Hear plenty of productivity gurus, and you'll be simple to think that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid after restless night, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, fighters and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is known as compensatory napping, that is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, such as during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: you have an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed due to causes beyond your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping as your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that napping ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations about the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more stressed than anything – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Research indicates it's more effective to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest using comparable habits you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in whatever light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” notes an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically command yourself to go to sleep. You need some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually snooze during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps a lot of people is to look for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
