Hear plenty of productivity gurus, making it tempting to think that napping is a superpower: not just a band-aid after restless night, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists and business leaders. However, if you lack a special sleep space or employment that encourages daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for napping among most adults,” explains a leading sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, that is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply comes down to the wish: there is a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on the time you retire overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” notes a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount of time, yet that often make people feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to nod off 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 that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research would say it is preferable to opt for a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using the same protocol one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that one could simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” says an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination present to initiate sleep initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
