Hear plenty of self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be tempting to think that a nap is a superpower: more than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite athletes do it regularly – along with concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the effort? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for napping for many people,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “One is termed compensatory napping, that is what happens following a lack of sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, such as during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to wanting: you have a chance to nap during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to do, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes outside your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you nap because your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not where required. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (based on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts found that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around about the ideal number of time, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend employing the same protocol you’d use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze on the sofa in whatever light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive available to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
