Tune into a few performance podcasters, and it’s simple to think that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes do it regularly – as do musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you lack a room for napping or employment that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the effort? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for napping for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, for example during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to wanting: there is a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed due to causes you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap as your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
Therefore that naps must not be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists found that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the ideal number of time, but that tends to make people feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Research would say it is preferable to opt for a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest adopting comparable habits one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
