Ducamayl
Overview
- Proposed by: The Discord Polyphasic Community
- Total sleep: Undefined, but may average around 5.5-6.5 hours
- Classification: Flexible schedule, SPAMAYL variant, Dual Core variant
- Specification: 2 cores, multiple short naps
- Mechanism: Variant of SPAMAYL that includes 2 core sleeps. Evolves well from adaptation to DC1-extended, DC2-(extended) and DC3-extended then flexible versions of these schedules as helpful intermediates. The first core sleep provides more SWS while the second core favors more REM, with the nap(s) providing the remaining REM. A strong reliance on sensing when to best nap to get quality REM nap(s) and quality cores is required. You will need the freedom to take a nap soon at any time, and/or the ability to plan naps sensibly for each day such that there is no waking gap too long that makes you tired.
- Adaptation difficulty: Hard
- Ideal scheduling: Around at least ~4.5-5h total sleep for both cores combined, with about 1-4 naps of 10-20 minutes in length. Nap spacing should take into account natural periods of tiredness, as well as the morning circadian peak. In the evening 6-7 hour gaps are common, whereas alertness may wane after 3-4 hours awake around night/early morning hours. A longer Pronap of up to 45m might be plausible during early morning hours (6-10am) if all SWS has already been accounted for, which it should be if the base strict schedule has already been adapted to. This would allow larger gaps and/or increased flexibility later in the day. The wake gap between 2 cores can increase or decrease depending on days. Each core might be flexed and/or varied max. 90m in length, as optional variables after adapted to a base schedule. It’s not recommended to add an extra cycle more than once a week, as more frequent lengthening seems to destabilize adaptations to the reduced sleep total.
The name DUCAMAYL stands for “Dual Core As Much As You Like”, one of the 4 “-AMAYL'' polyphasic schedules. Because of the nigh-impossibility to adapt to this schedule cold turkey, many adaptations have failed. In the past, there have been a few attempts at flexing sleep from the start, but all of them eventually failed. Adaptations to a strict Dual Core base schedule first, however, have proven to be a successful way to adapt to DUCAMAYL.
Historically, the schedule recorded one unintentional and anecdotal success from sleeper Aethermind’s father, who has been inadvertently maintaining the schedule for most of 2-3 decades without visibly dangerous diseases aside from high stress or missing the second core due to work. His DUCAMAYL variant consists of 2 somewhat flexible core sleeps and alternates between 1 and 2 flexible naps from day to day. First created and roughly drafted in 2017 in the Discord channel, it was proposed as a flexible Dual Core counterpart to SEVAMAYL, a flexible Everyman prototype. Up to 2020, there have been two more successful adaptations to DUCAMAYL. Most of what is said about SEVAMAYL also applies to DUCAMAYL, with only some differences from the structure of DUCAMAYL as a Dual Core schedule, regarding sleep timing and flexibility of sleep. 1-2 months will have to be reserved to adapt to a strict Dual Core schedule first, and then several weeks (~6-9 weeks) to adapt to DUCAMAYL.
For what lifestyles is this schedule best?
Like other “-AMAYL” polyphasic schedules, erratic lifestyles greatly benefit them. It would be, however, a better idea to slightly flex the Dual Core base schedule rather than adopting DUCAMAYL if flexibility is limited with consistent work or social commitments. Unlike, SEVAMAYL, however, DUCAMAYL has the second core sleep around dawn that can boost alertness for several hours ahead. This can pave the way for certain jobs with long wake gap(s) from morning to early afternoon hours without having to rest. The second core of DUCAMAYL (on variants with at least ~5h total sleep of both cores) limits the amount of needed daytime naps, and needing only 1 daytime nap on certain days can allow for a lot of uninterrupted waking hours.
Why does this schedule work?
DUCAMAYL evolves well from an extended Dual Core base schedule (or for some, a regular DC2 schedule) to ensure some flexibility of the core sleeps, but Dual Core sleep in essence evolves from Segmented sleep. With both core sleeps taking advantage of SWS and REM peaks, DUCAMAYL utilizes a varying number of daytime naps for each particular day. After adapting to a base Dual Core schedule, the body gets used to the new sleep pattern, which involves 2 core sleeps and a number of naps to be used when sleep times become flexible, and the amount of sleep reduction from the personal monophasic baseline. Slowly shifting the naps and the cores enhance the flexibility of the whole schedule. Both core sleeps rake in ideally all needed SWS, and a decent amount of REM sleep. The remaining naps only serve to fulfill the remaining REM sleep and provide alertness boost and memory consolidation with NREM2. Because of 2 core sleeps occupying a fair amount of graveyard hours, DUCAMAYL results in overall fewer daytime naps than SEVAMAYL.
What does it feel like once adapted?
