Listen to a few self-improvement experts, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Elite footballers are all at it – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is what we call recovery napping, essentially what you do when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, for example when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, 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 your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping since your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not where required. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that napping shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies indicates it's more effective to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing similar routines you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination available to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
