Listen to plenty of performance experts, and it’s simple to think that a nap is a superpower: rather than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players are all at it – as do professional piano players, fighters and media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep among most adults,” notes a leading sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, which is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, such as when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to desire: there is an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap since your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on what time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists found that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science suggests it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists propose using similar routines you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to will,” notes an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids a lot of people is to look for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
