Listen to a few performance gurus, making it easy to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“There are three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” says an expert sleep science specialist. “One is termed make-up sleep, which is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating sleep loss coming up, such as during graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about desire: there is an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (based on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From a prominent study about napping, experts noted that crew members had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies indicates it’s better to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest employing comparable habits you’d use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap in a chair in the existing light is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to will,” notes an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep initially. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
