Life Hack: Create More Time

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Damn, why can’t there be like at least 2 more hours in the day”? If you are an intense individual like I am, your day probably goes something like this:

5:30am: 1st alarm, hit snooze

5:40am: 2nd alarm, not quite ready, hit snooze

5:50am: 3rd alarm, okay Fuck it I’m up!

6:15am: Head to the gym

6:30-7:30am: Workout, shower

8:00am: Arrive at work

6:30pm: Leave work

7:15-8:30pm: Get home, have dinner, family time

8:30pm-11:30: Time allotted for productive work (however most of the time is spent watching TV, on the internet, or on the phone, because you’re too damn drained from that long-ass day you just had)

You see, you’re an extreme individual. Six hours of sleep per night is probably your average. The above schedule is probably an ideal for you, however for most of us it probably ends up starting to falter by mid-week. You end up sleeping in instead of going to the gym, or you spend your nights only watching TV and not even trying to work on your hobbies and side-projects. You rationalize it and tell yourself, “I worked hard today. I deserve a rest.” However, deep down you’re pissed off at yourself for letting the days go by without working on your goals.

What if there was an effective life hack that would allow you to add more time to your day and possess more energy. Well, I know of such a hack. It’s called polyphasic sleeping.

What is polyphasic sleep? Well, it’s simply breaking up your sleep cycle into multiple sections throughout the day. You might be thinking, “Well, my day is way too busy. How the hell would I do that?” Well, I normally take my nap in the car, however I usually park my car far enough away from the office so that co-workers don’t annoy the shit out of me by knocking on my window and asking me if I’m alright. Hell yea I’m alright! I’ve also sat in the bathroom stall and used the toilet paper roll as a pillow while my head rests on the wall. You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. It’s real out here.

Anyway, let’s get a little bit deeper into a few different types of sleep patterns:

8 hour Monophasic: Most people need 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to be fully rested. (But we’re just too damn extreme for that, so that’s not going to work damn it!)

6.3 hour Bi-phasic: This entails 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night plus one 20 minute nap during lunch. (Any-time between 12 and 1pm is a good time to take the nap)

5.2 hour Tri-phasic (Everyman): This entails 4.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night plus two 20 minute naps during the day. (Schedule your first nap around 10:40-11 and your second nap around 2:40-3pm)

2 hours (Uberman): This entails six 20 minute naps every 4 hours spread throughout the day.

I find the 6.3 hour Bi-phasic to definitely be the most effective method of all four when it comes to maintaining consistent energy and adding more time in the day. As an added benefit, try having a strong cup of coffee when you get back in the office after your 20 minute nap. You’ll be ripping through your work while everybody else is fighting through their mid-afternoon slump praying for their second wind to kick in. I am normally able to maintain this sleep pattern all five days of the week.

The 5.2 hour Everyman comes in handy on one-off occasions when you get that bout of creative energy at 12am and you’re not about to stop doing what you’re doing just because you have work the next day. You have to strike while the iron’s hot sometimes. Right? This method is effective when you go to sleep at 1:30am on a weeknight and still have to function the next day. I would not recommend doing this pattern more than 2 days per week or your body will start to fight you.

The 2 hour Uberman is for the most extreme of individuals. I would not recommend trying this on a weekday unless it’s a Friday. This method is perfect for when you get one of those massive doses of inspiration and have zero patience to wait for the next day to get shit done. This is the all day and all-nighter method. I once wrote a 13-page term paper in one night when in college using this method, so I know it works. Use this method when you have to but don’t abuse it.

So there you have it. Polyphasic sleep. Now go life hack the shit of your day tomorrow. Until next time…