Hear plenty of performance experts, and it’s easy to convince yourself that a nap is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Elite athletes swear by it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for napping among most adults,” explains an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is known as make-up sleep, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, such as during overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: there is an opportunity to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This implies that naps ought not to be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around about the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “The science would say it's more effective to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you nap for slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose employing comparable habits one would use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to preserve your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination present to start the process to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
