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→Minimum sleep threshold
Since vital sleep stages are generally not possible to reduce, the amount of compression required to sustain a schedule increases dramatically as total sleep time reduces. Compressing sleep, however, requires adaptation, and greater levels of compression necessitates harsher and/or longer adaptations. As such, schedules can be classified by their difficulty level, which is mostly a function of the amount of sleep cut.
Since vital sleep stages are generally not possible to reduce, the amount of compression required to sustain a schedule increases dramatically as total sleep time reduces. Compressing sleep, however, requires adaptation, and greater levels of compression necessitates harsher and/or longer adaptations. As such, schedules can be classified by their difficulty level, which is mostly a function of the amount of sleep cut.
The necessity of vital sleep stages also implies that certain schedules, such as Uberman or Dymaxion, will be unachieveable for most people as its total sleep is below the total vital sleep required for most people.
It is worth noting that younger individuals whose brains and bodies are still developing will need more SWS and REM than adults, which increases their minimum sleep thresholds and makes reducing sleep more difficult. In addition, it has been suggested that NREM2 might have other functions in the development of the brain, and thus cutting it could be potentially problematic.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Age
!Recommended minimum sleep
|-
|<16
|7.5 hours
|-
|16-18
|6 hours
|-
|18-21
|5 hours
|-
|>21
|4 hours
|}
It is recommended that one stay above these limits at all times to prevent adverse effects on health. The necessity of vital sleep stages also implies that certain schedules, such as Uberman or Dymaxion, will be unachieveable for most people as its total sleep is below the total vital sleep required for most people.
Here is a basic classifcation of schedules by their difficulty level, assuming a typical sleeper with 8h monophasic sleep and normal levels of SWS and REM:
Here is a basic classifcation of schedules by their difficulty level, assuming a typical sleeper with 8h monophasic sleep and normal levels of SWS and REM:
|4
|4
|3-4 hours
|3-4 hours
|
|These schedules are harder than
the "Hard" ones because they do
not contain a longer core during SWS peak hours.
|-
|-
|Extremely hard
|Extremely hard
to insufficient evidence of them working
to insufficient evidence of them working
|}
|}
