Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be tempting to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix following restless night, but a route to enhanced cognition, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – and so are concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call compensatory napping, that is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for example when working on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about desire: you get an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not at the level required. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on when you retire at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research about napping, experts noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts propose adopting similar routines you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to start the process in the first place. I can usually nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to anticipate a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for example, when aiming to grab a quick nap on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
