Hear plenty of self-improvement experts, and it’s easy to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League footballers are all at it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the effort? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap in the adult population,” says an expert sleep science professor. “One is termed compensatory napping, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss ahead, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to wanting: you get a chance to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be really helpful when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep must not be long enough to affect your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you retire overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research about napping, experts discovered that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number of time, however, that can lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies indicates it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish a full cycle and should get up feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest using the same protocol you use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually snooze during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – for example, if attempting to grab 40 winks on a train or at the office – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
