Ë% Open the windows all the way and crank the radio
Ë% Sing very loudly and enthusiastically
Ë% Do "The Shuffle" (see the Cheat Sheet at the end on "Things to do when you're tired" for a
description of this technique)
Ë% Pull over, get out and take a short, brisk walk
DO NOT "just keep driving" or try to "get through it"!
Saving a little time is not worth having an accident!!
Also, while narcoleptic symptoms are typically worst at night, they can sometimes happen during
the day as well. I always advocate being off work for the first few difficult days of your adaptation
(typically days 2-5 or so), but if you do have to do sensitive things during this time, you'll want to keep a
sharp eye out and take steps to alleviate narcolepsy as soon as you notice it coming on.
41 I refer to narcolepsy as a symptom, because the word is commonly used to describe the state of falling asleep uncontrollably, even when it's temporary. The
disease "narcolepsy", which is the more technical use of the word, is characterized by frequent uncontrollable sleeps, often ruining someone's life and/or
requiring medication. Narcolepsy-the-symptom can also be a side-effect of some medications.
32 Ubersleep
Alleviating the narcoleptic symptoms of sleep deprivation is not always possible -- there will
be short periods where your body is absolutely trying to fall asleep, right here right now. All you can do
then is force yourself to stay awake until the feeling passes: By hopping into a cold shower, shaking your
head or slapping your face, jumping or running in place, or taking a brisk walk outside, for instance. (Or--
this one I thought was particularly smart--by holding dishes. One creative polyphaser told me
about walking around his house carrying a big stack of dishes, which not only kept him
from falling asleep, but guaranteed that if he did, he'd wake back up immediately!) Almost every
polyphasic adaptation involves getting to the point of needing to do those things at least once -- but don't
worry; typically those spells are very short. (Unfortunately, they don't seem short.)
When you feel narcoleptic symptoms coming on, there are a few things you can do right away to
try to stave off that falling-asleep-standing-up feeling, before it gets to the point where you're slapping
yourself while blaring Star Wars on the TV as loud as it will go. The "early warning signs" typically include:
Ï% Dizziness and a feeling of gently falling, or spiraling downwards (into sleep)
Ï% Uncontrollable closing of the eyelids
Ï% Heavy, difficult-to-move limbs
Ï% Coldness; a tendency to "curl up"
Ï% Difficulty standing or sitting straight
When those things manifest, your body is trying to shut the lights off on you, so pay attention!
Often, if you do one of the following things (or something like them) when you begin to feel this way, it
will pass.
Combating Narcolepsy Before it Sets In:
Ï% STAND UP! You'll typically notice the above symptoms while you're sitting or reclining; the very
first thing to do is get up and MOVE, no matter how much you don't want to. In fact, walking
itself can be a good cure -- just keep going until you feel better. Dancing works great too.
Ï% Make and eat a small meal or snack. Something that takes a little preparation, and/or effort to eat,
typically works better than throwing a frozen burrito in the microwave. I used to cook a whole
artichoke, and melt butter to dip the leaves in -- by the time I was done making and eating it, an
hour could have passed, and any nasty sleep-dep symptoms I'd been having were over.
Ï% Pick up or put on a book, movie, or other entertainment that you find very interesting, which tends
to engross you completely.42 (Sometimes one you hate can be as effective as one you like, if you
really hate it. Political media from an extreme opposite your preference can be very useful.)
Ï% Begin a personal-care routine, especially one that you either associate with mornings or only do
rarely. Just be careful if you're working with sharp things or chemicals! (I've hennaed my hair with
great success for this purpose -- henna is messy and tricky to work with, and the process takes
several hours.)
Ï% Change your clothes, and take some care picking them if you can. What works particularly well is
to change into something that's not too easy to get into, and which you'd never normally sleep in,
like formal clothes. (What the heck, do your hair/makeup/whatever too, if it helps. You're up;
you might as well be pretty!)
Ï% Take a cool or cold shower -- not a bath, however, since the risk of falling asleep in a bath is too
dangerous. Along the same lines, consider opening windows or lowering the temperature where
you are some other way: Warmth contributes to sleepiness.
42 I've heard that polyphasic adaptation is a great time to rent/borrow/buy an exciting book, TV series or other type of entertainment. (Or better yet, more
than one.) And I can see the rationale, because I've gotten "sucked in" to new media and stayed up late just as much as the next guy. It's a good idea if that
kind of thing engrosses you, but take care sitting down -- putting in your DVD or picking up that book while standing may be a much better idea. Also, make
sure you don't get *so* engrossed that you miss naptime!
Ubersleep 33
Ï% Talk, recite poetry, sing, or play a musical instrument (whether or not you can do it well): The
concentration required to express yourself out loud will distract you from feeling sleepy.
Ï% Court a little (just a little!) danger. Going for a walk at night if you're scared of the dark -- or going
to a cemetery or other "creepy" place -- getting just a little bit of a scare on -- is a fantastic way to
wake up. Put on a very scary movie, even. Just make sure you don't scare yourself so badly that
you can't sleep when it's actually time to!
Ï% Make a phone call. Now is a great time to know someone in another time-zone!
Things that you don't want to do when you're feeling the onset of real falling-asleep-standing-up
narcolepsy include flipping channels on the TV, reading magazines, surfing the 'Net, or just staring at a wall
(which is probably what you'll feel like doing). In order to talk your body out of heavy-handedly pushing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]