Tune into enough self-improvement gurus, making it simple to think that napping is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – along with professional piano players, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for napping for many people,” says a leading sleep science researcher. “One is termed recovery napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, for example during on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to desire: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (based on what time you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, experts discovered that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there about the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it’s better to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
As for precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals suggest adopting similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” notes an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and practically command yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually snooze in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
