Hear plenty of self-improvement podcasters, making it easy to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players do it regularly – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that encourages daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for napping for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially what you do following insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you get a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap as your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that can be a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on when you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend using the same protocol you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure present to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
