Hear enough performance podcasters, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid after restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – as do professional piano players, fighters & high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the effort? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting sleep loss coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: there is a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be genuinely useful when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes beyond your control – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. In those cases, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on when you go to bed overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations regarding the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies indicates it's more effective to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts propose using the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that you should merely snooze on a couch in the existing light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” notes a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination present to initiate sleep initially. I can usually take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
