Tune into plenty of self-improvement podcasters, making it tempting to think that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers swear by it – as do concert pianists, fighters and media moguls. But if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains a leading sleep science specialist. “The first is what we call recovery napping, essentially what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about wanting: you have a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – such as, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap because your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not where it should be. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep must not be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you retire at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From a prominent study about napping, experts noted that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the optimal amount of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies indicates it’s better to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend employing comparable habits one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” notes a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and basically instruct yourself to nod off. 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 awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
