Day 151 - The Work/Nap Balance

I have this problem and would love to find a solution. Working full time, plus house keeping chores, and self care means that a standard routine with enough time for sleep and relaxation to de-stress makes me more stressed because it leaves no creative outlet time for projects or doing things which make me happy! Yet when i go off my routine, i'm grumpy and useless. A full time job doesn't leave room for changing sleep patterns, so it just feels like work doesn't leave room for a happy routine for me :/

georgina cronshaw

As you get older, you naturally need less sleep than when your body was in active-construction mode. As Vincent says, you can try to consciously attempt biphasic sleep and see if that works for you, but I would be wary of trying to alter how much sleep you NEED just to pump out more work. If you aren't suffering ill effects from 4 hrs a night + a nap, then that's OK. But if you are--and that can include impaired judgement, irritability, exacerbation of ADHD symptoms, and other things which ultimately COST you work productivity--then please try to focus on getting the sleep you need :) <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-stay-productive-on-a-4-to-6-hour-sleep-cycle-1477407799" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://lifehacker.com/how-to-stay-productive-on-a-4-to-6-hour-sleep-cycle-1477407799</a>

LadyGrndr(Lacey S)

There is research out which shows that this IS what some people can do--heck Thomas Jefferson and a lot of creative (re: probable brains) are known to have done this. There is a genetic mutation at DEC2 which "short sleepers" often share. I myself need sleep in 4 hr increments--I either need 4 or 8, but anything in between and I'm a wreak...which is most days :P <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2884988/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2884988/</a> Be aware though that sleeping less than 7 hrs can be linked to health issues like developing cardiovascular disorders latter in life because the heart doesn't get the slow time it needs to repair. If you're also taking a stimulant medication, try to factor in time during the day for mediation and other relaxation/non-stimulation periods to give your heart a break &lt;3

LadyGrndr(Lacey S)

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory</a> also applies

Vincent Janelle

I tried to do bi/tri phasic sleep, the biggest issue for me was social issues. You're asleep when people are having dinner, etc. Working at 9pm at night. Coming in late. Etc. Biphasic sleep is moderately workable (see Spanish "siestas"). You have to be careful of your start/stop times 'rotating' through the day.

Vincent Janelle

Hey Edward, it’s probably not healthy but I have been sleeping 4 hours a night on average for the last 3-4 years. This allows me to work super long hours and get done what I need and want to do. I have found that getting more than 4 hours makes me feel more tired and groggy. When I sleep 4 hours my head also feels clearer and I find that I can focus easier.

I think you should view this similar to being overwhelmed by a project, by that I mean you should try and break down your work into much smaller tasks (i.e. "rough cutting act one" instead of just "rough cutting" or "work on cgi for 1.A scene" instead of just "work on cgi for scene 1") and then use that to be able to plan your work time how you need to. That way it is easier to break away when it has been too long or preventing overworking in the first place. Additionally, saving things like major rendering to when you need to go to sleep would allow for something to continue being accomplished while you are resting your non-robotic self (sometimes I wish I was a robot so I could just plug myself in with an extension cord and keep doing things) :). Hope this helps!

John Yoast