Dymaxion and Segmented: Difference between pages

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{{TNT|Segmented}}
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Segmented is a [[biphasic]] [[Template:Polyphasic Sleep Schedules|schedule]]<ref>[https://www.polyphasic.net/schedules/biphasic/ polyphasic.net]. Retrieved 23-11-2020.</ref> with two [[cores]] at night, usually with a total sleep time close to one's personal [[monophasic]] baseline.
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{{TNT|Dymaxion}}
'''Dymaxion''' is a [[Special:MyLanguage/Nap only|nap-only]] schedule,<ref name="time" /> which contains four 30-minute [[Special:MyLanguage/naps|naps]] evenly spaced throughout the day, for a total of 2 hours of sleep.  


== Origin == <!--T:2-->
==Origin==
Segmented sleep, sometimes referred to as bifurcated or divided sleep, is one of the original polyphasic sleep patterns. It is the basis of the [[Dual core]] schedule line. In its non-reducing form, it is believed to have been practiced by some human societies since time immemorial until the advent of electric lighting . In short photoperiods (fewer daylight hours), it has been shown that human sleep is naturally segmented<ref>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2869.1992.tb00019.x</ref>.


<!--T:3-->
People would often go to bed some time after sunset, wake up after a few hours, stay awake for a couple hours, and then go back to bed until sunrise. Some naturally Segmented sleepers report interrupted monophasic sleep, where they wake up in the middle of the night. They are often suggested to adopt a Segmented sleep schedule.
Dymaxion was created by [[Special:MyLanguage/Buckminster Fuller|Buckminster Fuller]] in the 1930s who slept this way in 1932 and 1933. "Dymaxion" is a made up from ‘dynamic', 'maximum' and 'tension', which was also applied to many other inventions of his. Fuller stated that "2 hours of sleep per day is plenty", claiming no ill effect from such an intense schedule.  


<!--T:4-->
==Mechanism==
Dymaxion is a widely known polyphasic schedule, second only to [[Special:MyLanguage/Uberman|Uberman]]. As such, it has attracted many attempts over the years.  
The [[Polyphasic Discord|Polyphasic Discord Community]] has discovered some possible mechanics of Segmented sleep. The basis of Segmented sleep is the sleep peaks. During the early hours of the night (~21-24), when natural melatonin secretion starts, SWS can be gained efficiently. In EEG readings of adapted sleepers, the first core sleep is usually dense in SWS, whereas the second core sleep contains  primarily REM sleep. The divided core sleeps are thus denser in vital sleep stages, and allow for a small cut in total sleep with stable sleep times. Naps in the day are not needed because the amount of light sleep cut is small enough, and the day gap is also substantially shortened compared to a monophasic schedule.


== Adaptation == <!--T:5-->
Both core sleeps are scheduled to be 3.5 hours by default because the sleep cycles are known to lengthen to about 105 minutes from the approximately 90-minute cycles on monophasic sleep. This would also explain the viability of the schedule despite having fewer cycles.


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The wake gap between each core (known as "core gap") should at least 90 minutes, with a longer gap recommended (~2.5-3 hours) for non-natural Segmented sleepers. The reason for this is to prevent the cores from becoming interrupted sleep, in which there is a only a brief period of awakening during sleep, before the sleeper goes back to sleep, which disrupts the sleep cycle and drastically reduces sleep quality.  
{{See also|Uberman#Adaptation}}
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As with other schedules, there are a few different adaptation methods. However, adaptation to this schedule is extremely hostile, likely greater than even Uberman due to its longer gaps. The difficulties in adapting to Uberman are also present in Dymaxion, and it is advised that beginners do not attempt the schedule.


=== Gradual adaptation === <!--T:7-->
Staying awake for at least ~90m will usually prevent this, so that the second core starts in a new sleep cycle. A core gap that is too short is unlikely to be productive time, and it may also be difficult to fall asleep as not enough sleep pressure has been accumulated. The original default recommendation was a 2-hour gap, but has since been changed to 3 hours as some people were unable to fully adapt to the 2-hour gap version.


