change to a great degree and no longer notice it as much), my hearing continues to retain a silky quality, making music so enjoyable, regardless of the amount of percussive content.
My eyes continue to play tricks on me - no longer sore, no longer tired, they are getting better than they have ever been. Only yesterday I was able to read the most minute print on a package of Tukmaria - with some difficulty but I did it. This is something I have not been able to do at all since having lasik surgery many years ago to correct my nearsightedness. On top of that, my eyes should be getting worse as I age - I should be getting more farsighted.
In the hotel hallway 3 days ago, I looked at my iPhone to read an article and the checkered patterned floor seemed to come right up above the iPhone in such brightness and sharp focus that I had to blink a few times to make it recede so I could read the display - but I failed. It stayed raised above the level of the display and commanded my attention with its brightness. I moved away, walking outside, and was then able to read the display.
But laying in bed after a nap two days ago, I was absent-mindedly staring at the rough-textured plaster ceiling when the surface of the plaster began to move, and flow, and shimmer and crawl and flow slowly like a living river of liquid insects. I thought for a moment that I had let my eyes wander and that had caused the vision, so I held my gaze and sharpened my focus to see if it would come more into focus or go away as I expected. With that became a beautifully sharp focused hallucination - clearly a hallucination because I knew in my mind that the ceiling was not flowing, and yet I could see it as if it were real; only my prior experience with ceilings in general told me it could not be real. I tested the extent of the hallucination by looking left, and it was less, but still observable, then up, and right, again less - it was strongest in the center. To test my theory I focused my mind to not see the hallucination, and it simply evaporated. I found myself staring at a simple, plain ceiling. To see if I could repeat it, I called for it again in my brain, and then slowly it returned over the course of 15 seconds, back with the same intensity as before. Clearly a part of my vision as if the receptors in my eyes were functioning differently on demand, but not a part of my mental perception because, to risk a pun, I could "see right through it" - it didn't fool me at all, yet I could see it in great detail. It wasn't disconcerting, nor annoying, it was really a curiosity, yet one which I did not really want to experience. So I stopped it again, and then went about cleaning myself up to see if I could easily maintain normal vision, which I did successfully without incident since. A half-hour after the incident, I tried once in the hallway to see if I could recall the hallucination in a different setting, but it didn't come back.
Just now my curiosity overcame me, and I stared at this ceiling in a new hotel to see if I could recall the hallucination. This ceiling is flat with pairs of vertical lines every 3 feet where the joins are, and this time the lines began to vibrate together and apart and the ripples that reach outware from the lines began to flow. The smooth parts of the ceiling did not move, so together with the geometric floor episode, it seems that the hallucinations are a hypersenstivity to high-contrast sharp lines.
Interesting.
Along with my mucous membrane improvement (which by the way, continues, although I have accommodated the change to a great degree and no longer notice it as much), my hearing continues to retain a silky quality, making music so enjoyable, regardless of the amount of percussive content.
My eyes continue to play tricks on me - no longer sore, no longer tired, they are getting better than they have ever been. Only yesterday I was able to read the most minute print on a package of Tukmaria - with some difficulty but I did it. This is something I have not been able to do at all since having lasik surgery many years ago to correct my nearsightedness. On top of that, my eyes should be getting worse as I age - I should be getting more farsighted.
In the hotel hallway 3 days ago, I looked at my iPhone to read an article and the checkered patterned floor seemed to come right up above the iPhone in such brightness and sharp focus that I had to blink a few times to make it recede so I could read the display - but I failed. It stayed raised above the level of the display and commanded my attention with its brightness. I moved away, walking outside, and was then able to read the display.
But laying in bed after a nap two days ago, I was absent-mindedly staring at the rough-textured plaster ceiling when the surface of the plaster began to move, and flow, and shimmer and crawl and flow slowly like a living river of liquid insects. I thought for a moment that I had let my eyes wander and that had caused the vision, so I held my gaze and sharpened my focus to see if it would come more into focus or go away as I expected. With that became a beautifully sharp focused hallucination - clearly a hallucination because I knew in my mind that the ceiling was not flowing, and yet I could see it as if it were real; only my prior experience with ceilings in general told me it could not be real. I tested the extent of the hallucination by looking left, and it was less, but still observable, then up, and right, again less - it was strongest in the center. To test my theory I focused my mind to not see the hallucination, and it simply evaporated. I found myself staring at a simple, plain ceiling. To see if I could repeat it, I called for it again in my brain, and then slowly it returned over the course of 15 seconds, back with the same intensity as before. Clearly a part of my vision as if the receptors in my eyes were functioning differently on demand, but not a part of my mental perception because, to risk a pun, I could "see right through it" - it didn't fool me at all, yet I could see it in great detail. It wasn't disconcerting, nor annoying, it was really a curiosity, yet one which I did not really want to experience. So I stopped it again, and then went about cleaning myself up to see if I could easily maintain normal vision, which I did successfully without incident since. A half-hour after the incident, I tried once in the hallway to see if I could recall the hallucination in a different setting, but it didn't come back.
