Four Different Types of Sleep (and How to Choose One)
If you need proof that humans are not a serious species, all you need to do is consider our relationship with sleep . If you’re over the age of five, sleep gets a bad rap, and there’s a certain level of shame associated with people being “caught off guard.” Napping is always associated with weakness—obviously, you need to be able to handle sleep deprivation like a boss.
But sleep is generally very natural and very healthy . Daytime naps improve cognitive performance , improve your mood , and make you healthier overall . If it’s easy for you to take a short nap, you probably should, but like everything else in life, you need to adapt the experience to your body’s rhythms and lifestyle. There is no exact “best” way to take a nap, but there are a few basic strategies to consider for the best napping results.
Four sleep strategies to consider
If you have a suitable place to sleep and a clear idea of how long you want or need to nap (see below), you can try different sleep strategies to see which one benefits you the most:
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Classic “energy sleep”. For most people, a power nap of about 10 to 20 minutes in the afternoon will help them get rid of afternoon sickness and feel energized for the rest of the day. If you just feel weak and sleepy for a few hours each day, this is probably the best approach.
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Quick coffee nap. If a short nap doesn’t help as much as you’d like, you can add a Coffee Nap from time to time. Drink a quick cup of coffee, then lie down for 20-30 minutes. It takes caffeine about 10 minutes to start affecting you and about 45 minutes to reach its maximum concentration in the blood. This means you can take a nap and then wake up as the caffeine kicks in, giving you an enhanced sense of sharpness and clarity.
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Comfortable sleep. Scheduling sleep at a time when it will benefit you without interrupting your sleep is good, but what if you have a crazy schedule? Perhaps you have a child who dictates 100% of the sleep schedule in your home, or a job that doesn’t allow for much flexibility. In this case, don’t be too harsh: imperfect sleep is probably better than no sleep at all. Sleep when baby sleeps, during a short window when the house is quiet, or during your lunch break.
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Performance take a nap. If regular sleep doesn’t work for you, don’t write off sleep completely. If you have a stressful or physically demanding task ahead of you—a presentation, a marathon—a quick nap a few hours before can really improve your productivity .
Four tips to improve your sleep
Before you start thinking about your “sleep style”, there are a few basic principles to consider:
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Choose the correct length. The dividing line between “taking a nap” and “falling asleep” can be blurry because we all sleep differently. But in general, you don’t want your sleep to be too long; While a short nap, such as 10 minutes, can still energize you , a longer nap of 20–45 minutes will help avoid ” sleep inertia ” (the feeling of sleepiness that comes from trying to wake up as soon as you enter sleep). deepest sleep cycle), and a 90-minute nap can give you energy. sleep will usually wake you up immediately after you come out of deep sleep. Any longer and you risk disrupting your natural sleep cycle in the evening.
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Don’t mess up your schedule. In general, the best time to sleep is early afternoon to avoid disrupting your sleep cycle. However, this is not a strict rule; you’ll have to adjust your schedule based on your specific internal clock. If you are a night owl, you can do this later in the afternoon. If you’re someone who wakes up before the sun, sleeping earlier may be more effective.
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Choose the right space. There’s something wonderful about just laying back and closing your eyes, but if you want the most efficient sleep possible, you need to create a good sleep environment : dark, quiet and peaceful. Nazing in an uncomfortable chair or on a surface that is too hard can also negatively impact your experience. Try to find a place that you can easily transform into a comfortable and stress-free place.
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Enable buffers. Sleep doesn’t always come instantly, and even if you keep it short, you may experience the aforementioned “sleep inertia,” a feeling of drowsiness and slowness. Even if you’re planning a relatively short nap, take 5 to 10 minutes before and after so you have time to relax and fall asleep, and time to wake up and refocus.
Whatever your preferences, body clock or physical needs, there’s no arguing that everyone can benefit from sleep at least some of the time in their lives. Finding a strategy that’s right for you can give you all the benefits without any of the downsides.