Tune into a few productivity experts, making it simple to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a route towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Elite soccer players do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “One is known as recovery napping, that is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating sleep loss coming up, for example during graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to wanting: you have a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes beyond your control – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on the time you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “The science indicates it's more effective to opt for a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest using the same protocol one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could just doze on the sofa in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” says an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually take a nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a moment when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – such as, if attempting to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