Just now my curiosity overcame me, and I stared at this ceiling in a new hotel to see if I could recall the hallucination. This ceiling is flat with pairs of vertical lines every 3 feet where the joins are, and this time the lines began to vibrate together and apart and the ripples that reach outware from the lines began to flow. The smooth parts of the ceiling did not move, so together with the geometric floor episode, it seems that the hallucinations are a hypersenstivity to high-contrast sharp lines.
Interesting.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Organ Recital
This past weekend I attended an organ recital on the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral. This organ is massive and the sound enchanting, being one of the 20 largest organs in the world. I took the opportunity to sit in the choir pews which rest between the organ's pipes scaling the walls on both sides of the pews. There were 5,000 pipes directly above me beginning 10 feet above my head and extending 3 stories upward, and another 5,000 facing me a mere 30 feet away in Gothic symmetry. Needless to say, embedded as I was in the body of the organ proper, the sound was awe-inspiring. Yet I had been touring the Cathedral since 2pm, and it was now 5:15, and the recital would progress for an hour, taking me well into my scheduled nap time. I closed my eyes to enjoy the sound, and felt the sound resonate all around me. Mid-way through the recital I also felt the grasp of my significant other's hand on my knee, I thought he was being affectionate - it surprised me in this public and conservative venue. Only later did he tell me... it was to wake me because I was snoring.
An Island of Stability
I have been remiss in updating this blog, not for a lack of time however, since I am still polyphasic and never wanting to go back.
First, I have been on a client site for 5 weeks, which requires a lot of flexibility in my sleep times during the day. So I have been on a consistent 3-hr per night schedule, with the occasional 4 or 5 hour night just because I felt like it, and on a couple of weekends I have slept 8 hours for one or two nights. I don't feel like the full nights are setbacks; in fact each time I take one and then go back to the 3-hour nights, I feel better being polyphasic than I did before. At 3 hours a night I am very well-rested each day, and my nap times vary by up to +/-2 hours without any difficulty. I call this a great success. My mental alertness and energy levels are way up.
Now an interesting observation; About a month ago I started to notice my mucous membranes all beginning to feel extremely smooth. I had a hard time figuring out what it was I was experiencing at first; I mean, who thinks about their mucous membranes, except in their nose when they are stuffed up? That is in fact where I first noticed the change - my sinuses cleared and I could feel them being more open than before. Now wait a minute - I have never in my life had a problem with my sinuses per-se, except with the odd cold or two. So for there to be an improvement there when there was never a problem in the first place to me was remarkable. (warning - this paragraph gets into bodily functions and will get weird. Please skip it if you are squeamish about reading about bodily functions.) Then I noticed other things: urinating felt, uhm, nice. Ok, I told you this would get weird. But it did, and flow was way up. BM's were effortless and - how can I say this - uhm felt smooth? Even after eating cheese.
Ok, we're over the bodily functions, but to continue on the mucous membrane track, I started to get a sweet taste in my mouth. All the time, just sitting and doing whatever, my mouth tastes sweet. It's hard to describe. All I know is that internally, linings have all improved (I didn't know they could - I was in great health before this) and it sure feels great. It is interesting to note that I have not read of this effect on anyone else's polyphasic blog, so I may be unique in this aspect. But if anyone has an allergy, it might be interesting to see if it would help it, although it did take a couple of months before this effect kicked in.
In a somehow similar vein, my hearing has changed. It is not more acute, nor less, however there is a distinct change in the quality of my hearing. Sounds seem lush, fluid, somewhat dreamy. Harshness is subdued, percussive tones are not jarring. It is so enjoyable to listen to music - it flows like a stream as the sounds mesh as if propagating through some invisible viscous fluid that does not damp it, only smooth it out.
