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Many are turning to extremes, like polyphasic sleep.

But how safe are these alternative sleep schedules?We askedDr.

Woman sleeping with eye mask

Lets take a closer look.

What is polyphasic sleep?

Polyphasic sleep means sleeping at intervals every 24 hours, rather thansleeping for 7 to 9 hours at night.

Man napping on a leather couch

This means taking regular shorter naps as well as taking short sleeps.

Uberman sleep cycle

The Uberman schedule is the most extreme throw in of polyphasic sleep.

This schedule is designed to maximize waking hours," Dr. Tambini explains.

A woman sleeping on her side with eye mask on next to white alarm clock,

So, will this help productivity?

Give this one a miss, we think.

Everyman sleep cycle

The Everyman schedule is slightly less extreme, allowing one longer duration of sleep.

Woman sat up with a duvet wrapped around her, holding a mug and looking tired

The schedule requiresone 3-hour sleep followed by three 20-minute napsthroughout the day.

She warns that While some individuals may adapt to this schedule, there is still a risk ofsleep deprivation.

Will polyphasic sleep help productivity?

A woman with afro hair reaching out of bed to turn her alarm clock off on light morning as clocks go back.

So, realistically, polyphasic sleep wont see a huge boost in your motivation.

Tambini has these additional guidelines:

Is polyphasic sleep dangerous?

To put it short, yes, polyphasic sleep can be very dangerous.

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Sleep deprivation and sleep disruption can have a serious impact on your health.

What is biphasic sleep?

“So, with that in mind, here are our topsleep tipsto improve your productivity.

A woman lies in bed with her hands covering her face, looking upset due to sleep deprivation. A Tom�s Guide Sleep Week 2025 graphic, bottom left

Keep a consistent sleep schedule

Aconsistent sleep schedulewill help regulate your circadian rhythm.

This is your bodys internal clock that dictates when you naturally feel sleepy and when you feel energized.

Create a nighttime routine

Anighttime routinewill help you keep a consistent sleep schedule.

A woman stays awake in the night because she needs to fix her sleep schedule

Get enough daylight

Daylight is essential for regulating production of melatonin and cortisol.

Its been proven thatsunlight in the morning is more effective in regulating your sleepthan other times throughout the day.

A man sleeping on his side in bed with wooden headboard and bedside table with alarm clock showing time as clocks go back

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A woman with dark hair lies in bed yawning because she is so tired and ready to sleep

The image shows a sleep deprived woman lying in bed and holding her hands over her eyes

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Woman lying down on the bed and smiling feeling comfortable

A woman lying on her side sleeping with a handdrawn thought bubble over her head to show she�s thinking

A woman with dark brown hair lies on her side staring at the back of a white alarm clock that shows the time as 2.30am

A woman with short brown hair sitting on bed with white sheets with a glass of green Spirulina smoothie in hand

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