The Secret to an Ideal Snooze: When, Location and for How Long?
Listen to enough self-improvement gurus, and it’s simple to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path to improved recall, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“There are three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, essentially what you do when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to desire: you have an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The primary task to do, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations about the ideal number of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research indicates it's more effective to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose employing comparable habits one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that one could merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to command,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – for example, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
