Introduction
This section showcases which products are useful to get for particular lifestyles. These products should also help with polyphasic adaptations. Information for all these products include which situational uses they are good for and their estimated value compared to price. Assessment words such “terrible”, “bad”, “good” or “very good” will tell how useful they are.
Alarm Products
Alarms go hand in hand with a successful polyphasic adaptation. It is strongly recommended to have multiple devices with multiple alarms go off at various times, preferably after 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after waking up. This is because relying on a single alarm is usually far from enough. Scattering extra alarms throughout the day and certainly during the predicted hard times is also a good idea. You can installing some upbeat music for the first alarm that gives you motivation to wake up and do things!
Again, it is imperative to use more than one device; if that device fails, you likely will not get up. This page provides examples of useful alarm devices that should wake you up. The software section also has several usable alarm applications.
The best alarm would be a human alarm. Thus, asking a family member is a good option in that regard. It is still a good idea to go for a loud alarm, as it can wake the person up. They in return can wake you up if you somehow sleep through the alarm.
Content
- Silent Alarms
- Loud Alarms
- Special Adaptation Products
Silent Alarms
In case you live in a house with several people you do not want to wake up, getting a silent alarm (and a loud alarm as a backup) is the way to go! Here is a list of a few silent alarms and how to use them. It is good to note that you likely will become immune to these on extreme schedules. However, by having several alarms that you rotate, or when not doing extreme schedules, they should wake you up just fine!
Silent Vibrating Personal Alarm Clock “Shake-N-Wake” (Paid Link)
| Price | Very good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | Put this under your pillow and it will vibrate your head to wake you up. It will likely work best with hard mattresses and pillows. You can also get a wristband with a pocket and place it in there; the wristband it comes with is unfortunately garbage. Still, it does vibrate hard! |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
Century 7 Day Heavy Duty Digital Programmable Timer (Paid Link)
| Price | Very good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | Use this by plugging it into a lamp to turn on at the exact time the alarm goes off. That way, you will wake up to a well-lit room. It facilitates getting out of bed, but make sure this does not disrupt your circadian rhythm. If this is used during the dark period, use a red light bulb. Alternatively, you can also use it to power on something that makes sound (e.g, blender). However, then it is no longer silent. Make sure you get the right plug for your region! |
| Conclusion | Better programmability than most alternatives, cheaper than a smart switch. |
Tp-Link Smart Plug (Paid Link)
| Price | Good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | Useful for the same things as the timer, except easier control. In addition, it enables smart devices to turn on your waking method, including NMO support. Just slightly more expensive than a plain timer, but it is often an interesting upgrade. Make sure you get the right plug for your region! |
| Conclusion | Great programmability, integrates with smart home. More options than timer but a bit more expensive. |
Review:
“I’ve used one to power on a stroboscope and blender next to my bed, connected to NMO. It’s an amazingly effective alarm solution when used in such a way. For less extreme schedules more gentle options can be used, and if you no longer need odd alarm solutions, it’s got plenty of other uses around the house as well.”
-Jelte1234, used for 1+ year
Pavlok shock clock (Paid Link)
| Price | Bad |
| Wireless? | Yes |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | A somewhat expensive silent alarm that either vibrates or shocks you to wake you up. People have learned to become immune against shocks on hard schedules, so having other backup alarms is also great. Moreover, there have been some issues reported with the reliability of the Bluetooth connection it relies on. |
| Conclusion | Iffy connection, but if it works, it works. |
Loud Alarms
Sonic Bomb (Paid Link)
| Price | Good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | The polyphasic sleep community has recommended this product for a long time. It is very loud, so prioritize it or use as a backup alarm according to how you want to use it. |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
Headphones
Depending on your personal situation, different headphones can suit your needs. They can act as silent alarms by utilizing a “headphone-only” function of alarm applications. In addition, they can emit brown, white or pink noise to fall asleep faster. Wireless headphones are recommended over corded ones, since they reduce discomfort from a loose cord around the neck. They are also safer for that reason.
Set a regular alarm for a minute later to prevent not waking up if you accidentally dislodge the headphones.
Skullcandy Uproar (Paid Link)
| Price | Good |
| Wireless? | Yes |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | A very cheap pair of Bluetooth headphones that provide solid sound quality. The long battery life is a big plus. |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
Special Adaptation Tools
The following products are useful for the adaptation process itself. While most of them aren’t necessary, you should still consider getting those that suit your circumstances. Not every single one of these products will help everyone, as many are situational. Regardless, looking over them could be useful for your particular case!
Sleep Eye Mask (Paid Link)
This sleeping mask is useful for sleeping in a bright environment.
| Price | Very good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | Useful when sleeping in a bright environment. |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
TOPLUS Yoga Mat (Paid Link)
| Price | Good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | This is great for napping on-the-spot! It is very light, and can just roll out anywhere for a comfy nap spot. However, it is not too comfy; you do not want to accidentally oversleep. |
| Conclusion | Not the cheapest, but nice. |
Laser Eye Goggles (Paid Link)
Determine whether the filtering glasses you are using are doing their job sufficiently by using our light filtering calculator!
| Price | Very good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | These should be worn during the dark period to secure a stable and healthy circadian rhythm. See the Dark Period course for more info. If this particular pair doesn’t suit you, it is important to go for a pair that blocks > 99% of all light from 400-530 nm wavelengths. These glasses are the most popular solution for managing the circadian rhythm and dark period in the community. |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
Sleeping with these is very possible. They can even prevent sunlight from hitting your eyes. If you habitually wear glasses, buy two of these. Remove the glass part from the frames of one of them and cover your own glasses. You can wear the other pair in situations where you do not use your prescription glasses. It is also possible to tape the red laser goggles to the frame of your glasses, but this doesn’t apply for all types of glasses.
Red Light Bulbs (Paid Link)
| Price | Very good |
| Community tested? | Yes |
| Comment | They are an alternative to the laser goggles if you find using them is too much of a hassle. This requires you to have a complete blockage of sunlight in your house; you will not be able to go outside during your dark period. If you use a computer during the dark period, it should have some red-tinting programs in use. EU-standard sizes are E27 for large bulbs, and E14 for smaller bulbs. Make sure you get the right size and voltage for your region. |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
Daylight Lamp (Paid Link)
| Price | Bad |
| Wireless? | Yes |
| Community tested? | No |
| Comment | Daylight lamps set the circadian morning. This is useful for people living further from the equator during the winter, or for people who have a really early core. Follow the instructions accordingly. They can also be useful if you feel down in winter; this is also known as “SAD” (Seasonal Affective Disorder). If you don’t go for this particular model, you should get a pair that produces 10 000 lux. Follow its instructions. |
| Conclusion | Good choice! |
Sleep Tracking Products
Information regarding which sleep trackers the community recommends is in this page.
Main author: Crimson
Page last updated: 1 April 2021