Would you?

I think the true test of whether or not someone honestly believes something is good is to ask whether they would encourage their children to do it. This is the question I would pose to other people experimenting with sleep: would you let your kids do it?

I don't know what my answer would be. I would encourage other adults I know to at least try it, particularly if they are having problems with insomnia. With children? I'd be inclined to encourage them to get as much sleep as they want, no more and no less. I don't think I'd actively encourage them to adopt a certain sleep schedule; I would just encourage the healthy habit of sleeping when tired, and getting up and doing something when you wake up. Although I've read claims that oversleeping is a problem, I don't know how much of a problem it is, so I don't know if I'd be concerned about that in children. I would be concerned that undersleeping or not sleeping at night would be bad for one's hormones, but I don't know that polyphasic sleep or getting less than 8 hours sleep at night constitutes undersleeping. In short, I suppose I would trust that their bodies would tell them what was right to do, particularly if they had not been socialized to sleep a certain way or had not experienced insomina-producing anxiety. I would probably encourage sleeping on a schedule, but I don't know that this is necessary or healthy, although most people believe it is. I try to make myself stick to a schedule to combat insomnia and to assure that I get at least some rest.

Would I want to practice polyphasic sleep long-term? I don't know about that either. I think it has its advantages, and it may feel better and better as I get more into it. At the same time, I sometimes wonder if I'll miss the long sleeps that I sometimes have when I have nothing more pressing to do. I think occasional sleeping-in is good, but I don't know that I could do it and still stick with something as strict as most polyphasic schedules. All I can say is that, right now, I'm having a good time experimenting with polyphasic, and the regular napping is better than insomnia or not having enough time to do anything. I'm looking forward to giving it a good trial, and will try to objectively measure its effects after I feel that I've really adapted.