Listen to a few self-improvement experts, making it simple to believe that a nap is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Professional athletes are all at it – along with concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a job that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed recovery napping, that is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to desire: you have an opportunity to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the ideal number of time, but that tends to make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies indicates it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals recommend employing similar routines you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” explains a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
