Tune into a few self-improvement podcasters, making it simple to think that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes swear by it – along with musicians, fighters & business leaders. However, if you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for napping for many people,” notes an expert sleep science specialist. “One is what we call make-up sleep, that is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to desire: you get an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on what time you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study about napping, experts found that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science indicates it is preferable to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose employing similar routines one would use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a specialist. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids a lot of people is to look for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
