Tune into enough productivity experts, and it’s easy to think that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Professional footballers are all at it – and so are professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is known as compensatory napping, essentially what you do when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, for example during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about wanting: there is a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This implies that naps shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your sleep at night, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies would say it's more effective to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using similar routines you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” says a specialist. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for instance, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
