Tune into plenty of performance podcasters, making it easy to believe that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, improved mood and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players swear by it – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping for many people,” explains a professor of sleep science researcher. “One is known as make-up sleep, that is what happens following insufficient sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, for example during on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you have a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping because your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This implies that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on the time you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state upon waking. “The science indicates it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more alert. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose employing similar routines you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in whatever light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says an expert. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to lie down and practically command yourself to go to sleep. You need some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to grab 40 winks while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
