Hear enough productivity gurus, and it’s easy to believe that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, fighters and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes an expert sleep and circadian science specialist. “One is known as make-up sleep, which is what you do following a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to desire: there is a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – such as, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep must not be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (contingent on what time you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, experts noted that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies would say it’s better to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend employing comparable habits one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and basically command yourself to nod off. You need some drive present to start the process in the first place. I can usually snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – such as, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will