Hear plenty of performance experts, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Elite footballers do it regularly – and so are musicians, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for napping for many people,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, which is the action you take after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to desire: you get an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that naps ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on what time you retire at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the worst thing one can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research indicates it's more effective to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose using comparable habits you’d use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to recline and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination there to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a time when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or at the office – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
