Listen to enough performance podcasters, making it easy to think that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional footballers do it regularly – as do professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. But if you lack a special sleep space or a job that allows frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping for many people,” notes an expert sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, such as when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to wanting: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, therefore, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for example, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping as your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (based on what time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the perfect length of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “The science indicates it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts recommend employing similar routines you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze on a couch in the existing light is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and basically tell yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids a lot of people is to look for an instance where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – for example, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
