Listen to enough self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League soccer players are all at it – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and business leaders. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a career that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the effort? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“There are three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” says an expert sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, such as during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: you get a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to do, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – for example, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a sign your need for sleep is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off quickly,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much advice around regarding the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research suggests it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend using similar routines one would use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that you should simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
