The Key for a Perfect Nap: Timing, Location and Duration?
Listen to a few self-improvement experts, and it’s easy to think that napping is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or employment that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a leading sleep science professor. “The first is known as make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, such as during overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: there is a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors outside your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping because your night sleep is unstable or poor, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This implies that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists found that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around about the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Research suggests it’s better to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and will probably awaken feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest adopting comparable habits you use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on initially. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to wait for an instance where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
