Tune into enough performance experts, making it tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after restless night, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers swear by it – along with musicians, fighters and media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that encourages regular snoozing, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for napping among most adults,” says a leading circadian rhythm professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, essentially what you do following insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, for example during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about desire: you get a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to do, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and best are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on the time you go to bed at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the perfect length of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies indicates it is preferable to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals propose adopting the same protocol you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” notes a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – such as, if attempting to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