<!--T:8-->
== Adaptation==
[[File:Bimaxion.png|thumb|Bimaxion]]
For naturally Segmented sleepers, the adaptation is easy. For non-natural Segmented sleepers, adapting to Segmented may be harder than adapting to [[Siesta]] or [[E1]]. Waking up from the first core could be difficult. Boredom during the night gap can make it hard to stay awake. The second core sleep containing much REM sleep can also grogginess or dizziness upon waking. Over time, with strict adherence to the schedule, these issues should disappear.  
[[File:Trimaxion.png|thumb|Trimaxion]]
One way to [[Special:MyLanguage/gradual adaptation|gradually adapt]] to Dymaxion is to start an adaptation to either [[Special:MyLanguage/Trimaxion|Trimaxion]] or [[Special:MyLanguage/Bimaxion|Bimaxion]] first, and then change a core sleep to a nap one at a time to finally reach Dymaxion. Sleep timings of these two schedules resemble Dymaxion. Starting from Bimaxion, one [[Special:MyLanguage/Cores|core]] is shortened to 30 m after adapting to the previous schedule until every sleep block is 30 m long. This approach suffers from the same issues as the gradual adaptation to Uberman.  


<!--T:9-->
After Segmented, there is a gradual adaptation route to [[Dual core]] schedules, and also [[Triphasic]], as the division of core sleeps had been learned.
However, Bimaxion has since been considered one of the most difficult schedules to adapt to, and Trimaxion has so far seen no successful adaptations. As with gradually adapting to Uberman, it would take a very long period of time to reach Dymaxion, and the final adaptation can still fail.  


=== Cold turkey === <!--T:10-->
==Difficulty==
The difficulty level of Segmented varies across individuals, and depends on the amount of sleep being scheduled. Overall, it is still considered a friendly schedule for beginners.


<!--T:11-->
==Variants==
So far all successful Dymaxion attempts have been achieved through this method. A few days after starting, intense [[wikipedia:Sleep_deprivation|sleep deprivation]] will become ensue, which needs to be overcome.  
While the default dual 3.5 hour core variant has had the most success, a few other combinations are also plausible and have been adapted to in the past. Beginners can attempt these variants, with some precautions.


<!--T:12-->
=== 6-hour total sleep ===
As with Uberman, it is strongly recommended to have human supervision to avoid oversleeps. Any oversleeps will greatly set back the adaptation process, effectively resetting the whole nap architecture built up to that point.  
<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="250" heights="250">
File:Segmented short 1.png|Segmented with 6h total sleep (Version 1)
File:Segmented short 2.png|Segmented with 6h total sleep (Version 2)
</gallery>
These are 2 modified variants that have reported some success over the years. Since the total sleep is only 6 hours, it may be suitable for those with slightly below average monophasic baselines (~7h). One problem with this schedule would be a circadian dip in the early afternoon hours, without naps to address them. Because more light sleep has been cut compared to the default variant, staying awake could be more difficult.


== Difficulty == <!--T:13-->
The wake gap between each core should be at least 4 hours to cover the SWS and REM peaks more efficiently, as well as to reduce the length of the day gap. The overall adaptation may be more difficult than the standard version because of the reduced sleep time. The benefit is the added extra time at night, and only needing to sleep at night without using daytime naps.


<!--T:14-->
The difference between 4.5-1.5 and 3-3 core distribution is that those with more SWS requirements can attempt the former option, while those needing similar amounts of REM and SWS can pick the latter. Overall, the 3-3 variant better balances sleep stages, and has seen more success overall than the 4.5-1.5 variant.
{{TNT|Further|Nap only#Mechanism}}
Dymaxion shares a lot of similarities to Uberman, including extreme difficulty and very low flexibility. Like with Uberman all of the [[wikipedia:Slow-wave_sleep|SWS]] and [[wikipedia:Rapid_eye_movement_sleep|REM]] must come from naps on this schedule, so the amount of SWS and REM in proportion to [[wikipedia:Non-rapid_eye_movement_sleep|light sleep]] is very high. Dymaxion still tends to be less popular than Uberman.


