Tune into a few performance podcasters, and you'll be easy to believe that napping is a superpower: rather than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, improved mood and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – along with musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you don't have a room for napping or a job that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” says a leading sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is termed compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for instance when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to desire: there is a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – such as, for a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study about napping, experts discovered that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies would say it’s better to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing comparable habits one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in the existing light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
