Tune into a few productivity experts, and it’s simple to think that a nap is a superpower: more than a quick fix after restless night, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a job that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for napping among most adults,” notes an expert sleep science professor. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, that is the action you take following poor sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for sleep loss ahead, for instance when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about the wish: you have an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons beyond your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect how you sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts propose employing the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should just doze on the sofa in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” says an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically command yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination available to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a time when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
