Listen to enough performance podcasters, making it simple to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite athletes do it regularly – as do musicians, fighters and business leaders. But if you lack a special sleep space or a job that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is known as recovery napping, that is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, for instance during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about wanting: you have a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to do, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that napping ought not to be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. From a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it’s better to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you nap for slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest adopting similar routines you’d use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to recline and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to look for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to fit in 40 winks on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
