Hear a few performance experts, and it’s easy to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Professional soccer players do it regularly – along with professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for napping among most adults,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, that is the action you take following poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for instance during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to desire: you have an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to do, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you take a nap because your night sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that napping must not be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts noted that crew members experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research indicates it's more effective to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you wake up – however, if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and should get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for a long period, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding precise methods, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose employing the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for example, when aiming to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
