Hear plenty of performance experts, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players are all at it – along with concert pianists, fighters and media moguls. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping for many people,” says an expert circadian rhythm professor. “One is known as compensatory napping, that is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to desire: there is an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to do, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on what time you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority are asleep quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount of time, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies indicates it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend employing the same protocol you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to lie down and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive present to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, when aiming to grab a quick nap on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
