Hear a few self-improvement experts, making it easy to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a shortcut towards improved recall, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Elite athletes swear by it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists and business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for napping among most adults,” says a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “One is known as make-up sleep, that is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about the wish: there is a moment to doze in the daytime, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to do, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not where it should be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that naps shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you sleep at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that crew members experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of time, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “The science would say it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest adopting similar routines you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa in whatever light is present – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to nod off. You need some drive available to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
