Hear enough productivity gurus, and you'll be easy to believe that napping is a powerful tool: not just a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, improved mood and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers do it regularly – along with concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a job that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for napping for many people,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “One is what we call recovery napping, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to desire: you have an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on when you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From a prominent study about napping, experts discovered that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off quickly,” explains a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies would say it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals suggest using similar routines one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming 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 avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
