Listen to a few performance experts, and it’s tempting to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a path towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, that is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting sleep loss coming up, such as during graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about the wish: you get a chance to nap during the day, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping since your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the priority should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that naps shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on when you retire at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around regarding the ideal number of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research would say it's more effective to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing the same protocol you’d use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in the existing light is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” notes a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive present to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually snooze in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
