Hear plenty of self-improvement podcasters, and it’s tempting to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix after restless night, but a route to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite footballers are all at it – along with musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for napping among most adults,” says a professor of sleep science specialist. “One is what we call recovery napping, which is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for example when working on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically is about desire: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for example, when you are caring for an infant, 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 seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on what time you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep quickly,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there about the ideal number of time, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research indicates it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to start the process to begin with. I can usually nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
