Tune into enough performance podcasters, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a route towards a better memory, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you lack a room for napping or a career that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling better, rather than worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed recovery napping, that is what you do after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you have an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that crew members experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much advice around about the optimal amount of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Certain specialists recommend using similar routines you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” explains an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
