Tune into plenty of productivity experts, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do musicians, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a room for napping or a career that permits frequent naps, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains an expert sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is the action you take after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, such as when working on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about wanting: you have an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons outside your control – for example, for a new parent, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not where it needs to be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep must not be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research indicates it’s better to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts suggest using the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap in a chair in the existing light is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to recline and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive available to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually snooze in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