Like other “-AMAYL” schedules (except SPAMAYL), once adapted it is possible to occasionally extend either core sleep by 90m in the event of slight sickness, somewhat more tiredness, stress or heavy gym workouts. This extension should not be done more than once per 7 or 10 days. Nap durations can also become a lot more versatile on some occasions, being able to be extended to 30m-40m (for early/late morning naps) in experienced sleepers or reduced to 5-10m in the case of emergency that does not allow for the usual 20m, or when it gets late in the day (after ~5:30 PM) to avoid more grogginess upon waking.
Both core sleeps and the naps will sustain alertness, retain memory, cognitive and ideally physical performance everyday. The ability to gain natural wakes from certain naps or cores is also very satisfying.
What variations of DUCAMAYL actually work?
To ensure flexibility of both core sleeps and the naps, the total sleep of both cores combined should be at least 4.5h (e.g, 3h first core and 1.5h second core) and approximately ~5.5h total sleep (all sleeps on schedule). This ideally would cover all SWS and a strong amount of REM sleep and the total sleep of both cores, 4.5h, is comparable with the E3-extended base from SEVAMAYL. However, up to date it is unknown how flexible either core sleep will be with this total sleep, and if one core sleep always has to be stationary. For polyphasic beginners, sleepers with higher sleep needs or those often naturally waking up at night who want a transition to DUCAMAYL, extended base Dual Core versions provide much better opportunities to comfortably flex both core sleeps to some extent. This makes DC1-extended, DC2-extended and DC3-extended good candidates for transitioning to DUCAMAYL.
Aside from these extended variants, modified variants with 2 2.5h core lengths (2.5-2.5), 1 core of 3h followed by a 2.5h core length (3-2.5), or 3.5-1.5 can be scheduled by experienced sleepers or those who know their sleep architecture well enough through the use of a sleep tracking device. Interestingly enough, one DUCAMAYL’s successful adaptation came from Bimaxion base (4h TST) and then the sleeper alternated between 1,2 and 3 naps from day to day. The naps are primarily 30m long as a result of utilizing 30m nap duration (Dymaxion naps). Since this successful adapter was a mutant sleeper (5-6h monophasic requirement), it makes sense that only people with lower sleep requirements would be able to fully adapt to DUCAMAYL with a very low total sleep.
The difference between a 4.5h-1.5h and a 3h-3h combination of both cores can be used for different purposes. For example, a person with higher REM need but lower SWS need can opt for a longer second core and shorter first core, and vice versa. Individuals with heavy training can also pick a longer first core (at least 2 full cycles) for better physical recovery. People with higher sleep requirements can also increase the napping frequency (e.g, DC2-extended) to further support REM sleep. Although for the most part, transitioning from DC1 and DC2 bases would prove to be easier to schedule than DC3 bases.
Depending on the base Dual Core schedule of choice, the corresponding DUCAMAYL variant would reflect the amount of naps needed each day in each of those base schedules. For instance, a DC1 sleeper can alternate between 1-2 naps from day to day, a DC2 sleeper would be an average of 2 naps per day (alternating between 1, 2 and 3 naps), and a DC3 sleeper may require an average of 3 naps per day (2-4 naps) or 2-3 naps depending on the core durations of the base schedule.
Unlike a regular Dual Core schedule whose first core usually starts early (e.g, 9-10 PM), on DUCAMAYL the first core can become quite flexible and start at later evening hours on some days (e.g, 11 PM-midnight) as part of the flexible regime. This allows more social evening time if any need arises. Extended variants can also start the first core at late evening hours (~11 PM-midnight) from the very first adaptation step to strict sleep times. The second core, a big perk of DUCAMAYL, can be flexed accordingly and is generally safe from real life interruptions as it is very late into the night. As a result of flexible core sleeps, the wake gap between each core can increase (moving both cores further or delay the second core) or decrease (moving both cores closer or one core closer to the other) freely. This allows for flexible planning or activities during the wake gap depending on days. For example, a busy night with binge-watching entertainments or work can prompt the sleeper to enjoy more of these night hours, while a night with not many useful activities to do is a cue for a shorter night gap.
The process of adapting to DUCAMAYL is very similar to SEVAMAYL - one or two naps at time can be flexed with small range (e.g, 15m earlier/later than original time), and one of the 2 cores also starts with the same small flex range. Once energy level and alertness stabilize, flexing can increase in larger jumps, one step at a time. Taking flexing of both cores and all naps to the extreme right away can cause more detriment to the schedule, eventually destabilizing it, however. One or both cores of DUCAMAYL may remain stationary throughout the entire flexing adaptation, and the focus is on highly flexible and alternate number of naps from day to day instead.
