Segmented sleep may enhance overall productivity. But is it also a healthier choice? This article will help you decide if this is something you should do.

Suffering From Insomnia? Try Segmented Sleeping

Through millennia, and even now among some people, segmented sleep is a customary sleeping pattern that entails periodic waking up before drifting back to sleep.

Overview

Sleep science recommends that adults should get between <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/are-you-sleeping-on-your-sleep-cycle">six to eight hours of sleep every night</a>. Considering that in their more mature years, adults are juggling jobs, house care, child care, parent care and trying to have some kind of a social life, not everyone is able to take that much time out in one go to sleep.

There might be another way to catch up: segmented sleeping. 
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Segmented Sleep

Most people crawl into the bed by late evening or night and, if they are lucky, spend the next eight hours or so snoring and dreaming. This is a monophasic sleep pattern, i.e. an individual sleeps in one full stretch. 
For others, however, it&rsquo;s better if they break their sleep pattern into two or more shifts. That&rsquo;s how they wake up feeling more refreshed and are more productive. This is called segmented sleep. It&rsquo;s also known as biphasic, bimodal and divided sleep. 
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<h5>How It All Started?</h5>

There may be some evolutionary links for segmented sleep. According to the historian, Roger Ekrich, it&rsquo;s only recently that insomnia has been accepted as a troublesome condition. During the preindustrial era, it was considered a norm for people to wake up in the middle of the night. They would spend their free time smoking, praying, visiting their neighbours and then they&rsquo;d go back to sleep.

Before the invention of the lamp and indoor heating, nights, especially those in the winter, were long and chilly. Darkness would last for at least 12 hours. The same holds true for winter nights even now after the invention of the electric bulb. People don&rsquo;t require 12 hours of sleep per night. So, it&rsquo;s quite common to wake up in the middle of the night and find something to do before the next stage of sleep takes over!

This brings us to a question: is biphasic or segmented sleep healthier than the monophasic pattern? 
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The monophasic pattern became more common post industrialisation. People used to work during the day hours. They would come home by the evening to rest and sleep in order to repeat the whole process again the next day.

A biphasic sleep pattern involves sleeping in two segments in a day, whereas, a polyphasic sleep pattern that&rsquo;s generally followed by babies involves sleeping for more than two periods in a day. Experts suggest that midday sluggishness is a reflection of the past segmented patterns that our bodies still follow unconsciously.

The thing is, these sleep patterns occur naturally. Before adopting a certain pattern, it&rsquo;s important for the person to carefully assess and see if it aligns with their lifestyle. For example, research shows that polyphasic or biphasic patterns have insufficient sleep time and that even though adults willingly choose a segmented pattern to enhance their creativity and productivity, they are at risk of sleep deprivation, which can lead to other health problems like:

<ul>
	<li>Foggy brain</li>
	<li>Lowered immunity</li>
	<li>Increased appetite</li>
	<li>Overactive nervous system</li>
	<li>Anxiety</li>
	<li>Depression</li>
	<li>Chronic fatigue 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

A recent study found no supporting evidence for polyphasic sleep schedules. On the contrary, they concluded that the ensuing sleep deprivation was associated with adverse physical and mental health problems as well as decreasing the overall productivity. In other words, any pattern that reduces the amount of sleep as per the recommended time is not a healthy schedule to follow. 
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The Middle of the Night

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society emphasises on the number of hours of sleep and not on how anyone achieves those hours. According to them, adults between 16 and 80 years of age are recommended to sleep for a minimum of seven hours daily; it doesn&rsquo;t matter how many segments it takes for them to accomplish it. 
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So, there&rsquo;s no need to worry if you wake up in the middle of the night. Here are few tips to calm down and destress your body:

<ul>
	<li>Try box breathing: gently inhale, hold your breath, and then slowly exhale. It will activate your parasympathetic nervous system.</li>
	<li>Starting with your feet, gradually tense and relax your body&rsquo;s muscles while you perform a few relaxation exercises.</li>
	<li>Stop looking at the nightstand clock. It won&rsquo;t put you to sleep again; instead, it will make you more anxious.</li>
	<li>In case you are unable to fall asleep again in about 20 minutes, get out of bed. Read or engage in another activity that calms your mind and body. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Bottom Line

Some people stick with the basic monophasic schedule because they feel well-rested afterwards. Others report that segmented sleep patterns work best for them. According to science, while segmented sleep improves a person&rsquo;s creativity and productivity, it can also lead to sleep deprivation. If someone wants to try a different sleep pattern, it&rsquo;s best to consult a physician as to how to incorporate it in their lifestyle. 
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