Tune into a few productivity experts, and you'll be simple to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Professional footballers swear by it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that permits frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap among most adults,” notes an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, which is what happens following insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about the wish: there is a chance to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for instance, for a new parent, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap as your night sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that napping shouldn’t be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (based on the time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “The science suggests it is preferable to opt for 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 enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the place you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
