Listen to plenty of productivity gurus, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – along with professional piano players, fighters and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that encourages regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is termed make-up sleep, which is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to desire: you have a moment to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you take a nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that napping ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research about napping, experts noted that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of time, but that tends to make people feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies indicates it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals recommend employing similar routines you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Some advise that one could simply nap on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to command,” says an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in full light and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – for instance, if attempting to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
