Hear a few productivity experts, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” says a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “One is known as recovery napping, essentially what you do following insufficient sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes you cannot change – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping as your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on when you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations about the optimal amount of time, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “The science suggests it's more effective to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you nap for slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals suggest adopting similar routines you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to force,” says a specialist. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to look for a moment when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
