Tune into a few productivity podcasters, making it simple to think that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a route to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists and business leaders. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that encourages daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, that is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The primary task to consider, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, for a new parent, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap as your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps ought not to be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on when you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies on the subject, experts discovered that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around about the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies would say it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines one would use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” notes a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and practically command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive there to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
