Tune into enough productivity podcasters, making it simple to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix following restless night, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite footballers swear by it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists & business leaders. But if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep among most adults,” says an expert circadian rhythm professor. “The first is known as make-up sleep, which is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, such as when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to the wish: you have an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you take a nap as your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps must not be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists noted that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around concerning the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science suggests it's more effective to have a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you wake up – however, if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a full cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts propose adopting comparable habits you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually snooze in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to anticipate a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “In my work with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
