Listen to enough self-improvement experts, and it’s simple to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – along with professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, for instance when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: you have a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that naps ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on the time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, experts noted that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness plus a 34% rise in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the perfect length of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science indicates it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – while if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest using comparable habits one would use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” notes an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive available to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to grab some shut-eye during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
