Listen to plenty of self-improvement gurus, making it easy to convince yourself that a nap is a superpower: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes swear by it – along with concert pianists, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a job that allows frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping in the adult population,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, that is what you do following a lack of sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating sleep loss ahead, such as when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply is about desire: you have an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – such as, if you’re a new parent, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or broken, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep must not be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the perfect length of minutes, yet that often make people feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science indicates it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – however, if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts propose employing the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that you should just doze on the sofa in whatever light happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” notes an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
