Tune into a few self-improvement gurus, and you'll be tempting to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, improved mood and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes swear by it – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“There are three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” explains a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, that is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to the wish: you have a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to consider, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping because your night sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that naps must not be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study about napping, experts noted that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around regarding the perfect length of time, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research would say it's more effective to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend employing similar routines one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
