Listen to plenty of performance podcasters, and you'll be tempting to believe that napping is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is known as compensatory napping, essentially what happens following insufficient sleep the previous night. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to desire: there is a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to do, so, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that napping must not be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there about the ideal number of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Research would say it's more effective to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for a long period, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest adopting similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” explains a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often nap during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
