Hear a few self-improvement experts, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Professional footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for napping for many people,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you get an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – such as, when you are a new parent, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that napping must not be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on the time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, experts found that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the perfect length of time, yet that often make people feel more anxious above all – and the worst thing one can do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Research suggests it's more effective to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals recommend employing the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that one could simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or at the office – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
