Freshmen Test Staggered Sleep System

A novel sleeping system, involving six hours of sleep a day, two hours at a time, has recently been tested by two freshmen in Weld Hall.

Stephen C. Clapp '60, and Edwin F. Ford '60, have attempted to lengthen their study hours by sleeping six hours per day in three two-hours naps, usually from 12-2 a.m., 4-6 a.m., and 4-6 p.m.

The plan originated when Clapp heard reports that 80 percent of the benefits of sleep come in the first two hours. He also discovered that "some guy in Japan" has been successful in sleeping forty minutes at a time, three times daily, for the last three and a half years. He decided to try a similar program, and Ford soon followed him.

Clapp feels that the plan has been quite successful, but Ford has since given up the scheme. "When I finally stopped it, I was dead," Ford claims. "It doesn't work for long periods of time, but it seems to be effective in emergencies."

According to Clapp, the system has not always worked perfectly. At first, he had to do push-ups to stay awake, and had trouble falling asleep when he went to bed. He also complains that in the early morning he has to wear a parka because there is no dormitory heat after midnight.

Ford reports that the set-up "cuts down study effeciency because it takes so long to wake up, and when effeciency drops, less is accomplished."

Both freshmen agree that the system is useful during exam period, and that "It requires strength of character and a loud alarm clock to follow the rigid schedule."

In the picture at right, Ford studies while Clapp sleeps during the late afternoon rest period.