Listen to a few productivity podcasters, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: more than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path to improved recall, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Professional soccer players swear by it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “One is termed compensatory napping, essentially what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for example during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply is about wanting: you get an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that napping ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on the time you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the perfect length of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science suggests it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for a long period, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend employing similar routines you’d use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to preserve your bed as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps most folks is to look for an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
