Tune into a few performance gurus, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional soccer players are all at it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions & media moguls. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a career that permits daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of sleep science professor. “One is known as compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit ahead, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically is about the wish: you get a moment to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – such as, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “But if you nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that naps must not be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science would say it's more effective to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest adopting the same protocol one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for example, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
