Listen to enough productivity podcasters, and it’s tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – and so are musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” notes an expert sleep science researcher. “One is what we call make-up sleep, essentially what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to wanting: there is a chance to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap since your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on when you go to bed overnight). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies about napping, experts discovered that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around about the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies indicates it’s better to have a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing the same protocol you use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure available to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
