Hear enough productivity podcasters, making it simple to believe that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists & business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep among most adults,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “One is termed make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating sleep loss coming up, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you have a moment to nap during the day, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From a prominent study on the subject, experts noted that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to opt for a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and should get up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to preserve your bed as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination available to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to look for an instance that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
