Tune into plenty of performance gurus, and you'll be tempting to think that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, mixed martial artists and business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that permits daytime sleep, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is what we call recovery napping, essentially the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for example when working graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: there is a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – such as, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that naps must not be long enough to interfere with your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you retire at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations about the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies would say it's more effective to opt for a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend adopting similar routines you use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to just doze in a chair with ambient lighting is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” explains a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
