Tune into plenty of performance podcasters, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Professional soccer players are all at it – along with musicians, fighters and media moguls. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that allows frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for napping for many people,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's known as recovery napping, which is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about desire: there is a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to consider, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (based on when you retire at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research about napping, experts found that crew members experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the optimal amount of time, however, that can make people feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research suggests it's more effective to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, advice differs. Some experts propose employing the same protocol one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Some advise that one could simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to command,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There must be some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate a time when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when you have few options – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
