Hear enough self-improvement podcasters, making it easy to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Professional footballers are all at it – along with professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is known as compensatory napping, that is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, for example when working overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which simply is about desire: there is a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you nap as your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research would say it's more effective to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
As for precise methods, advice differs. Certain specialists propose employing the same protocol one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that one could simply nap in a chair in the existing light is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
