Tune into plenty of self-improvement gurus, making it easy to believe that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional soccer players swear by it – along with concert pianists, fighters and business leaders. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is termed make-up sleep, which is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for example when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to do it.”
The primary task to undertake, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be genuinely useful when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of time, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it's more effective to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – for example, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
