Listen to enough productivity experts, making it simple to believe that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a path to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers are all at it – along with professional piano players, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep among most adults,” says a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call compensatory napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for instance when working graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which simply is about the wish: you have a moment to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you nap because your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that can be an indicator your need for sleep is not where it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there about the optimal amount of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research indicates it is preferable to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest adopting comparable habits you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that one could just doze in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
