Listen to plenty of productivity podcasters, and you'll be easy to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers are all at it – and so are musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is what we call recovery napping, which is the action you take following insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about the wish: you get an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – such as, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap as your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where it should be. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that naps ought not to be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on when you retire at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that crew members experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the perfect length of time, however, that can lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state upon waking. “Research indicates it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – however, if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest employing the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in whatever light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to start the process to begin with. I can usually nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
