Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes swear by it – along with concert pianists, UFC champions and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a job that encourages daytime sleep, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “One is termed make-up sleep, that is the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, such as during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: you get an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that can be a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on when you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists found that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies suggests it's more effective to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. A few professionals propose employing the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” notes an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
