Hear a few productivity gurus, making it easy to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” notes an expert circadian rhythm professor. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, that is the action you take following poor sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss ahead, for example when working overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: you have an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap as your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on when you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies indicates it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest using comparable habits one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze on the sofa in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive there to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
