Hear enough productivity gurus, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: rather than a band-aid following restless night, but a route towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite footballers are all at it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed recovery napping, essentially what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for example when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about wanting: you have a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to do, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping since your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that napping must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on when you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, experts found that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around about the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing one can do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend adopting the same protocol you’d use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
