Sleep I find very interesting. While I was in the Army, sleep deprivation was a form of breaking us down. Waking up at 3-4 in the morning was normal, bed time was usually around 10. During watch, I'd be lucky to sleep 4 hours. On sleep cycles: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/13/alternative-s.../ To add, I really think that as long as you get into a rhythm of sleep cycles your body and mind should be okay. If anyone knows any more about sleep feel free to chime in.
My partner woke me up last night with a snore so loud that I think the window blinds shook. I couldn't get back to sleep afterwards, and I had read some version of this last night. So I just lay in the dark worried and growing angrier that I was going to die and horrible death due to my partner's sleep apnea. I arose in a bit of a mood this morning.
Has your partner tried a CPAP machine? My dad has one and says it makes a world of difference. I also have sleep apnea, but hopefully it won't progress to the point where I need a machine. I'm glad that there are more options now than just living with it though.
I'm less certain that 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is as important as taking a few periods of a 24 hour cycle to rest/sleep. But our world is not structured for this type of sleep pattern.
For the professional world, that's generally true, but many countries take siestas or at least a longer lunch. Given the number of stress and fatigue related complaints and illnesses (not to mention accidents) and the attention that sleep studies are generating, I hope that attitudes about sleep start to change. It would feel kind of silly to demand more sleep though, but I bet it would be seen as a lot less frivolous if concrete proof of the link between quality sleep and degenerative neurological disease, materialized.our world is not structured for this type of sleep pattern.