Tune into enough self-improvement experts, and you'll be simple to think that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Premier League soccer players swear by it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. But if you lack a special sleep space or a job that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the effort? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap in the adult population,” says an expert sleep science professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, that is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to desire: there is a chance to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for example, when you are a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap because your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts found that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations regarding the ideal number of time, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for a long period, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
As for precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Some advise that you should simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure there to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to look for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
