Listen to plenty of performance podcasters, making it easy to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a path to enhanced cognition, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players swear by it – as do concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or employment that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” notes an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to desire: there is a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you take a nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that naps must not be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists noted that crew members experienced improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research suggests it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest using the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that one could simply nap in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” notes an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
