Tune into enough productivity podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional footballers are all at it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of sleep science professor. “The first is termed compensatory napping, which is what happens following insufficient sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, for instance when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about desire: you get an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
Therefore that naps ought not to be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research indicates it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose using comparable habits one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” says a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive available to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to look for a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – for instance, if attempting to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
