Listen to a few productivity gurus, making it tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers are all at it – along with musicians, UFC champions & high-profile executives. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” says an expert sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed compensatory napping, that is what happens following insufficient sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for instance during on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get a chance to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons beyond your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep must not be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on the time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts found that space travelers had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure present to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
