The Key to a Perfect Snooze: Timing, Where & Duration?
Listen to a few performance experts, making it simple to believe that dozing is a superpower: rather than a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with musicians, UFC champions & business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for napping for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, essentially what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, such as during overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap as your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where required. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps shouldn’t be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on when you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, experts found that astronauts had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this included a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around about the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science suggests it’s better to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose employing the same protocol you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” notes an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – for example, if attempting to fit in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
