Getting adequate and proper sleep is extremely important in everyone's life. No matter how tough your schedule is, it would be best if you rested appropriately to be active all day. We all believe that there is only one sleep cycle that everyone follows, i.e. the standard sleeping cycle that starts at night, and the person should get at least 7-8 hours of peaceful sleep. However, the sleeping cycle has four alternative patterns based on the amount of sleep and schedule of a person.
Sometimes you might wonder if you could customize your sleep
pattern that seems feasible according to your lifestyle. The sleep cycle with
which everyone is familiar is the Monophasic Sleep. Apart from it, four alternative
sleep cycles are;
1) Biphasic Cycle
It is also known as Segmented sleep which consists of two
portions of sleep. The first period of sleep starts at dusk for about 4-5
hours, and the second period is somewhere in noon for around 1.5 hours. In total,
this cycle entails 6-6.5 hours of sleep. The biphasic cycle is usually the
sleep pattern of almost every college student.
2) Everyman Cycle
This cycle includes a proper sleep of 3.5 hours accompanied
with three naps of 20 minutes scattered through the day. If you want more
waking time, then Everyman cycle is for you because as a result, you will get
more of your tasks done.
3) Dymaxion Cycle
There is no core sleep in this cycle instead, the person
takes four naps of 30 minutes through the day. This cycle suits best to those
who are short sleepers.
4) Uberman Cycle
It is considered to be the most difficult cycle but is ideal
for the people who have a strict schedule or require a good couple of hours to
perform their tasks. Uberman cycle involves around six to eight naps spread
through the day, and each nap shall not be more than 20 minutes.
If you are concerned about the efficiency of cycles, then
note that every person has different hormonal balance, schedule and age factor.
For the best efficiency, you should measure your daily activities and amount of
rest that you require. Whichever cycle you pick, make sure that it is sufficient enough for you and proves to be better for your health. Check the infographic below for a detailed guide on
alternative sleep patterns and figure out which is the most suitable one for
you.
