Tune into plenty of productivity podcasters, and it’s simple to think that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League footballers are all at it – along with musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or employment that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” says a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “One is what we call recovery napping, essentially the action you take following insufficient sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you get a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to do, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on the time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around about the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research suggests it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts propose adopting comparable habits one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as you can manage. Some advise that one could merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” explains an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
