The Secret for a Flawless Nap: Timing, Where and for How Long?
Listen to a few performance experts, and it’s easy to believe that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers swear by it – along with concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, which is what you do following poor sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about desire: you get a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to consider, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where required. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that napping shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and best should not occur after about 3pm (based on the time you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies about napping, space agency scientists noted that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the perfect length of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research indicates it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing the same protocol you’d use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” notes a sleep coach. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for instance, when aiming to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
