Hear plenty of performance experts, making it tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with professional piano players, UFC champions and media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains a professor of sleep science professor. “One is what we call compensatory napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get an opportunity to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that naps must not be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on when you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations about the ideal number of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything – 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, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science indicates it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest adopting the same protocol you use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. You need some drive there to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually take a nap in full light and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
