Tune into a few self-improvement podcasters, making it simple to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: not just a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional soccer players do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. Yet, when you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, that is what you do following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for example when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply is about wanting: you get an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to consider, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that napping ought not to be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (based on when you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, experts found that crew members had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies suggests it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you take it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect how you sleep that night.”
Creating the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using the same protocol one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive present to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
