Tune into plenty of performance podcasters, and you'll be tempting to believe that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a route to improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – along with concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for napping among most adults,” says an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “One is termed make-up sleep, that is what you do following insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, such as when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to desire: you get an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – such as, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This implies that naps must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on what time you retire overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep quickly,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there about the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science indicates it's more effective to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to put you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend adopting comparable habits you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination present to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – such as, if attempting to fit in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
