Listen to a few productivity podcasters, making it easy to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Is there a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, essentially what happens following insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, for example during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it should be. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on the time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that crew members 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 counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of time, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it is preferable to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest using the same protocol one would use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should just doze on a couch in the existing light is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” says an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to look for an instance where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
