Listen to plenty of performance podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – as do musicians, mixed martial artists & media moguls. However, if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, which is the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you get a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed for reasons outside your control – for instance, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that naps must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research about napping, experts noted that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number of time, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “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. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose employing the same protocol you’d use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that you should merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to recline and practically tell yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure available to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – for example, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
