Tune into plenty of self-improvement gurus, and you'll be simple to think that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Professional athletes are all at it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. However, if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the effort? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, that is what happens following poor sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, such as during on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to the wish: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes beyond your control – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps shouldn’t be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts found that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research suggests it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists propose adopting similar routines one would use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
