Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, making it tempting to think that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Professional athletes are all at it – as do professional piano players, fighters & media moguls. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the effort? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep among most adults,” says a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “One is what we call make-up sleep, that is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The primary task to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not where it should be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, experts found that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state upon waking. “Research suggests it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals propose employing similar routines one would use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” notes a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to look for an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
