The Secret for a Flawless Snooze: When, Where & Duration?
Listen to a few self-improvement experts, and it’s tempting to think that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix following restless night, but a route to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes do it regularly – as do musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “Firstly, there's termed recovery napping, essentially what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep in the future, for example when working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about the wish: you get an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not at the level it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on when you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists found that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around about the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies indicates it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol you’d use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure present to start the process to begin with. I can usually take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for example, if attempting to fit in a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
