Tune into a few self-improvement gurus, and you'll be simple to think that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Elite athletes do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. However, if you don't have a room for napping or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “One is what we call make-up sleep, that is what happens following a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to desire: there is a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you’re napping since your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around about the perfect length of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies indicates it’s better to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose using the same protocol you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Some advise that one could merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually take a nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a time where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to grab 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
