Tune into a few self-improvement podcasters, and it’s easy to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – along with musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or employment that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” notes an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “One is known as compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: there is an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for a new parent, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap as your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the focus should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping must not be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts found that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the ideal number of time, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies suggests it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it will affect how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend employing similar routines one would use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” says a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically instruct yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive available to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to grab a quick nap on a train or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
