The Secret to a Flawless Kip: Timing, Location and Duration?
Listen to plenty of productivity gurus, making it easy to believe that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players do it regularly – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists & media moguls. However, if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is termed make-up sleep, that is what you do after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, for example when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to wanting: there is a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus must always be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists noted that astronauts had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies suggests it's more effective to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose adopting the same protocol you use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that one could simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” notes a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
