Listen to plenty of productivity gurus, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes are all at it – as do musicians, UFC champions & media moguls. But if you don't have a room for napping or a career that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Is there a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “One is known as recovery napping, that is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to the wish: you have an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping since your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research about napping, experts discovered that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science would say it is preferable to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest using the same protocol you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in whatever light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” notes an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive present to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
