Tune into enough performance gurus, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or a career that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” notes an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's known as make-up sleep, which is the action you take following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you get an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, so, is consider your reason for napping. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed for reasons outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap as your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that crew members had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts propose adopting comparable habits one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive present to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
