Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, and it’s easy to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route towards a better memory, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League soccer players are all at it – along with professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes an expert sleep science professor. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, that is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: you have an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap as your sleep at night seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority must always be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that napping shouldn’t be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on what time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies about napping, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much advice around regarding the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies would say it is preferable to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more alert. Though if you nap for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest adopting the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” notes a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and essentially tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to start the process initially. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for example, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
