Hear a few performance gurus, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Elite athletes are all at it – along with musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's known as make-up sleep, which is what happens following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to desire: there is a chance to doze during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that naps ought not to be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on the time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can make people feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing the same protocol you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in the existing light is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” says a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
