For the reason that most experiments are done: to either find a better way, or confirm that there isn't a better way.
What reasons do I have to suspect that there may be a better -- or at least alternate -- way of getting in my daily sleep? The idea that one can receive more benefit from sleep that's taken when needed in the amounts needed seems logically sound. If sleep works like eating, or ingesting your daily vitamins/nutrition, then it is better to do it in the smallest necessary dose, and only when necessary. Indeed, many processes related to daily maintenance of health seem to work this way. There is some evidence that sleep is no different, which I can anecdotally back up: if you miss a night of sleep, you don't have to sleep 16 hours the next night to feel rested. I typically don't sleep more than 12 hours after missing one night of sleep. In fact, I can be sleep-deprived for several days, and then sleep my typical 9 hours one night and wake up feeling completely rejuvenated. Sleep isn't something stored (as those who feel tired the afternoon after a night of monophasic sleeping know), and it isn't something which one has to take more of to satisfy a deficit. Just having some sleep when tired is enough to make one alert, and to apparently take advantage of its health benefits.
Additionally, I want to seek something that may suit me better than attempting to be monophasic. There are a myriad of reasons why I am dissatisfied with being monophasic, and often have difficulty adhering to a monophasic schedule. These are:
1) It is a major disruption to the flow of what I am doing. This is something which I talked about in my first post. I do not seem to be mentally geared for quitting what I am doing and going to bed at a certain time with the intention to stay there for the 9+ hours which it takes me to feel well-rested on a monophasic schedule. I usually only go to bed when I am exhausted and can no longer function, which is often late at night or in the early hours of the morning. Perhaps the solution to this would be to attempt to change my attitude toward work/sleep and follow advice on trying to wind down my activities and get into a relaxed mood before a scheduled bedtime, to facilitate the transition to sleep. This is something which I've attempted in the past with limited success. If being monophasic is necessary, this is what I should do. But I often do not like it. I've attempted to approach monophasic sleep with the idea in mind that the recharging of energy is as important as the expenditure of energy, that having some downtime in the evening is good for my mental health as well as necessary to help me sleep on a schedule. However, I found this difficult to adhere to, especially with the extended periods of mental activity that are necessary for going to school, and it is difficult for me even when I'm just amusing myself during my days off. The stress I feel from my demanding schedule makes it difficult for me to relax at all, so that I end up in a state where trying to force myself to relax makes me more stressed. I become frustrated with my inability to relax and sleep at night, I feel like I am failing at maintaining my health, and become more frustrated and depressed in turn. In short, what I've been doing in this area has not worked so far. This is why I seek alternatives. If polyphasic fails to work for me long-term, then I will be forced to try the relaxation followed by scheduled monophasic sleep route again.
2) Sleeping for short periods of time is not only less disruptive to my flow of work, it also takes full advantage of required rest periods. Many articles on the importance of sleep highlight how sleep is necessary to the functioning of the short and long term memory, and how sleeping improves mental and physical performance in general. This gives me an idea: taking breaks from work is necessary anyway, as one's performance degrades over time. The suggested breaks are usually something like 15 minutes per every 90 to 120 minutes of work. So, why not take those breaks as sleep breaks? This seems like it would be a novel way to fully utilize both required sleep and required break periods.
3) Most patterns of polyphasic sleep promise extra time due to requiring less sleep when it is taken throughout the day rather than in one long period. The benefit of this is obvious. Despite all the warnings of some polyphasic sleep articles that having the extra time can be boring or prolonging your working hours can even be maddening, I haven't found this to be the case. If I actually do run out of things to do with that extra time, it would at least allow me the luxury to take my time with the work that I am already doing. I don't see any disadvantages to this. However, it may just be the case that one can only comfortably work so many hours in a day, and prolonging those hours is unhealthy, sleep or no sleep. It could be the case that humans need 8+ hours of sleep simply because it provides a needed mental respite from reality and demanding activity. I don't know, and haven't really seen someone else address this matter. I suppose the only way to find out is to try it and see what my own state of mind is.
4) Taking naps can divide up a monotonous day in which one might otherwise be daunted by the prospect of 16+ solid hours of activity. Sometimes, a job is easier to do if it is taken in chunks. Now, although I sometimes hate giving up what I'm doing and going to sleep before it is finished, I don't hate sleep itself. I often enjoy my sleep and look forward to it. So, getting to enjoy it throughout the day may be more motivational than the idea of waking up in the morning with the knowledge that sleep is going to be at least 16 hours away, assuming I meet all of my deadlines for the day and don't have to be up through the night.
These are the major reasons, and enough for now. Later, I'll finally delve into my attempts, advantages I've actually experienced, sleep-deprivation, and difficulties and concerns.
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