The Secret to a Perfect Kip: When, Location and for How Long?
Tune into a few performance podcasters, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix following restless night, but a shortcut towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Elite soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a room for napping 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 reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping for many people,” explains an expert sleep science specialist. “One is termed compensatory napping, essentially what happens following a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, for instance during overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to desire: there is a moment to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Naps can be really helpful when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep must not be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on the time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest adopting the same protocol one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to nod off. You need some drive there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to grab 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
