MonoCore-3-Extended
A variant of MonoCore-3 that contains a 4.5 hour core (like M2), that is most ideally placed starting at 23:00.| TST | 5.5h |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 @ 4.5h |
| Naps | 3 @ 20mins |
| Difficulty | 2-3 / 5 |
| RSR Difficulty | 1-2 / 5 |
| Flex-potential | High |
5h Variant
A 5h core is also possible, allowing for a little bit more sleep for those who need it, or those wanting to be especially flexible. This is usually not necessary as this is already an extended variant.The difficulty of this variant is somewhere between Easy and Medium.
Adaptation
Like most schedules, cold turkey is recommended - this means jumping directly into the schedule the moment you decide it is right for you. Being of the difficulty that it is, expect a slow ramp-up in sleep deprivation with a challenging yet quite doable peak around 2-4 weeks in. After this, challenge remains at a medium level for another 1-2 weeks before adapted status is reached and staying on-schedule should be a breeze with very low levels of sleep deprivation.Scheduling headroom
Scheduling headroom does not refer to flexing. Once chosen, Consistency within the schedule remains a requirement. All schedules can be rotated arbitrarily with sufficient dark-period and light period.The first nap needs to be during the REM peak, so it can only be moved around within that. Adjusting DP will move the peak somewhat, but only to a degree. This equates to a headroom of about -2h and +1.5h. At the edges of this, the nap becomes more difficult or less efficient, so it's best to stay within -1.5h and +1h. Once chosen, sticking to the time remains important.
The second nap is mainly constrained by the virtual peak around noon, where REM is similarly likely but not quite as deep as true REM peak. This peak lies anywhere from 11 to 14 usually.
The third nap should be no later than 17:30 (in default rotation) to avoid risking SWS creep. It should have at least 3.5h (better 4h) between it and the second nap. Once chosen, sticking to the time remains important.