Listen to enough self-improvement podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to justify the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a leading sleep science specialist. “The first is known as make-up sleep, essentially the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for example when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to the wish: you get an opportunity to doze in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you nap because your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies indicates it is preferable to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you take it a bit 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 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend using similar routines one would use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should simply nap on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and basically command yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on initially. Personally, I can often nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – for example, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
