Hear enough productivity gurus, and it’s easy to think that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes do it regularly – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed recovery napping, that is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, for instance when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to the wish: there is a moment to doze in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors outside your control – such as, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not where it should be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that naps must not be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on when you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the perfect length of time, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science suggests it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting comparable habits you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should simply nap on the sofa in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” notes an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically command yourself to go to sleep. You need some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to wait for an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
