Tune into enough productivity podcasters, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards a better memory, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite athletes swear by it – along with musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is known as compensatory napping, essentially what happens after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, such as when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to desire: there is a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to consider, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap because your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that naps must not be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on the time you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, experts found that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the perfect length of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists propose adopting comparable habits you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and basically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive present to start the process initially. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will