Tune into enough productivity gurus, making it easy to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a band-aid after restless night, but a path towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – as do concert pianists, fighters and business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call recovery napping, essentially what happens following insufficient sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically is about the wish: you get a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to consider, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for instance, for a new parent, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it should be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you go to bed at night). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the perfect length of time, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest adopting the same protocol one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in whatever light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” explains a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure there to start the process in the first place. I can usually nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
