Hear enough self-improvement gurus, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: not just a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a route to enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players are all at it – as do musicians, fighters and media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep among most adults,” says a professor of sleep science professor. “One is known as compensatory napping, essentially what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to the wish: there is a chance to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (based on the time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts found that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around concerning the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your bed as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive available to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids a lot of people is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for example, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
