Hear enough productivity podcasters, and you'll be tempting to think that napping is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a shortcut towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists & business leaders. But if you don't have a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is known as make-up sleep, which is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for example when working overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically is about the wish: there is a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (contingent on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts noted that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the worst thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies suggests it's more effective to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest employing the same protocol you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and if your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to fit in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
