Listen to enough self-improvement gurus, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path towards a better memory, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Professional soccer players are all at it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a career that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert sleep science specialist. “One is known as make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance when working graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about the wish: there is a chance to doze during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it needs to be. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that napping shouldn’t be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on when you sleep at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the perfect length of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research indicates it’s better to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest employing comparable habits you use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” explains a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep initially. I can usually nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for an instance when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to fit in 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
