Tune into enough performance gurus, making it easy to think that a nap is a superpower: not just a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a route to a better memory, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players swear by it – as do musicians, fighters and business leaders. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes a professor of sleep science specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, that is what you do after experiencing poor sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to desire: you get an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that naps shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on when you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people are asleep quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies suggests it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend using comparable habits one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” says a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive there to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to look for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
