Listen to a few productivity gurus, and it’s tempting to think that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Professional soccer players swear by it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, essentially what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, for example during overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about wanting: there is a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “But if you nap as your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on the time you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there about the optimal amount of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science would say it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact your sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest employing comparable habits you’d use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that one could just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” says a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and basically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure available to start the process in the first place. I can usually snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “In my work with footballers, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
