Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional athletes do it regularly – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a special sleep space or a job that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you honestly promise you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep science specialist. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting sleep loss in the future, for example during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to the wish: you get a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The primary task to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap as your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on the time you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists found that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing one can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research would say it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose using comparable habits you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the space you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says an expert. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
