monophasic

[mon-uh-fey-zik]

adjective

1. having one phase.

Word History and Origins

Origin of monophasic¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; mono- + phase + -ic

Example Sentences

For Siegel and his collaborators, these results show that modern, monophasic sleeping is a return to traditional patterns seen among the hunter-gatherers.

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Until recently, humans were believed to be among the minority of species—including most primates—that are strictly monophasic sleepers.

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Though our earliest societies may have been monophasic sleepers, Ekrich found records of segmented sleep dating back to Homer’s Odyssey, published in the late 8th or early 7th century B.C.

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This contrasts with monophasic sleep patterns where pressure builds to a maximum during wakefulness and this sleep pressure is then reduced during sleep.

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In evolutionary terms, polyphasic animals are the most common, whereas monophasic animals have evolved more recently.

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