Polynapping and Having a Social Life

I've heard it said several times that it would be tricky to do a polynapping cycle and have an avid social life. People don't seem to think that it could be done because of the odd, ultraradian cycle we use.

At first, I had a little trepidation about the concept of maintaining a social life during this experiment as well. It is odd. Or, at least, it's not what the "normal" people do. ;)

But for me, my social experiences with it have been nothing but positive: I get to spend more time with my wife and people I've told have been sincere and interested. Other people have let me sleep in their bedrooms when hanging out with them. So far, the best response I've gotten came from a friend when I said that I was awake 21 hours of the day: "21 hours? Do you know how many video games I could play in that time?!" I was amused.


Still, though, maybe I'm lucky and just have some weird friends. Actually, I know I have some weird friends, but I don't think that their social acceptance of something like this is at all different from the general populace. Nevertheless, it seems to be a point of social anxiety amongst those that want to try polyphasic sleep.


The best way to deal with it, in my opinion, is just to be open and honest. I wouldn't have thought about this before, but it was suggested by Pavlina in his response to reader feedback on his experiment, and I assure you, it's the best approach. I usually open up by asking if there's a place I can nap for half an hour or so. If the host(ess) doesn't ask why, then I don't worry about it. If they do, I carefully explain what I'm doing and why. I've never had a negative response.

If you're into the clubbing scene, consider shifting your schedule in such a manner as to allow blocks of awake-time during prime clubbing time. Cornrow has suggested an 11, 3, 7 schedule. Not sure how successful the scheduling is - it's not really my style.

For those basics, things look hopeful. However, for those that like to party, I'm not real sure what to say. Alcohol could very easily throw one off the schedule, especially early on in the adaptation period or in significant doses. Because of alcohol's well-documented lessening of inhibitions, one under the influence might just consider not bothering to set the alarm and sleep anyway. Under larger doses, one might forget to set an alarm or turn it off completely. Not only that, but alcohol has been shown to inhibit REM sleep (source, in section "Alcohol's Effects on Sleep Physiology").

Cannabis has also been shown to inhibit REM and stage 4 NREM (source). I list cannabis because, despite its illegal nature nearly everywhere in the world, it is the third most popular recreational drug in the United States after alcohol and tobacco (source), and it is an extremely popular "social drug". Like it or not, it does play a part in many people's social lives, and so merits discussion.

Why is the REM/Stage 4 NREM inhibition a concern? Speculating here, if your polynap is inhibited by alcohol or cannabis, chances are good that it won't help any when you try to nap. It's quite possible that you'll oversleep if significantly intoxicated, too. But done in moderation spaced far from a nap? I can't say.*

* Just to be clear, I'm not advocating anyone use or abstain from using any drugs at all, legal or not. Be safe, do your homework, and then make your own decisions.


It's possible to have a social life. I still do. However, a polynapper may need to consider avoiding some popular recreational drugs, or reconsidering consumption patterns if wanting to easily adapt to the cycle.

-sean