Listen to enough performance gurus, making it tempting to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a job that encourages regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “The first is termed recovery napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to desire: there is a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to do, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (based on the time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists found that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies would say it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – while if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest employing similar routines one would use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to look for an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to grab some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
