Tune into a few productivity experts, and it’s tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix after restless night, but a route to a better memory, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Professional soccer players are all at it – as do professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep among most adults,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, essentially the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating sleep loss ahead, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off quickly,” explains a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science would say it’s better to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists propose using the same protocol you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze on the sofa in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to force,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – for example, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
