To be fair - that's a problem of narcolepsy (if he indeed has that) and not polyphasic sleep. I have not tried uberman yet, but from my own experiences with everyman and from what I have read of others, it can actually help give you focus and clarity.
Whatever floats your boat, I guess?
The uberman (or everyman) schedule would be convenient to go on if you lived in a Middle Eastern country. You could just coordinate your 5 sleep times with the 5 daily minaret calls, and use a prayer mat to sleep on so you could blend in.
Sleep is not the enemy. Sleep is fantastic.
I'm no expert on sleep in general, but a good nights sleep makes me feel great upon waking up (usually for the rest of the day). I can remember things from the day before with much more clarity and recall, giving me a tremendous edge over those who didn't. Plus, I'm pretty sure it feels fantastic nearly the whole time I'm doing it... I just happen to be unconscious for that part. :) It certainly must be better than a good deal of the things I do while I'm awake.
A close relative of mine is on the uberman cycle. He's narcoleptic. He sleeps nearly instantly upon his head hitting the pillow (seconds, not minutes) and wakes up 15-20 minutes later, unable to continue sleeping. It's literally a nightmare, not only because the world is 'monophasic', but also because he's in a fog, can't focus/falls asleep when not moving (e.g. driving a car), and has a hard time distinguishing reality from dreams (since they all run together).
Thanks, but I'd rather continue hacking the other parts of my lifestyle to make room for more fulfilling activities, like sleep.