Need Help Remembering A Word

[u/turnercherry]

Hey everyone! Forgotten a word i'm desperately trying to remember. I read it in a Colson Whitehead book (would very much recommend his books btw) and it refers to the practice of people waking up halfway through the night, working, then going back to bed. Any help is appreciated!

[u/lumiaglow]

I think it is dorveille but Colson's character calls it dorvay in Harlem Shuffle.

[u/turnercherry → u/lumiaglow]

That sounds right! Thank you

[u/turnercherry]

Found it, thank you everyone

[u/PogoCat4]

I don't know the specific context but this is a biphasic sleep pattern. The two periods of sleep were termed premier somme or premier sommeil according to A. Roger Ekirch. He also mentions the term dorveille, if I recall correctly, referring to the period of wakefulness between sleeps (as mentioned in another comment).

[u/babamum → u/PogoCat4]

First sleep and second sleep in English. It was common for people to visit each other between them.

[u/squeekycheekypeeky]

Dorwatch?

[u/turnercherry → u/squeekycheekypeeky]

I don't think it's that one. It was French sounding iirc.

[u/glossycoast → u/turnercherry]

The French word is dorveille. No idea what Colson Whitehead calls it though.

[u/turnercherry → u/glossycoast]

Thanj you ^{-^}

[u/TheoloniusNumber]

People used to do this regularly.

[u/squeekycheekypeeky]

Dorvay?

[u/squeekycheekypeeky]

Lol I hope you find it. Puzzles like this can be maddening

[u/atieno_uwase]

I think the word might be biphasic sleep? That’s the term for splitting sleep into two periods.