Tune into plenty of productivity experts, and you'll be tempting to think that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes are all at it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you lack a special sleep space or employment that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a leading sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, essentially what you do after experiencing poor sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, such as during on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to desire: there is a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping because your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to affect your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa found that crew members had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations about the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science indicates it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to command,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive there to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps a lot of people is to look for a moment when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
