Tune into enough performance podcasters, and you'll be simple to believe that napping is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Premier League athletes swear by it – as do concert pianists, fighters and business leaders. However, if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert sleep science professor. “The first is termed make-up sleep, that is what happens following a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep coming up, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply is about desire: you get a chance to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often a sign your need for sleep is not where it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep must not be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (based on what time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the ideal number of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science suggests it’s better to have a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose employing similar routines you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and practically command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to start the process to begin with. I can usually take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
