Tune into a few self-improvement gurus, making it tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite athletes do it regularly – as do musicians, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of sleep science professor. “The first is what we call recovery napping, that is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit ahead, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to wanting: there is a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap since your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not where it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the focus must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to interfere with your sleep at night, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts discovered that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations about the ideal number of time, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies indicates it’s better to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals recommend adopting similar routines one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need some sleep pressure there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to wait for an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
