Diet and polyphasic sleeping

I was recently asked about my diet and how that affects my sleep schedule. I do think that food - good food - is important, and I can quickly tell when I am not eating well. It becomes MUCH harder to maintain my triphasic schedule. I have come to believe that polyphasic sleeping does, inherently, put some stress on the body, and that can be somewhat mitigated by a good diet and reasonable exercise. 

I have tracked my foods periodically for years, so I know that I typically eat 40/40/20 as far as carbs/fats/protein. However, those are not targets; the only macronutrient that I target is protein. I try to get at least 55g a day. I am a flexitarian, and do not eat much meat AND I do a calorie restriction diet for longevity, I have to be conscious of getting enough protein, without a disproportionate number of calories.

I do a CRON diet (Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition). I also kept a journal on my diet for a short while, so you can see specifically what I tend to eat. I track my diet about twice a year with nutrition-tracking software, to make sure that what I am eating at least gives me the known nutrients. This is important because with fewer calories, nutrition packing becomes more problematic, and like most people, I get into habits with food, making things that are quick and easy. So I check periodically, and adjust my diet when needed.

An important part of a complete breakfast.

Of course, I avoid caffeine after the first hour that I am awake, although I have a cup of coffee just about every time I get up.

I avoid overly processed food. I don't think that would have any direct effect on my sleep, but I believe that it has a direct effect on my health. I tend to agree with Michael Pollan's basic rules of health eating: "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much". I believe that my health has a direct effect on my ability to do triphasic sleeping.

I avoid alcohol. I find that more than one serving of alcohol will interfere with my schedule. I fall asleep easily enough, but do not wake even if I set an alarm. I also try to avoid foods with a high insulin index, except right before cardio-type exercise. I find that they make me tired about 40 minutes after I have them. It takes me longer to fall asleep if I just had some, and I tend to "oversleep" by about 20-30 minutes.