Listen to enough self-improvement experts, making it simple to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: more than a band-aid after restless night, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite athletes are all at it – and so are professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. However, if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is known as compensatory napping, essentially the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to desire: there is a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping since your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on what time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, experts found that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the optimal amount of time, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science indicates it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts propose employing the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need some drive there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
