The Formula to a Flawless Kip: Timing, Location & for How Long?
Hear a few performance experts, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League athletes are all at it – along with musicians, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for napping for many people,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed compensatory napping, that is the action you take after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to the wish: you have an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – for example, when you are a new parent, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping because your night sleep is unstable or broken, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not where required. In those cases, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you retire at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study about napping, experts discovered that space travelers had improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the ideal number of minutes, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies suggests it’s better to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest employing similar routines you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” says an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination available to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
