I’ve been meaning to share that I have heard about someone who used polyphasic sleeping although I don’t know what their schedule was, but I do know that they were the captain of the USS Carl Vinson and that my friend, who was in the Marines with me, shared about how he used to do these catnaps but he was always on his post. I think it’d be great if the US Navy did more research on polyphasic sleep because if a ship’s captain can do it, then it would dramatically reduce the number of people needed to do one job and would also reduce the vulnerability of a fighting force if it is awake all day and only napping occasionally. At night, a military installatoin goes dark while some people stay up on 3rd shift watching the base. What if they could all be awake all day and napping occasionally instead? What could they get done with fewer people?

Anyway, the reason I mention this is that the captain of the ship may or may not have used a clock to wake up, which is basically what many polyphasic sleepers do without. They have trained their minds to wake up after a short rest period which is pretty cool.

But is what I am doing the same thing? Because I’m using technology to do this, does it make it any less useful or valuable?

Well, you would have to be a Luddite to believe that. You’re using the internet right now to read this, so your life must in some way be improved by technology, even if it is for pure entertainment alone. If you use Microsoft Windows or Apple OS, then you probably use programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and any other host of software to get stuff done. If you use anti-virus software, then this is proof that you want to protect your ability to get stuff done.

Do you drive a car? Take pictures? Listen to radio, watch movies or have a cellphone? Do…you…use…electricity…?

The question is really not “Does using technology compromise us as human beings?” but instead is “At what point does the use of technology not let us be independent of technology?”

I think that people who are not in some Third World country without electricity know the difference between life without technology and with and they prefer with. Even homeless people use the bus to get across town.

But then there are the Amish, right? And Lord knows what a soft spot I have for them in my heart after heaing the incredible display of Christian principles at the Amish school shooting in 2006. Not only does it make me glad to call myself a Christian, but it also makes me question whether or not I should become Amish and abandon technology. They are clearly doing something right.

And yet I know that there is detriment in excess, but I can’t say that having more time can be an ill of excess. The only concern that I have is for my own health. However, I run at least three times a week, I am eating a largely raw food diet and my only serious nutritional flaws are caffeine and sharing a bottle of wine with my wife at least one day a week (with the intent to only have it one day a week) and perhaps the monthly or bi-monthly fast food visit. I’m certainly not at the right weight as I am technically overweight but not obese; however, I’m tracking my progress to lose the extra weight using our new Nintendo Wii.

But wait a second…

I’m using the Wii to track my weight loss and my wife uses it for exercise (as do I on occasion).

When I go running, I use an interval timer on my Timex Ironman watch.

This means that I am not only using technology to get less sleep, but I am also using technology to improve my health.

Based on everything that I have read, I can’t see that getting less sleep is as much of a problem as not exercising, so I think I’m going to be just fine doing this.

Thanks for listening.