Hear enough self-improvement gurus, and it’s simple to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, mixed martial artists & media moguls. However, if you lack a room for napping or employment that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, which is what happens following a lack of sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, for example when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to do, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when night sleeping gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you nap since your night sleep is unstable or poor, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (based on the time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From a prominent study on the subject, experts found that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around about the perfect length of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists recommend adopting similar routines one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that you should simply nap in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
