The Key to a Flawless Kip: Timing, Where & Duration?
Tune into enough productivity podcasters, and it’s easy to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid after restless night, but a route towards a better memory, improved mood and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes swear by it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says a professor of sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, that is the action you take following a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for example when working on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to do, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – such as, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on when you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around about the perfect length of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research indicates it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest using similar routines you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” says an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically command yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination present to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
