The Secret to an Ideal Nap: When, Where & Duration?
Hear plenty of self-improvement experts, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that encourages regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? And can you honestly promise you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed compensatory napping, which is what happens following poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, for instance during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to wanting: you have an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the perfect length of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science suggests it’s better to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing similar routines one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on a couch in whatever light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” notes a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to start the process to begin with. For me, it's possible to snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if options are scarce – such as, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
