Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and it’s simple to think that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes swear by it – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for napping among most adults,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “One is termed recovery napping, which is the action you take following poor sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to desire: there is a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap as your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on what time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. From a prominent study on the subject, experts discovered that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it is preferable to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in whatever light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” notes a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
