Tune into plenty of productivity gurus, and it’s simple to think that napping is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League soccer players are all at it – along with musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a job that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “One is known as compensatory napping, which is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, for example when working on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to desire: you have an opportunity to doze in the daytime, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes beyond your control – such as, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that naps must not be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations about the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies suggests it’s better to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for precise methods, advice differs. Some experts recommend using comparable habits one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that you should just doze on the sofa in whatever light is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is more challenging to recline and practically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive present to start the process to begin with. Personally, I can often nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
