Do you know how to sleep Polyphasic style?

Brian Wong is busy guy, social media addict, Mac-aholic and the co-founder of Aer Marketing Inc. Having just launched Followformation, (a great tool for novice twitter users to get started with following the top people in their categories of interest). I had heard that Brian has been sleeping Polyphasic style for the last two years so that he can get all his work done. Naturally I wanted to learn more about this sleeping pattern:

1. How did you first hear/learn about polyphasic sleep?

I honestly do not remember where, but I believe I learned of the sleeping pattern through a very random blog post a few years ago. I then learned that the big thinkers of our time practiced it as a method of extending their productivity time and to optimize their sleep.

2. How do you incorporate it into working life – bed in the office?

I don’t. My work is very flexible so I only go into the office so often, and if necessary I do take naps in the office. I am fortunately not a light sleeper, and can pretty much fall asleep in any position, so I don’t usually require a perfect environment to grab my much needed sleep throughout the day.

3. Would you recommend it to fellow entrepreneurs?

I would. But it really depends on your body type, your eating patterns, your sleeping preferences, and your social habits. It’s not for everyone, that’s for certain. It’s important to realize that regular sleep patterns can be as powerful if not healthier than polyphasic sleep.

4. What are the positives you gain from this sleeping choice?

The biggest benefits is that I’ve found a sleeping pattern that I can stick to that fits my working habits. I work at weird hours in the morning to accommodate eastern time zones and late in the evening when I’m the most alert and creative.

The other most valuable positive has been the ability for me to structure my working schedules around when I know I can be the most creative. When creativity is on demand, it’s difficult to come up with something right when you wake up in the morning. But when I’ve just woken up at 6pm, it’s sometimes instant.

5. What are the negatives you suffer from this sleeping choice?

Most issues I deal with are my friends and family being uneasy with my sleeping patterns and simply concerned about my health. And of course, I don’t follow regular social schedules either so there is a strain there. Nonetheless I think with flexibility and time it can be easy for anyone to incorporate polyphasic sleep into their schedules. It is incredibly important though to realize the ideal chunks of time that best fit your REM sleep cycles. It’s slightly different for everyone.

Thank you Brian!

If you want to learn more about Polyphasic sleeping, you can check out the Wiki How-to Manual How to Adopt a Polyphasic Sleep Schedule