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Re:Is surviving on 20-minute naps bad for you? by sfiles on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @11:55AM (#9539879)
The reason uberman works is because you are getting REM sleep during those 20 minute naps. Your body adjusts to the 20 minute nap cycle and throws you into REM faster, hence why that first week or so adjust period is rather hellish. Before your body adjust there is a lack that much needed REM sleep.

It is a really crappy article though

Re:Is surviving on 20-minute naps bad for you? by ska on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @12:54PM (#9540258)
Do you have evidence (i.e. randomized, blinded) that uberman actually does work?

I'd be really interested to see it, all I have managed to find is evidence that some people who do it believe that it works well for them, which isn't at all the same thing.

Polyphasic sleep schedules are interesting, but I've always thought these extremely short cycles were problematic.

Re:Is surviving on 20-minute naps bad for you? by tlb on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @12:59PM (#9540309)
It's impossible to do double-blind experiments on behavior changes. But randomized, blind-evaluator experiments would be a good start.
Re:Is surviving on 20-minute naps bad for you? by ska on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @01:09PM (#9540391)
Of course you're right, behavioral studies make subject blinding (nearly?) impossible. Typing quicker than thinking there, I'll edit original for clarity.