Hear a few performance podcasters, and you'll be simple to believe that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a shortcut to a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players do it regularly – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. But if you lack a room for napping or employment that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” notes an expert sleep science researcher. “The first is known as compensatory napping, that is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about wanting: you have an opportunity to doze during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap as your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that napping shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this included a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number of time, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science would say it's more effective to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for a long period, it may impact your sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts propose using comparable habits you’d use to foster restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” says a specialist. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to start the process to begin with. I can usually snooze in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for example, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
