The Key to a Flawless Snooze: Timing, Location and Duration?
Hear a few productivity gurus, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to the wish: there is a moment to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to consider, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it needs to 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 main goal should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that naps ought not to be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on the time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa discovered that crew members had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science would say it is preferable to opt for a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – whereas if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing similar routines you’d use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on a couch in the existing light is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” explains a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically command yourself to nod off. There must be some drive present to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually take a nap during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
