The Formula for a Perfect Kip: Timing, Where and Duration?

Listen to a few performance podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a route towards improved recall, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers do it regularly – along with concert pianists, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?

Exploring The Drive to Snooze

“Experts note three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “One is what we call recovery napping, that is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, for example when working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to the wish: there is a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”

The first thing to consider, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”

The Ideal Nap Duration

This means that naps must not be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on the time you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, experts discovered that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the perfect length of time, but that tends to make people feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”

If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies indicates it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect how you sleep later that night.”

Finding the Perfect Nap Environment

When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts recommend employing the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that one could simply nap in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” says an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”

It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will