The Key to an Ideal Kip: When, Location & Duration?

Listen to a few performance podcasters, making it simple to think that a nap is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster after restless night, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players swear by it – as do professional piano players, fighters & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?

Understanding The Drive to Snooze

“We can identify three primary motivations for napping for many people,” explains a professor of sleep science professor. “One is what we call recovery napping, which is what you do following a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for instance during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: you have a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”

The first thing to consider, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – such as, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”

The Ideal Nap Length

This means that napping ought not to be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the perfect length of time, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”

If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science would say it is preferable to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more alert. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”

Creating the Right Nap Environment

When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend using the same protocol you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze on a couch with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially tell yourself to nod off. You need some drive there to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”

It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to grab some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will