Tune into enough self-improvement experts, making it easy to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: not just a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players swear by it – and so are professional piano players, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is known as make-up sleep, that is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, for instance during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about wanting: there is an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you take a nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not where it should be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (contingent on the time you sleep at night). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From a prominent study on the subject, experts discovered that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much advice around about the perfect length of time, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action 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 grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect how you sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts propose using the same protocol you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” notes an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive there to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
