The Formula to an Ideal Snooze: When, Location & for How Long?
Listen to a few performance podcasters, making it tempting to think that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Professional athletes do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what you do following a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, which involves anticipating sleep loss in the future, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you have a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on what time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From a prominent study on the subject, experts noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend employing similar routines you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” says a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually take a nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
