The Key for an Ideal Snooze: When, Where and for How Long?
Hear enough productivity experts, and you'll be simple to think that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes swear by it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a leading sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is known as make-up sleep, essentially the action you take following poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which simply comes down to the wish: you have a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, when you are a new parent, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your night sleep is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on when you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the ideal number of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies indicates it’s better to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you nap for a long period, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that one could just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” notes a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically tell yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination available to start the process initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
