Hear a few self-improvement gurus, and you'll be tempting to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” notes a professor of sleep science professor. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, such as during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about the wish: you have a chance to sleep during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – such as, when you are a new parent, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping as your night sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations about the optimal amount 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 get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “The science indicates it’s better to opt for a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing comparable habits you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to look for a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – such as, if attempting to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
