Introduction

Human is capable of having flexible sleep schedules. Additionally, polyphasic schedules tend to become more flexible after the first strict adaptation step is completed, although to varying degrees.

Currently, there are 2 different systems of flexible schedules. Note that this post only focuses on reducing polyphasic schedules and their flexibility.

For more information on non-reducing schedules, check out Flexible Sleep Timing. 

Regular Flexible Schedules

These are any polyphasic schedules that have strict sleep times at first. Over time, adapted sleepers will learn to make at least one sleep block flexible. It is important to adapt to any reducing schedules first, before attempting to flex any sleep blocks.

To make each schedule flexible, it is also necessary to go through a flexing adaptation.

• The most common route is to gradually flex each sleep block back and forth by small increments (e.g, 15m, 30m).
• Then, each flex range can increase if there is more demand for a bigger flex range.
• The flexing adaptation usually lasts anywhere from 4-8 weeks or more depending on how flexible each sleep block, or the whole schedule is. 

The above napchart shows an E2 variant with a flexible second nap.

• The nap has a flex range of 90 minutes in either direction. It suggests that the sleeper can take the nap 90 minutes sooner or later than the strict sleep times from the first adaptation to the E2-extended base.
• This flex range also indicates that the sleeper has been able to flex the second nap with any range smaller than +/-90 minutes (e.g, 40m sooner or 60m later than the original time) if desired.
• However, in this case, the core sleep and the first nap remain at the same hours as the original sleep times. The remaining waking hours are untouched.

Similarly, any other regular, slightly flexible schedules will have at least one flexible sleep block while the remaining waking hours resemble those on the first strict adaptation.

For the purpose of clarification, any in-progress adaptation to flexible schedules usually contains a suffix “-flex” behind the schedule name. For example, E2-ext-flex in the example above. Other examples include: DC1-flex, E1-flex, E2-modified-flex, etc.

Flexible“-Amayl” (“as much as you like”) schedules

Definition

These schedules (e.g, SEVAMAYL) require that sleepers have highly enhanced flexing skills. They are comfortable with sleeping around the clock. They are capable of such feats while maintaining productivity, well-being and other successful adaptation criteria.

• The defining distinction is that “-amayl” schedules have somewhat variable number of sleep sessions from day to day, within a certain general structure. For example, SEVAMAYL will have 1 core but a variable number of naps. This is similar to a general Everyman schedule’s structure but the number of naps can vary on a daily basis.
• “-Amayl” sleepers have become capable of sleeping whenever they are tired enough. This is because their sleep remains efficient enough to provide the necessary vital sleep stages.
• Despite their versatility, they require paying some attention to wakefulness and alertness dips; sleepers should rest after getting somewhat tired, but before getting too tired and risking an oversleep.
• The close monitoring of homeostatic pressure to achieve efficient sleep can make “-amayl” schedules difficult to manage across a wide range of possible sleep times.

Below is an example of a SEVAMAYL variant.

• The SEVAMAYL sleeper in the above napchart is able to flex the core by 60 minutes in either direction.
• They can also flex all the naps to various degrees; any naps between 05:15 and 19:00 are comfortably adjusted.
• Because of the core sleep at night, there is no napping at evening hours.
• The freedom to nap whenever tired during the daytime hours is very satisfying.
• In order to adapt to SEVAMAYL, a strict adaptation to a base Everyman schedule (e.g, E3-extended) is obligatory. After that, adapt to the flexible intermediate E3-extended with gradual increases in flex range of each sleep block. Then, one can finally reach SEVAMAYL.

Adaptation Mechanics to Flexible Sleep

Adaptation-wise, “-flex” schedules are good intermediate steps for adaptations to “-amayl” schedules.

• This helps ease polyphasic sleepers into flexing sleep.
• All successes on flexible schedules take place after a successful adaptation to the strict base. For example, a flexible nap from E1, DC1-ext nap or either of the 2 cores from DC1-ext.
• Rare exceptions exist, especially for those with genetically reduced monophasic sleep requirements.
• Because of the massive flex ranges of sleep blocks on “-amayl” schedules, adaptations to them are supposed to be harder than to flexible schedules.

Additional Features of Flexible “-Amayl” Sleep Schedules

• As an additional aspect of schedule malleability, adapted “-amayl” schedules may include somewhat variable sleep block lengths. This means having fewer or more sleep blocks on any given day.
• However, normal, reducing flexible schedules do not seem to support variable sleep durations. This can negatively affect repartitioning of vital sleep stages in each sleep block.
• It is too difficult to retain well-being with a defined number of naps that should each last consistently less than ~23 minutes (e.g, Everyman). At the same time, drastically altered architecture of the core sleep also makes reliable compensation difficult without variable numbers of sleeps.
• Not any schedules can take the “-amayl” form.

1. Any schedules have to be able to show the ability to change the number of sleep blocks from day to day or at least occasionally.
2. They have to maintain polyphasic characteristics to be “-amayl”. For example, a Segmented pattern with 2 core sleeps of 3 hours each cannot become “Segmented-amayl”. If a sleeper skips one of the 2 cores on some days, the whole schedule would become monophasic sleep.

Example

The example below demonstrates this concept.

The above napchart represents a CAMAYL version with usually 4 core sleeps each day. The sleeper has demonstrated the ability to sleep for 90 minutes whenever tired enough. However, on days where it is mandatory to skip one core, the schedule takes the following form below.

• Once the adaptation phase is complete, skipping one core for a day only raises homeostatic pressure to reasonable levels. 
• It is then possible to make up for the lost core by adding a core the following day (taking 5 cores instead). This is to recover from the lost sleep the previous day. The core addition is also equivalent to taking 4 cores on usual days.
• Alternatively, extending one of the cores to 3 hours can also do the job if scheduling 5 cores is too challenging.
• Similarly, the occasionally lowered number of naps on SEVAMAYL enable the 90m core extension or extra naps the following day to rebalance homeostatic pressure.