Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, making it easy to believe that napping is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Is there a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, that is what you do following a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for example during overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about desire: you get a chance to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research on the subject, experts discovered that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number of time, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science suggests it's more effective to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts recommend employing the same protocol one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” says a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks on a train or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
