Hear a few performance gurus, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional soccer players swear by it – as do professional piano players, fighters and media moguls. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or a career that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a leading circadian rhythm professor. “One is known as recovery napping, which is the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: you have an opportunity to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes beyond your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (based on what time you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research on the subject, experts discovered that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies suggests it’s better to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose using similar routines one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination present to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
