Listen to enough self-improvement gurus, and it’s easy to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional athletes swear by it – along with professional piano players, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or a job that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert circadian rhythm professor. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, that is what you do following insufficient sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about desire: you get a chance to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons outside your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap because your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that crew members had improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research indicates it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts suggest using the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, but what helps a lot of people is to look for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for instance, when aiming to grab 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
