Tune into enough self-improvement experts, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix following restless night, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League soccer players swear by it – along with professional piano players, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or employment that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to merit the effort? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, essentially what you do after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, such as when working graveyard shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically is about wanting: you get a chance to sleep during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to do, so, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap as your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (contingent on what time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around about the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that foggy state upon waking. “Research indicates it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for a long period, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest employing the same protocol you’d use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” notes an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for example, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