<!--T:15-->
===Uneven core lengths===
Difficulty-wise Dymaxion is likely harder than Uberman. Because of the larger gap between naps (5h30m compared to 3h40m), sustaining wakefulness will be more difficult than on Uberman. Since SWS usually begins by the 25-minute mark, naps will contain SWS right from the start, which may cause SWS wakes as soon early on. However, this matters little overall, as overcoming the [[Special:MyLanguage/SWS rebound|SWS rebound]] is necessary in order to adapt to either schedule.
[[File:Segmented Uneven.png|right|thumb|A Segmented variant with uneven core lengths]]
This variant, which is rarely attempted, has cores of slightly different lengths. These variants allows for slightly more time awake, may be easier to schedule, without a significantly harder adaptation. Other plausible combinations include <u>3-3.5</u>, or even <u>4.5-2.5</u> and <u>5-1.5</u>. It would be helpful to know the SWS and REM requirements before picking any of these variants, though.


<!--T:16-->
Generally, variants with a longer first core allows for more alertness during core gap, and the second core does not need to be as long. However, the longer the first core, the less "DC-like" it becomes, meaning that the sleep stages becomes less distinctly allocated into the two cores. The longer first core may also resemble Siesta, with the second sleep looking like a daytime core sleep.
SWS wakes in naps may cause difficulty hearing alarms, which may directly cause oversleeps, even without consciously deciding to. It is also much more tempting to go back to sleep after an SWS wake, even if you do wake up. Naps ending in SWS are less likely to produce dream recall, which may be unsatisfying to some.


== Lifestyle Considerations == <!--T:17-->
===Late first core===
[[File:Segmented Late First Core.png|right|thumb|Segmented with a late first core]]
Sleepers who would schedule this variant are expected to have low SWS needs, and/or a lot of polyphasic experience as well as the stringent management of food, exercise and lighting. This variant is not usually recommended, as the first core being away from SWS peak drastically increases the difficulty. Circadian management is recommended, as with other late-core schedules.


<!--T:18-->
For this variant, the core gap can be smaller than the default, because of the higher SWS pressure prior to core 2.  
Compared to Uberman, Dymaxion allows for a wider range of daily activities with its longer wake gaps. The 1-2 daytime naps can fit into normal jobs as long as it is possible to nap at work. For a nap-only schedule, Dymaxion is an excellent choice as long as the necessary sleep requirements are met. In this aspect, it is preferable to Uberman, even though the adaptation may be even more difficult.  


<!--T:19-->
===Siesta-hybrid===
It is virtually impossible to [[Special:MyLanguage/Flexing|flex]] naps on Dymaxion, even after the adaptation. Regular alarms  may still be needed to wake up, because of the high sleep pressure. However, one successful case has shown the possibility of moderate exercise (light lifting and calisthenics) on Dymaxion. However, said Dymaxion sleeper also experienced more frequent muscle soreness and noticeably slowed recovery after each exercise session.  
[[File:Segmented Siesta-hybrid.png|right|thumb|A Segmented that looks like Siesta sleep]]
The idea behind this variant is similar to Siesta, but with both cores at night, and with the short core providing much of the SWS. Sleepers with lower SWS requirements or want to sleep less around evening hours can attempt this variant.  


<!--T:20-->
This variant has recorded at least 2 successes; one attempt was in a winter, where photoperiod was short. The first core becomes a lot shorter than usual, being reduced all the way to only 1 cycle, while the second core is much longer to compensate. Similar ideas can apply to 2.5-4.5 core distribution or so.  
As with other nap-only schedules, there are long-term health risks of Dymaxion, such as the implications of inhibited [[wikipedia:Glymphatic_system|glymphatic system]] and long term sleep deprivation). Average sleepers are discouraged from attempting Dymaxion.


== Variants == <!--T:21-->
The main issue with this is that it is impossible for an average sleeper (90m SWS need) to gain all the needed SWS in the first core, the second core will have to provide the remaining SWS, and pushing the second core to late hours of the night may increase the difficulty of the process.


=== Dymaxion-6 (D6) === <!--T:22-->
Similar to the default schedule, this variant also takes away some of the social time in the evening; social time is traded for the time in core gap.


