Listen to a few performance podcasters, making it tempting to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with concert pianists, fighters and media moguls. However, if you lack a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap among most adults,” notes an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is termed recovery napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to the wish: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that napping ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on what time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there about the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing comparable habits one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch with ambient lighting is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” notes a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
