Tune into enough productivity gurus, making it easy to think that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite footballers are all at it – as do musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you lack a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” notes an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, that is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep in the future, for instance when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about the wish: you get an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be really helpful when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons outside your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists found that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research indicates it's more effective to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest adopting similar routines one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to force,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
