Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Elite athletes are all at it – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a leading sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, which is the action you take following a lack of sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for example during on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: you have a chance to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on when you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of the most referenced research about napping, experts found that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around about the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Research indicates it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it will affect how you sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend using similar routines you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in whatever light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” says a sleep coach. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
