Tune into plenty of productivity experts, and it’s easy to believe that napping is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional footballers swear by it – along with professional piano players, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for napping for many people,” notes a leading sleep science researcher. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is the action you take following poor sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, such as when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about desire: you have an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to do, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that naps must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on what time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research would say it's more effective to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. A few professionals suggest employing similar routines one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” says a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There must be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids a lot of people is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
