Tune into a few performance experts, and you'll be simple to believe that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers are all at it – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a career that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for napping among most adults,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, essentially the action you take after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss ahead, for example during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you have a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to consider, so, is consider your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for example, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and best should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage 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 on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it will affect how you sleep that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest adopting similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch in whatever light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
