Tune into plenty of productivity gurus, making it simple to believe that a nap is a superpower: more than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players are all at it – along with concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for napping for many people,” says a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is known as compensatory napping, essentially what you do following insufficient sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to wanting: you have an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations about the ideal number of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the worst thing one can do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies suggests it’s better to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using comparable habits you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination available to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
