Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, making it easy to think that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a route towards improved recall, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League soccer players swear by it – and so are concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “Firstly, there's known as recovery napping, which is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, such as when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about the wish: you get an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – for instance, for caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you nap because your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not where required. In those cases, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This implies that naps shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of time, yet that often cause people to feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research indicates it's more effective to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing comparable habits one would use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive available to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to grab 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
