Tune into plenty of performance gurus, and it’s simple to think that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players do it regularly – as do musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you lack a room for napping or a career that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's termed compensatory napping, which is what happens following insufficient sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to desire: there is a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed due to causes you cannot change – such as, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “But if you nap because your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that crew members experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around concerning the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science would say it's more effective to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend using similar routines one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that one could merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination present to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for example, when aiming to fit in a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