On a different note, I bought some Ginko Biloba, a supplement which I have taken in the past that improves memory by stimulating brain circulation. It's effects had been unnoticable before, but I was hoping it would help me with alertness during the day - just in hopes of hone an even finer point on it. Well I took it for a couple of days and my concentration was sharper but then had to stop because for 3 days afterward I suffered difficulties falling asleep, and when asleep I was sleeping lightly. It made for a difficult 3 days because of the lack of sleep, so I am loath to try it again, but I am curious as to why it had such a stimulating effect on me when I did not before. Of course, alchohol and caffiene have a much more pronounced effect on me now that I am polyphasic, and I have been without them both for 6 weeks now (with the exception of an iced tea here and there which does not seem to cause me any problems) but for ginko to stimulate that greatly - odd. It isn't classified as a stimulant.
Well the experiment is becoming an addicting way of life. When I tell people that I sleep 3 hours a night (and I'm thinking that it is a lot of sleep for me) they are still astounded. Whereas I am rather over the novelness of the practice, and am simply striving each day to fine-tune it even more. My current sleeping patterns are:
- core: 3 hrs, 12midnight to 3am (start time +/- 2 hours, duration +0 to +5 hrs every 5 to 7 days)
- 3 daytime naps, 20 minutes each: 7:30am, 12noon, 6pm. (start time +/- 2 hours) Laying down while napping gives me the best rest, so I do whatever I can to find a place where I can be horizontal. I have even crawled under a desk at work - shhhhh no-one saw me lol. When necessary, napping in a chair is not too bad.
- ah-hoc naps: frequency as desired when alertness is severely degraded: 5-10 minutes duration (usually with my head on a desk, although I have laid down for a few)
Nap locations:
- bed (ahhhhh - always the best)
- back seat of car (I usually revert to this while at work) - fabulous
- under an unused desk at work (wasn't too bad)
- bathrooms (ugh - I hate doing that, but when there is no-where else, I am always able to sit down there and nap. I nap sitting up, so it is not good quality rest, but it will get me through the day.)
After experiencing the increased efficiency of this sleep schedule and now realizing how much more alert I am after a 20-minute nap, I wonder about the social stigma of napping during the day at work - how in the world did it occur? Why does it exist? If employees are allowed to take breaks, why would there not be a place to rest, I mean really rest? It is something unthought of in our culture - it is taboo. Instead, stimulants are the first choice, and completely accepted and even encouraged.
On a side note, my 60-something mother is recovering from cancer surgery, and while I was visiting her for a week (got a week to work "from home" and chose to work from their place so I could visit) I encouraged her to nap on my schedule, without cutting back on her evening sleep. The first day she couldn't nap, but within a couple of days she was napping like a pro, and the difference for her was remarkable. Her energy levels were way up, and her mood and disposition where wonderful. Then after a few days she let it slip, and I could easily see the difference between the "napping mom" and the "non-napping mom." After a few days, her napping was so good she was staying up later, and still feeling great all day - something she always loves to do. So even if you are not polyphasic, perhaps recovering from a trauma such as my mom, naps seem to serve a very important function.
Onward, upward, uhm, and then to sleep.
p.s. I love being a morning person now. It is still a little disconcerting to have to nap during the day, especially the 6pm nap is difficult to deal with, coming right after work and right before dinner it seems to make a hole in my evening, especially if people want to do something after work, but everyone at work knows my sleep schedule, and they accomodate it much more than I thought they would. I now hear from my manager "I want you to work on this over your lunch hour, after your nap." Remarkable.
First, I have been on a client site for 5 weeks, which requires a lot of flexibility in my sleep times during the day. So I have been on a consistent 3-hr per night schedule, with the occasional 4 or 5 hour night just because I felt like it, and on a couple of weekends I have slept 8 hours for one or two nights. I don't feel like the full nights are setbacks; in fact each time I take one and then go back to the 3-hour nights, I feel better being polyphasic than I did before. At 3 hours a night I am very well-rested each day, and my nap times vary by up to +/-2 hours without any difficulty. I call this a great success. My mental alertness and energy levels are way up.
Now an interesting observation; About a month ago I started to notice my mucous membranes all beginning to feel extremely smooth. I had a hard time figuring out what it was I was experiencing at first; I mean, who thinks about their mucous membranes, except in their nose when they are stuffed up? That is in fact where I first noticed the change - my sinuses cleared and I could feel them being more open than before. Now wait a minute - I have never in my life had a problem with my sinuses per-se, except with the odd cold or two. So for there to be an improvement there when there was never a problem in the first place to me was remarkable. (warning - this paragraph gets into bodily functions and will get weird. Please skip it if you are squeamish about reading about bodily functions.) Then I noticed other things: urinating felt, uhm, nice. Ok, I told you this would get weird. But it did, and flow was way up. BM's were effortless and - how can I say this - uhm felt smooth? Even after eating cheese.
