Hear a few self-improvement experts, making it easy to believe that napping is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a route to a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists & business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, rather than worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes a professor of sleep science researcher. “One is known as compensatory napping, that is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for instance when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to the wish: there is an opportunity to doze in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap since your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research about napping, experts noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Research indicates it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect how you sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend employing the same protocol one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that one could simply nap in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to command,” notes a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive present to start the process initially. Personally, I can often snooze in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to fit in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
