Listen to enough performance podcasters, making it simple to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players are all at it – along with concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for napping among most adults,” notes an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is termed make-up sleep, which is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating sleep loss ahead, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about wanting: there is an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, so, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap because your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that napping must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on the time you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research about napping, experts found that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – however, if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest using similar routines you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to will,” says a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive there to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
