The Formula to a Flawless Nap: When, Where and Duration?
Tune into enough performance podcasters, making it easy to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a route towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes do it regularly – and so are musicians, UFC champions and media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes a leading sleep science professor. “One is termed make-up sleep, that is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: there is a moment to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for example, for a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on when you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that crew members experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the ideal number of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research would say it's more effective to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for a long period, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend adopting the same protocol you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep initially. I can usually nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to grab a quick nap while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
