Listen to enough self-improvement podcasters, making it tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: rather than a band-aid after restless night, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Elite soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, fighters & media moguls. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or a job that encourages daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's known as make-up sleep, which is the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about the wish: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap as your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not where required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that napping must not be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on when you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists found that crew members had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the perfect length of time, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “The science would say it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol one would use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that one could simply nap on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. I can usually take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
