Tune into plenty of productivity gurus, and it’s easy to think that napping is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes swear by it – as do musicians, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert sleep science researcher. “One is termed compensatory napping, essentially what you do when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to the wish: you have a moment to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for a new parent, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that napping must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on what time you go to bed overnight). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the optimal amount of time, however, that can cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the least helpful action one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science suggests it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose using the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could just doze on a couch in whatever light is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” says an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to look for an instance where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