<!--T:23-->
[[File:Siesta-hybrid.png|right|thumb|Segmented-Siesta hybrid]]
[[File:Dymaxion-6.png|thumb|Dymaxion with Uberman distribution|alt=]]
Alternatively, Segmented may be scheduled with one core at night and another core in the day. Only a few successes have been reported thus far. This variant looks like Siesta with a long daytime core, and both core sleeps miss the peaks. The dark period should be 2-3h before the night core, and continue for ~2h after it to stabilize the circadian rhythm.  
Dymaxion 6 resembles the structure of Uberman, with the difference being its 30-minute naps instead of 20-minute ones. As with regular Dymaxion, these naps can lead to SWS wakes and may introduce difficulties early in the adaptation, though likely not an issue by the middle of the adaptation. A few people have been able to adapt to this variation, and it suffers the same inconvenient scheduling as Uberman. Though it has substantially more total sleep than regular Uberman or Dymaxion, it is still a difficult schedule. It has the same problems as other nap-only schedules, like extreme rigidity and potential negative health impacts.  


== Research == <!--T:24-->
Adaptations to this would be much more difficult than a regular Segmented schedule, because skipping both sleep peaks can greatly hinder quality sleep. Over the course of adaptation, staying awake during the graveyard and morning hours will be tough, and having a long sleep in the day may disrupt the circadian rhythm.


<!--T:25-->
===Night shift===
There has been one single-case study<ref name="study"/> on Dymaxion-6 conducted by [[wikipedia:Claudio_Stampi|Claudio Stampi]]. Francesco Jost was the volunteer for the study. He participated in another study prior to this one, which inspired this idea. Jost was a normal monophasic sleeper (8h baseline), in good health conditions and did not have any polyphasic sleeping experience before these two attempts. It is possible that he has average REM and SWS baselines.  
[[File:Shift Work.png|right|thumb|A Variant for Third Shift]]
The idea is to have a core sleep after the work period, and then a core sleep before work. Little is known about this scheduling variant, and adaptations have been overall not unsuccessful. Due to the circadian rhythm disruption it causes, night shift has always been associated with health concerns, and sleeping this way will likely be no different.  


<!--T:26-->
There have been at least a couple failures while deploying Segmented sleep for shift work. This is expected, as overall rates of success is very low for night shift workers.  
The study lasted for 48 days, of which 34 days were used to adapt to the schedule, discounting some transition days in which he gradually reduced sleep. On day 34 and after the end of the experiment, he was allowed to sleep ad lib, that is, as much as desired.


<!--T:27-->
==Lifestyle Considerations==
No EEG recordings were obtained for this study. Nonetheless, multiple cognitive and performance tests were before, during adaptation, and after recovery. These tests include a DST (Descending Subtraction Test) and an MAST (Memory & Search Test).  
Segmented, which allows for a range of schedule options, can be suitable for many. It greatly benefits those who naturally wake up during the night, and also allows those who are unable to take a daytime nap to still polyphasically.


=== Results === <!--T:28-->
Before one transitions to Segmented, it is important to plan ahead what to do during the core gap, as staying awake at night when everyone else is sleeping and having nothing to do can become difficult. For naturally segmented sleepers, this is less of a problem. Here are a few tips:
* Make a list of what activities or tasks that can be much better done at night. This includes entertainment. Being alone can also be an advantage at times. Be sure to consider that these hours must be in [[dark period]], in which you will be wearing [[Dark_period#Goggles|goggles]], and as such will not be able to see colors.
* Dedicate time for self-care. The core gap can be useful for relaxation after long days at work. Self-care can include autogenic training, [[meditation]], [[yoga]], and stretching. Note that it may be unadvisable to do these things when you are having problems staying awake.
* Plan for your day. People often have a lot to work on and care about. No matter how much extra awake time you might have, time management is always important.


<!--T:29-->
Advantages of Segmented over other schedules include:
* MAST performance showed a slight decrease relative to baseline throughout days 3-21, followed by an improvement above baseline levels thereafter.
* Segmented is the only schedule that easily allows >12h of continuous wake time without needing any naps. This can allow many people who are unable to take naps to sleep polyphasically.  
* DST performance showed a modest but more prolonged decrease throughout days 3-33, followed by a sharp increase in performance above baseline levels immediately after recovery on day 34.
* During the ad lib sleep on day 34, he slept for a total of 10 hours.  
* None of these values showed a statistically significant difference from baseline levels.


=== Analysis === <!--T:30-->
* Segmented offers a relatively high amount of sleep, it is viable to schedule the first croe later than normal to start at ~23 to allow some more evening events. The only thing to note, is that the late first core likely will delay the end of the second core, and may interfere with your morning activities. Under normal scheduling, however, there will be more limited evening social time on Segmented sleep.


