[sfiles]

The reason uberman works is because you are getting REM sleep during those 20 minute naps. Your body adjusts to the 20 minute nap cycle and throws you into REM faster, hence why that first week or so adjust period is rather hellish. Before your body adjust there is a lack that much needed REM sleep.

It is a really crappy article though

[ska]

Do you have evidence (i.e. randomized, blinded) that uberman actually does work?

I'd be really interested to see it, all I have managed to find is evidence that some people who do it believe that it works well for them, which isn't at all the same thing.

Polyphasic sleep schedules are interesting, but I've always thought these extremely short cycles were problematic.

[tlb]

It's impossible to do double-blind experiments on behavior changes. But randomized, blind-evaluator experiments would be a good start.

[ska]

Of course you're right, behavioral studies make subject blinding (nearly?) impossible. Typing quicker than thinking there, I'll edit original for clarity.