Tune into plenty of productivity podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after restless night, but a path towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers are all at it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists & media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is known as recovery napping, that is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit ahead, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to wanting: there is a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where required. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that napping ought not to be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the perfect length of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies indicates it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should awaken feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose adopting similar routines you’d use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