<!--T:31-->
* Segmented can become somewhat flexible after adaptation. Some experienced sleepers have reported being able to flex at least one of the core sleeps. Being able to flex the core sleeps allows for more freedom in controlling the length of core gap to suit one's schedule. For example, on days with little to do, the core gap can shrink down a bit, so that the second core can start earlier than usual, or vice versa. When sudden events occur that would require skipping sleep, Segmented also allows relatively fast recovery afterwards.  
* 5 weeks on the schedule like Jost did may be sufficient be considered adapted to the schedule.
* The total sleep of Dymaxion-6 (3 hours) is below the minimum threshold for an average sleeper. As such, the 10-hour baseline afterwards suggest that he was still possibly missing out on vital sleep (SWS and/or REM), though 10 hours is a small amount of sleep for such a scenario.
* While the MAST performance stayed relatively high, the DST performance suffered and was still decreasing by day 33. This may be a sign of cognitive deficit on the schedule.
* Stampi noted "it is difficult to interpret the improvement in MAST performance after day 21 and prior to improvements observed in DST performance; this may be indicative of FJ's adaptation to the ultrashort sleep schedule, and may also further confirm that the DST is a test particularly sensitive to sleep-deprivation and sleep-inertia effects." This suggests that DST may be incorporated into a cognitive check model for adapted sleepers in the community.  
* For an average sleeper attempting Dymaxion, Jost held out quite well, though he likely only reached [[Special:MyLanguage/4-Stages Adaptation Model#Stage 4|Stage 4]] of the adaptation, rather than a complete adaptation as Stampi claimed it was. It is unknown if Jost would continue to improve should the study be prolonged for a couple extra weeks to see real improvements in DST.
* A [[Special:MyLanguage/short sleeper|short sleeper]] with lower SWS and REM baselines would likely be able to adapt to this schedule, given the right environment, setup and personal motivation.
* The results further support the community-based observation that a nap-only schedule is most likely not sustainable for normal sleepers long-term, even though being adapted or close to being adapted may be possible short-term. Dymaxion, even with 6 naps, remains hostile and is deemed unadaptable for most. Inexperienced sleepers without laboratory-based conditions or extensive adaptation and lifestyle preparations should not attempt to adapt to Dymaxion.  


== References == <!--T:32-->
* Segmented sleep, especially the extended variant with a longer first core, can support intense physical exercise.


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* Vivid dreaming experiences have been reported on the schedule over the years, most of which come from this second core.
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |date=1943 |title=Dymaxion Sleep |url=https://mywebvault.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/dymaxion-sleep-time/ |magazine=Time |access-date=2020-12-18}}
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</ref>
<ref name="study">{{cite book |last=Stampi |first=Claudio |date=2014 |title=Why We Nap |publisher= Birkhauser |isbn=0-8176-3462-2 |chapter=What Is  the Limit for Prolonged Sleep Reduction? An Objective Evaluation of the Leonardo da Vinci Ultrashort Sleep Strategy  }}</ref>
}}


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{{TNT|Polyphasic Sleep Schedules}}
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<references />

Revision as of 17:24, 15 December 2020

Segmented
Segmented
chart link

Total sleep7 hours
Proposed byNone, used by humans throughout history.
DifficultyModerate
Specification2 long cores at night aligned to SWS and REM peaks respectively.

Segmented is a biphasic schedule[1] with two cores at night, usually with a total sleep time close to one's personal monophasic baseline.

Origin

Segmented sleep, sometimes referred to as bifurcated or divided sleep, is one of the original polyphasic sleep patterns. It is the basis of the Dual core schedule line. In its non-reducing form, it is believed to have been practiced by some human societies since time immemorial until the advent of electric lighting . In short photoperiods (fewer daylight hours), it has been shown that human sleep is naturally segmented[2].

People would often go to bed some time after sunset, wake up after a few hours, stay awake for a couple hours, and then go back to bed until sunrise. Some naturally Segmented sleepers report interrupted monophasic sleep, where they wake up in the middle of the night. They are often suggested to adopt a Segmented sleep schedule.