Ok, we're over the bodily functions, but to continue on the mucous membrane track, I started to get a sweet taste in my mouth. All the time, just sitting and doing whatever, my mouth tastes sweet. It's hard to describe. All I know is that internally, linings have all improved (I didn't know they could - I was in great health before this) and it sure feels great. It is interesting to note that I have not read of this effect on anyone else's polyphasic blog, so I may be unique in this aspect. But if anyone has an allergy, it might be interesting to see if it would help it, although it did take a couple of months before this effect kicked in.
In a somehow similar vein, my hearing has changed. It is not more acute, nor less, however there is a distinct change in the quality of my hearing. Sounds seem lush, fluid, somewhat dreamy. Harshness is subdued, percussive tones are not jarring. It is so enjoyable to listen to music - it flows like a stream as the sounds mesh as if propagating through some invisible viscous fluid that does not damp it, only smooth it out.
On a different note, I bought some Ginko Biloba, a supplement which I have taken in the past that improves memory by stimulating brain circulation. It's effects had been unnoticable before, but I was hoping it would help me with alertness during the day - just in hopes of hone an even finer point on it. Well I took it for a couple of days and my concentration was sharper but then had to stop because for 3 days afterward I suffered difficulties falling asleep, and when asleep I was sleeping lightly. It made for a difficult 3 days because of the lack of sleep, so I am loath to try it again, but I am curious as to why it had such a stimulating effect on me when I did not before. Of course, alchohol and caffiene have a much more pronounced effect on me now that I am polyphasic, and I have been without them both for 6 weeks now (with the exception of an iced tea here and there which does not seem to cause me any problems) but for ginko to stimulate that greatly - odd. It isn't classified as a stimulant.
Well the experiment is becoming an addicting way of life. When I tell people that I sleep 3 hours a night (and I'm thinking that it is a lot of sleep for me) they are still astounded. Whereas I am rather over the novelness of the practice, and am simply striving each day to fine-tune it even more. My current sleeping patterns are:
- core: 3 hrs, 12midnight to 3am (start time +/- 2 hours, duration +0 to +5 hrs every 5 to 7 days)
- 3 daytime naps, 20 minutes each: 7:30am, 12noon, 6pm. (start time +/- 2 hours) Laying down while napping gives me the best rest, so I do whatever I can to find a place where I can be horizontal. I have even crawled under a desk at work - shhhhh no-one saw me lol. When necessary, napping in a chair is not too bad.
- ah-hoc naps: frequency as desired when alertness is severely degraded: 5-10 minutes duration (usually with my head on a desk, although I have laid down for a few)
Nap locations:
- bed (ahhhhh - always the best)
- back seat of car (I usually revert to this while at work) - fabulous
- under an unused desk at work (wasn't too bad)
- bathrooms (ugh - I hate doing that, but when there is no-where else, I am always able to sit down there and nap. I nap sitting up, so it is not good quality rest, but it will get me through the day.)
After experiencing the increased efficiency of this sleep schedule and now realizing how much more alert I am after a 20-minute nap, I wonder about the social stigma of napping during the day at work - how in the world did it occur? Why does it exist? If employees are allowed to take breaks, why would there not be a place to rest, I mean really rest? It is something unthought of in our culture - it is taboo. Instead, stimulants are the first choice, and completely accepted and even encouraged.
On a side note, my 60-something mother is recovering from cancer surgery, and while I was visiting her for a week (got a week to work "from home" and chose to work from their place so I could visit) I encouraged her to nap on my schedule, without cutting back on her evening sleep. The first day she couldn't nap, but within a couple of days she was napping like a pro, and the difference for her was remarkable. Her energy levels were way up, and her mood and disposition where wonderful. Then after a few days she let it slip, and I could easily see the difference between the "napping mom" and the "non-napping mom." After a few days, her napping was so good she was staying up later, and still feeling great all day - something she always loves to do. So even if you are not polyphasic, perhaps recovering from a trauma such as my mom, naps seem to serve a very important function.
Onward, upward, uhm, and then to sleep.
p.s. I love being a morning person now. It is still a little disconcerting to have to nap during the day, especially the 6pm nap is difficult to deal with, coming right after work and right before dinner it seems to make a hole in my evening, especially if people want to do something after work, but everyone at work knows my sleep schedule, and they accomodate it much more than I thought they would. I now hear from my manager "I want you to work on this over your lunch hour, after your nap." Remarkable.
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