Hear a few productivity podcasters, making it tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path towards a better memory, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with musicians, fighters & business leaders. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping as your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on the time you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there about the optimal amount of time, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state upon waking. “Research suggests it’s better to have a longer nap 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 send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals propose adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that one could just doze on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” says an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically tell yourself to nod off. There must be some drive available to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to wait for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