Mechanism

The Polyphasic Discord Community has discovered some possible mechanics of Segmented sleep. The basis of Segmented sleep is the sleep peaks. During the early hours of the night (~21-24), when natural melatonin secretion starts, SWS can be gained efficiently. In EEG readings of adapted sleepers, the first core sleep is usually dense in SWS, whereas the second core sleep contains primarily REM sleep. The divided core sleeps are thus denser in vital sleep stages, and allow for a small cut in total sleep with stable sleep times. Naps in the day are not needed because the amount of light sleep cut is small enough, and the day gap is also substantially shortened compared to a monophasic schedule.

Both core sleeps are scheduled to be 3.5 hours by default because the sleep cycles are known to lengthen to about 105 minutes from the approximately 90-minute cycles on monophasic sleep. This would also explain the viability of the schedule despite having fewer cycles.

The wake gap between each core (known as "core gap") should at least 90 minutes, with a longer gap recommended (~2.5-3 hours) for non-natural Segmented sleepers. The reason for this is to prevent the cores from becoming interrupted sleep, in which there is a only a brief period of awakening during sleep, before the sleeper goes back to sleep, which disrupts the sleep cycle and drastically reduces sleep quality.

Staying awake for at least ~90m will usually prevent this, so that the second core starts in a new sleep cycle. A core gap that is too short is unlikely to be productive time, and it may also be difficult to fall asleep as not enough sleep pressure has been accumulated. The original default recommendation was a 2-hour gap, but has since been changed to 3 hours as some people were unable to fully adapt to the 2-hour gap version.

Adaptation

For naturally Segmented sleepers, the adaptation is easy. For non-natural Segmented sleepers, adapting to Segmented may be harder than adapting to Siesta or E1. Waking up from the first core could be difficult. Boredom during the night gap can make it hard to stay awake. The second core sleep containing much REM sleep can also grogginess or dizziness upon waking. Over time, with strict adherence to the schedule, these issues should disappear.

After Segmented, there is a gradual adaptation route to Dual core schedules, and also Triphasic, as the division of core sleeps had been learned.

Difficulty

The difficulty level of Segmented varies across individuals, and depends on the amount of sleep being scheduled. Overall, it is still considered a friendly schedule for beginners.

Variants

While the default dual 3.5 hour core variant has had the most success, a few other combinations are also plausible and have been adapted to in the past. Beginners can attempt these variants, with some precautions.

6-hour total sleep

These are 2 modified variants that have reported some success over the years. Since the total sleep is only 6 hours, it may be suitable for those with slightly below average monophasic baselines (~7h). One problem with this schedule would be a circadian dip in the early afternoon hours, without naps to address them. Because more light sleep has been cut compared to the default variant, staying awake could be more difficult.

The wake gap between each core should be at least 4 hours to cover the SWS and REM peaks more efficiently, as well as to reduce the length of the day gap. The overall adaptation may be more difficult than the standard version because of the reduced sleep time. The benefit is the added extra time at night, and only needing to sleep at night without using daytime naps.

The difference between 4.5-1.5 and 3-3 core distribution is that those with more SWS requirements can attempt the former option, while those needing similar amounts of REM and SWS can pick the latter. Overall, the 3-3 variant better balances sleep stages, and has seen more success overall than the 4.5-1.5 variant.

Uneven core lengths

File:Segmented Uneven.png
A Segmented variant with uneven core lengths

This variant, which is rarely attempted, has cores of slightly different lengths. These variants allows for slightly more time awake, may be easier to schedule, without a significantly harder adaptation. Other plausible combinations include 3-3.5, or even 4.5-2.5 and 5-1.5. It would be helpful to know the SWS and REM requirements before picking any of these variants, though.

Generally, variants with a longer first core allows for more alertness during core gap, and the second core does not need to be as long. However, the longer the first core, the less "DC-like" it becomes, meaning that the sleep stages becomes less distinctly allocated into the two cores. The longer first core may also resemble Siesta, with the second sleep looking like a daytime core sleep.

Late first core

File:Segmented Late First Core.png
Segmented with a late first core

Sleepers who would schedule this variant are expected to have low SWS needs, and/or a lot of polyphasic experience as well as the stringent management of food, exercise and lighting. This variant is not usually recommended, as the first core being away from SWS peak drastically increases the difficulty. Circadian management is recommended, as with other late-core schedules.

