Listen to enough performance experts, and it’s simple to convince yourself that a nap is a superpower: more than a band-aid after restless night, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite footballers are all at it – along with professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. However, if you lack a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is termed make-up sleep, that is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for example when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not at the level required. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the focus should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that napping must not be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research about napping, experts noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies indicates it's more effective to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend using similar routines one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could merely snooze on the sofa in whatever light is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” says a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to nod off. You need some drive available to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to wait for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
