Tune into a few self-improvement experts, and it’s simple to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – as do professional piano players, fighters & media moguls. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that encourages daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three main reasons for napping among most adults,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is what you do following poor sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to wanting: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – for example, for a new parent, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that naps shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number of time, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest adopting similar routines you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” says a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination there to start the process in the first place. I can usually nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