For this variant, the core gap can be smaller than the default, because of the higher SWS pressure prior to core 2.

Siesta-hybrid

File:Segmented Siesta-hybrid.png
A Segmented that looks like Siesta sleep

The idea behind this variant is similar to Siesta, but with both cores at night, and with the short core providing much of the SWS. Sleepers with lower SWS requirements or want to sleep less around evening hours can attempt this variant.

This variant has recorded at least 2 successes; one attempt was in a winter, where photoperiod was short. The first core becomes a lot shorter than usual, being reduced all the way to only 1 cycle, while the second core is much longer to compensate. Similar ideas can apply to 2.5-4.5 core distribution or so.

The main issue with this is that it is impossible for an average sleeper (90m SWS need) to gain all the needed SWS in the first core, the second core will have to provide the remaining SWS, and pushing the second core to late hours of the night may increase the difficulty of the process.

Similar to the default schedule, this variant also takes away some of the social time in the evening; social time is traded for the time in core gap.

File:Siesta-hybrid.png
Segmented-Siesta hybrid

Alternatively, Segmented may be scheduled with one core at night and another core in the day. Only a few successes have been reported thus far. This variant looks like Siesta with a long daytime core, and both core sleeps miss the peaks. The dark period should be 2-3h before the night core, and continue for ~2h after it to stabilize the circadian rhythm.

Adaptations to this would be much more difficult than a regular Segmented schedule, because skipping both sleep peaks can greatly hinder quality sleep. Over the course of adaptation, staying awake during the graveyard and morning hours will be tough, and having a long sleep in the day may disrupt the circadian rhythm.

Night shift

File:Shift Work.png
A Variant for Third Shift

The idea is to have a core sleep after the work period, and then a core sleep before work. Little is known about this scheduling variant, and adaptations have been overall not unsuccessful. Due to the circadian rhythm disruption it causes, night shift has always been associated with health concerns, and sleeping this way will likely be no different.

There have been at least a couple failures while deploying Segmented sleep for shift work. This is expected, as overall rates of success is very low for night shift workers.

Lifestyle Considerations

Segmented, which allows for a range of schedule options, can be suitable for many. It greatly benefits those who naturally wake up during the night, and also allows those who are unable to take a daytime nap to still polyphasically.

Before one transitions to Segmented, it is important to plan ahead what to do during the core gap, as staying awake at night when everyone else is sleeping and having nothing to do can become difficult. For naturally segmented sleepers, this is less of a problem. Here are a few tips:

  • Make a list of what activities or tasks that can be much better done at night. This includes entertainment. Being alone can also be an advantage at times. Be sure to consider that these hours must be in dark period, in which you will be wearing goggles, and as such will not be able to see colors.
  • Dedicate time for self-care. The core gap can be useful for relaxation after long days at work. Self-care can include autogenic training, meditation, yoga, and stretching. Note that it may be unadvisable to do these things when you are having problems staying awake.
  • Plan for your day. People often have a lot to work on and care about. No matter how much extra awake time you might have, time management is always important.

Advantages of Segmented over other schedules include:

  • Segmented is the only schedule that easily allows >12h of continuous wake time without needing any naps. This can allow many people who are unable to take naps to sleep polyphasically.
  • Segmented offers a relatively high amount of sleep, it is viable to schedule the first croe later than normal to start at ~23 to allow some more evening events. The only thing to note, is that the late first core likely will delay the end of the second core, and may interfere with your morning activities. Under normal scheduling, however, there will be more limited evening social time on Segmented sleep.
  • Segmented can become somewhat flexible after adaptation. Some experienced sleepers have reported being able to flex at least one of the core sleeps. Being able to flex the core sleeps allows for more freedom in controlling the length of core gap to suit one's schedule. For example, on days with little to do, the core gap can shrink down a bit, so that the second core can start earlier than usual, or vice versa. When sudden events occur that would require skipping sleep, Segmented also allows relatively fast recovery afterwards.
  • Segmented sleep, especially the extended variant with a longer first core, can support intense physical exercise.
  • Vivid dreaming experiences have been reported on the schedule over the years, most of which come from this second core.