Tune into a few self-improvement podcasters, making it tempting to believe that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Elite athletes are all at it – and so are musicians, fighters & business leaders. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for napping for many people,” notes an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is termed recovery napping, essentially what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to the wish: you get a moment to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to examine your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you retire at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around about the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose using similar routines one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that you should simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially tell yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to look for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
