The Secret for an Ideal Nap: Timing, Location and for How Long?
Hear a few productivity gurus, and you'll be tempting to think that dozing is a superpower: not just a quick fix following restless night, but a path to improved recall, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Elite athletes swear by it – as do musicians, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a professor of sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, that is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, such as during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply is about wanting: you get a moment to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes beyond your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on what time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in alertness plus a 34% rise in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Research would say it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts recommend using similar routines you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that one could just doze in a chair in the existing light is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically instruct yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
