Is good sleep continuous, or can it come in chunks?

There’s an ongoing debate as to whether or not splitting the amount of slumber you get into chunks is the key to “good sleep.” Sleeping in this way has advantages for some, but it’s not for everyone.

Sleeping in one stretch each night is termed “monophasic sleep” by clinicians. Biphasic sleep is where your sleep is split into two sessions with a period of wakefulness in between, and polyphasic sleep is sleep split into multiple chunks across a 24-hour period.

Most people in the West have monophasic sleep, sleeping in a single seven-to-nine-hour chunk each night, but in some regions—especially in hot climates—people tend toward biphasic sleep. For example, in Spain, stores traditionally close for a few hours after lunch so people can nap during the afternoon heat before staying up late and sleeping for a shorter time at night. Polyphasic sleep is most prevalent among people who need to be awake at random points throughout the day and night, such as new parents, but there is evidence that long-term polyphasic sleep patterns can have a negative effect on health.

TIMING YOUR SLEEP CHUNKS

If you choose a biphasic or polyphasic sleep pattern, pay attention to the length of your “sleep chunks.” Less than six continuous hours of sleep generally is not long enough to complete all the sleep stages needed for optimum rest and repair. (One sleep cycle takes up to 90 minutes, and it is ideal to complete four to five cycles in one sleep session.) So a monophasic sleep pattern gives most people the best chance of achieving good, restorative sleep. However, if work or lifestyle makes it difficult to achieve this, try to ensure that one of your sleeping chunks is long enough to let your body complete its cycle of rest and repair.

Segmenting your sleep

These examples illustrate that a monophasic sleep pattern is best suited to someone with a “9 to 5” lifestyle. A biphasic pattern could include an afternoon sleep, as shown here, or any combination of two chunks of sleep.

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