Tune into plenty of performance gurus, and it’s tempting to think that napping is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster after restless night, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Premier League soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “The first is known as make-up sleep, which is the action you take following poor sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for instance when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to wanting: you have an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, so, is to examine your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
Therefore that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (based on the time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, experts discovered that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the ideal number of minutes, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything – and the worst thing one can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose adopting the same protocol you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” explains an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination available to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
