Hear a few productivity experts, and you'll be easy to think that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “One is termed recovery napping, essentially what happens following poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep in the future, for example when working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to the wish: you get an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to do, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the focus should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that napping ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts had a boost of up to 54% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the perfect length of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies suggests it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. But if you nap for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend adopting the same protocol you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive available to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
