Tune into enough productivity gurus, making it tempting to think that dozing is a superpower: more than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a path to improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite athletes swear by it – along with professional piano players, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap among most adults,” notes a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, essentially the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for example when working on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to the wish: you get a chance to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that napping ought not to be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that crew members experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the worst thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies indicates it’s better to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose employing the same protocol you’d use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that one could merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” says an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive there to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually snooze during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
