Tune into a few productivity gurus, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers do it regularly – along with concert pianists, fighters & business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, which is what happens following insufficient sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to wanting: there is an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the focus must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that napping ought not to be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, experts noted that crew members experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything – and the worst thing one can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research indicates it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you take it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest employing similar routines one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” explains an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to look for a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for instance, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
