Hear enough self-improvement experts, and it’s easy to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Premier League athletes are all at it – and so are concert pianists, UFC champions and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for example when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you get an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to do, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap as your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that napping must not be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research about napping, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more anxious above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research indicates it's more effective to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines you’d use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually snooze during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
