Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, making it easy to think that napping is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following restless night, but a route to improved recall, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “One is known as compensatory napping, essentially what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for example during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to desire: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not where it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that napping shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, experts found that crew members had improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it is preferable to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to will,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
