Tune into a few performance podcasters, and you'll be tempting to think that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster following restless night, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers swear by it – and so are musicians, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” explains a leading sleep science specialist. “One is termed compensatory napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, such as when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you get a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, for caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on the time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around regarding the optimal amount of time, but that tends to make people feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research would say it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose employing the same protocol you’d use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
