The Key to an Ideal Snooze: Timing, Where and Duration?
Hear a few self-improvement gurus, making it easy to believe that napping is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a shortcut towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Elite footballers do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists and business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping for many people,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens following insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, such as when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to the wish: there is an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “But if you nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on the time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies about napping, experts found that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the optimal amount of time, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Research indicates it's more effective to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists recommend using similar routines you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that one could just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” explains an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually snooze during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to look for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to fit in a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