During and after the adaptation, some naps may naturally reduce in length. The best strategy is to get up because “-AMAYL” schedules typically are not confined to any specific sleep duration forever, with occasional changes available. However if there is a long wake gap ahead in schedule, it would be a wise approach to go back to sleep for the full duration of the nap to gain more wakefulness sustaining. Similarly, after adaptation is complete, a nap can be extended to 30-40m during early/late morning hours (REM peak-~11 AM) without having to worry about SWS wakes. This would strategically enhance wakefulness for the next hours, resulting in the need for fewer or no naps later in the day. Similar to the cores, under normal conditions, there should be at least 90-120m awake between each nap.
It is also possible to utilize a Pronap if the whole DUCAMAYL schedule is rotated backward, with the first core being early in the evening (e.g, 8 PM). The Pronap would then provide more REM sleep and can become flexible later on. In the event of an emergency, it is also possible to schedule ultrashort naps (e.g, 5-10m) when a regular 20m nap is too long to schedule. This would serve to sustain alertness with light sleep (NREM1/NREM2) until the next nap during any daytime hours. The freedom to pick nap durations whenever necessary after adaptation is very satisfying and greatly boosts the overall flexibility and durability of the whole schedule. Nonetheless, these changes in nap durations should not be abused - occasionally using them to one’s advantage would prevent the destabilized nap structure from the adapted base Dual Core schedules.
Regarding core sleeps, under emergency or social events that have to delay the first core sleep, it is then possible to move both cores further into the night, resulting in a much later wakeup time for the following morning. Another option is to skip the first core and extend the second core by 90m and resume napping as usual. The following night can continue with 1 extended core sleep and extra naps until alertness is back to the refreshing state. The dark period can start 15-30m before either core sleep after the party if time is too crunched, and maintained between 2 cores if possible. Under normal conditions, dark period should be introduced some time before the first core and maintained in the wake gap between 2 cores like other Dual Core schedules. Because of the potential flexibility of cores, an experienced or well-adapted to flexing sleeper can start the first core 30m or 2-3h after dark period has begun whenever desired. However, excessively delaying the first core should be entirely avoided when adapting and should not be allowed to happen more than once a week or so, to avoid destabilization. This is because the first core’s SWS quality can greatly falter if delayed too often into late night hours.
External factors such as food, exercise and mental health status should be considered carefully and planned accordingly to ensure the quality of each nap. It is generally better to nap before a heavy or long workout, and meals. Otherwise, napping some hours after these activities is also very viable. It is also crucial to manage personal stress levels, as emotional distress is shown to increase REM needs and can put more pressure on the schedule. As an added bonus, the wake gap flexibility between 2 cores allows the schedule to effectively dodge Daylight Saving Time.
Overall, DUCAMAYL is a much more advanced version of a regular Dual Core schedule, with promising flexibility of all sleep blocks and the tenacious ability to sustain performance across the clock. With a usually somewhat high total sleep, it can tolerate certain occasions where the regular sleep hygiene practices have to be temporarily forfeited. The malleability of nap amount and duration from day to day is also highly resilient and convenient to maintain the schedule long term. Another added stronghold is the support and bond between 2 core sleeps - the second core sleep can to some extent fix the inconsistencies and small hiccups from the first core. However, the schedule does offer on average less sleep reduction than SEVAMAYL that proceeds from the very common E3-extended base. While the second core is a great REM stock and mostly safe from real life events, the first core is still vulnerable to evening social hours if done frequently; this is the primary reason that prompts many sleepers to try out Everyman instead.
Overall, DUCAMAYL is a much more advanced version of a regular Dual Core schedule, with promising flexibility of all sleep blocks and the tenacious ability to sustain performance across the clock. With a usually somewhat high total sleep, it can tolerate certain occasions where the regular sleep hygiene practices have to be temporarily forfeited. The malleability of nap amount and duration from day to day is also highly resilient and convenient to maintain the schedule long term. Another added stronghold is the support and bond between 2 core sleeps - the second core sleep can to some extent fix the inconsistencies and small hiccups from the first core. However, the schedule does offer on average less sleep reduction than SEVAMAYL that proceeds from the very common E3-extended base. While the second core is a great REM stock and mostly safe from real life events, the first core is still vulnerable to evening social hours if done frequently; this is the primary reason that prompts many sleepers to try out Everyman instead.
The adaptation to a base Dual Core schedule is also deemed harder to achieve than to a base Everyman schedule, thus the flexing adaptation may be equally, if not harder, than SEVAMAYL. A lot of effort in assessing the proper times to place naps and cores will be required to adapt to DUCAMAYL, the flexing adaptation that is mostly Stage 4, feeling somewhat low in productivity and not truly refreshing/adapted sleep. Lastly, excessive sleep due to physical recovery, sickness, extended wake periods that promote long sleep, injury, uncontrolled drinking, substance use, etc. can destabilize the whole schedule, which already takes several months to adapt to. With all that said, with thorough planning and execution on all these elements, DUCAMAYL is a powerful schedule to arrive at.
