Going biphasic - the experiment is complete

Well the experiment is now complete, and it is time to analyse the results.  If you are interested in seeing how I felt during the experiment, take a look back at my initial thoughts and my experiences during Week One, Two, Three and Four.

Did it work?

I used to sleep for 7.5 - 8 hours per night, and I now sleep for 6.

Are the results sustainable?

I would say on balance yes.  There are days when I am tired and need more sleep, and there are days when a biphasic regime doesn't fit with life.  But there were days before when I needed more than 8 hours per night, and there were days when an 8 hour sleep didn't fit with life.

On average I don't really feel significantly more tired than I did before, although I do feel like my life revolves around the idea of nap time!

Is it worth it?

On the surface, this seems like a stupid question.  I am awake for hours more per day, why wouldn't it be worth it?  But I think to answer this question I have to compare the difference in how I spend my time in the evenings.

Before

5.00 - Prepare evening meal

6.00 - Open University work

9.00 - Work out

9.30 - Shower & prepare for the next day

10.00 - Watch TV/Personal development - blog, learning Spanish etc

11.00 - Sleep

After

5.00 - Prepare evening meal

6.00 - Open University work

8.45 - Work out 

9.45 - Shower

10.00 - Nap time! **

11.45 - Prepare for the next day
12.00 - Personal development - blog, learning Spanish etc, perhaps some more OU work if necessary

1.30 - Watch TV

2.30 - Sleep 

**This schedule is kind of variable, as depending on how tired I feel and what my evening plans are I vary my nap time between 6.00 and 10.00 pm.

So what's changed?

I get an extra half hour's workout time.  This is good.  I get an extra half hour's personal development time.  This is also good. I get an extra hour's TV chillout time where I don't have to feel guilty that I am not doing something more productive.  This is ok, I would rather be doing something more worthwhile but by 1.30 am I usually can't face doing much more than just sitting around.  Sometimes I work around this by getting up at 6.30 am instead of 7.00 am so I can begin my core sleep a little earlier.

Will I continue a biphasic pattern?

I want to be able to say yes, but there is a nagging doubt in my mind which needs to be answered first.  And this is - 

 "would it actually be any harder just to adjust to a single 6 hour core sleep?" 

I would still have just as much time in the day, and wouldn't have to do the dreaded getting out of bed in the middle of the night thing.

So I think I may try spending at least 2 weeks taking a 6 hour core sleep (at the risk of undoing all my biphasic work I know!) to see what happens.  If this proves to be no harder, I have to admit I would give up on the unnecessary complexity of biphasic sleep and never look back... 

Watch this space!