Tune into a few self-improvement podcasters, making it tempting to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a route to a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Professional soccer players are all at it – along with musicians, mixed martial artists & business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “One is known as compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, such as during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to wanting: you get a moment to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to do, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – such as, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you nap as your night sleep is unstable or poor, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend using similar routines you’d use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” says an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
