Listen to plenty of performance gurus, and it’s easy to think that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Elite athletes swear by it – along with concert pianists, UFC champions and business leaders. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about wanting: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when night sleeping gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where required. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on the time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, experts discovered that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around regarding the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it's more effective to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. A few professionals suggest using comparable habits you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure available to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
