Hear a few productivity gurus, making it tempting to believe that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid following restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with professional piano players, fighters and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep among most adults,” says a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, that is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils 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 examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – such as, when you are a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you nap since your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not where required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority doze off quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it's more effective to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest using similar routines you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
