Hear a few self-improvement experts, making it tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after poor sleep, but a route towards a better memory, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “The first is termed recovery napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you retire at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies about napping, experts discovered that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around about the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science suggests it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – while if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
As for precise methods, advice differs. Some experts propose adopting comparable habits you’d use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze in a chair with ambient lighting is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive present to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a time when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for example, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
