Tune into enough productivity experts, making it simple to believe that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a route to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Professional athletes are all at it – along with professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is termed compensatory napping, which is the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for example during on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you get a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, when you are a new parent, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap because your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not at the level required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, experts discovered that crew members had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often make people feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science indicates it is preferable to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend adopting the same protocol you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch in the existing light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to force,” says an expert. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to nod off. You need some drive there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for example, if attempting to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
