Listen to a few self-improvement gurus, and it’s easy to believe that napping is a superpower: not just a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes are all at it – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions & high-profile executives. However, if you don't have a room for napping or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, that is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss in the future, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get a chance to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and preferably shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (depending on when you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations about the optimal amount of time, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science suggests it’s better to opt for a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals propose using the same protocol you use to foster restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ some accessories. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will