Well, here I am. Day 5. I almost failed. Well, pretty much failed. You would be suprised at how much effort is needed just to keep this sleeping pattern working. I admit, I never did have a strict sleeping schedule, but this adjustment has been a lot harder than I imagined (probably harder than Yr 12 IT actually). I had a bad start to this day. I mean really bad.

My 1 am sleep went off without a hitch, although I do admit, I was rather reluctant getting up. I mean, I could still function well, but I had that pressure in back of my mind telling me to go to sleep. When it came to my next nap at 4.30 am, I was exhausted. I feel asleep on the floor, as I knew it was going to be a struggle waking up in the morning. Sleeping through my alarm, I woke at about 6 am, feeling absolutely horrible. My willpower evaporated, I crawled into bed, and feel asleep. Into deep sleep.

I woke at 10.14 am.

My main reaction when I woke up was “It’s really bright this morni.. oh sh**!”, and I jumped out of bed and checked the time. My clock didn’t lie, I was still tired, and was 1 hour and 45 mins late for school (turns out my mum actually tried to wake me up about 3 times, and finally left when she thought I was able to get up by myself). I quickly had to act, and call both parents to inform the school that I wasn’t there, so they don’t come down on me like a ton of bricks. Unfortunately, I had a conversation with the school, convincing them I was sick, and that I can’t contact parents (mobiles turned off), and they were ok with it. So, I stayed home today (to be honest, I really felt rather sick inside, and my cough hasn’t improved).

So, I stuffed up again. And badly. But I said that I would continue this for 31 days to see if it works, and I plan to stick to my word. So, with 26 days left to go, I started on day 6…. which went rather well. I admit, I still don’t feel fully rested after each sleep, but it’s feeling like I’m actually getting some rest rather than just staying up all night every night. So, my 1 pm sleep was very average, as I suspected. Took me ages to get to sleep, and I woke up to really cold feet (didn’t wear socks, and wasn’t under a blanket) and a longing for more just a bit more sleep.  My 5 pm sleep was far better, and I felt that I hit REM sleep, even if I only managed to sleep for less than 20 mins. This is actually quite a revelation for me, as I find that I sleep and wake up about after about 17 minutes of sleep, give or take a few. My last sleep at 9 pm today was rather restorative, and now i’m feeling rested, but still marginally sleepy. I know that I am in for a challenge tonight.

So, the positives so far are my naps are becoming easier and more restful. The fact that I am still predominantly monophasic is a negative. I feel that this is a bit more of a learning experience, and I am aware that if I can resist oversleeping for just a few days, I should be in the clear. I’m staying optimistic.

How I felt today:

Mentally: 4 to 7 /10 – From the early morning until about now.

Physically: 7.5/10 – Feeling a bit groggy.

Emotionally: 5 to 9/10 – Felt like giving up, then I started feeling a heap better, and now I feel great after finding more Spor music =D

Current Tiredness 5/10 – Still rather awake, but feeling the need for sleep.

 

Well, thats about it for tonight. Hopefully I will be able to stay up fully tonight, but I fear there will be another obstacle in my path. My dad said that it would be very good for me if I went to bed early tonight, and gave the new laptop a rest (which is now my current computer). I agreed with him, but I was dying inside. I don’t want my parents to wreck this, not when I’ve come so far. I can see improvements here and there, and I know that things will get better if I manage to finish this week. So, I’ll probably get off in a while, read a book or two and convince him I’m going to bed soon, then get back on once my parents have retired for the night.

Anyways, this post is becoming lengthy, so I might cut it from here. Thanks to the people that are reading this, I’m suprised there is actually anyone reading this at all. If you didnt quite get what is going on, visit one my eariler posts, or search ‘Polyphasic Sleep’ on the net. Well, I guess it’s time for another challenge. “I defy you stars!” =)
Jimmi.