Re: Uber Polyphasic sleep or not? That is the question.
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We just covered the topic of sleep/circadian rhythms in bio class. In sleep the stress axis is turned off and the growth/immune axis turned up. Learning/memory consolidation also takes place, and most importantly the redox environment switches to eliminate free radicals and allow DNA replication. Free radicals are believed to be very important in aging and cancer. When rats are deprived of sleep for a long time they eventually die from massive infections as their immune system collapses.
Screwing up the circadian rhythm by working night shifts leads to higher cancer rates, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and I think cancer.
I would really suggest against it, even if you don't suffer any short term effects. In the long run it may catch up with you. It is also possible you get many more hours and have a blast and do not suffer any long term or short term side effects, but I doubt it.
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Yeah, what he said.
Sleep deprivation is one of the most harmful, long-term things to put your body through. Pretending for a second it isn't unhealthy, what are the positives for doing this to yourself? I can't think of any.
p.s. Just because you stop feeling tired after a few weeks doesn't mean you're not doing great harm to yourself. The human body can adapt. Take smoking for example. After a short while it no longer bothers you to inhale the smoke but that doesn't mean it's somehow healthy then.
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