Tune into plenty of performance podcasters, and it’s easy to believe that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Premier League soccer players are all at it – and so are professional piano players, fighters & media moguls. But if you don't have a room for napping or employment that allows frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a leading sleep science specialist. “One is what we call compensatory napping, that is what you do after experiencing poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves pre-empting sleep loss in the future, for example during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap as your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not where 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 robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations about the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies would say it's more effective to have a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” says an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to look for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
