The Formula to an Ideal Nap: Timing, Where & for How Long?
Tune into plenty of self-improvement experts, making it simple to think that a nap is a superpower: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. Yet, when you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, that is the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for example during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to desire: you get a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap as your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that naps must not be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on what time you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research would say it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that one could just doze on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive there to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
