Listen to a few self-improvement experts, making it tempting to think that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, which is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to the wish: you get a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is consider your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on what time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the optimal amount of time, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies suggests it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose adopting similar routines you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Others suggest that one could merely snooze on a couch with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” notes a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and basically instruct yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for an instance that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to grab 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
