Hear enough performance experts, making it simple to believe that dozing is a superpower: rather than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Professional athletes swear by it – along with musicians, mixed martial artists & media moguls. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that encourages daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for napping in the adult population,” says a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is termed compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to wanting: you get a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you nap since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists noted that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around concerning the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “The science suggests it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose using the same protocol you’d use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your bed as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” notes a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to look for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to fit in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
