Hear plenty of performance gurus, and it’s tempting to think that napping is a powerful tool: not just a quick fix after restless night, but a path to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers do it regularly – as do professional piano players, UFC champions and media moguls. But if you lack a special sleep space or employment that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for napping among most adults,” says a leading circadian rhythm professor. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, that is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, such as during overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to desire: you have a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that naps shouldn’t be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Research suggests it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you wake up – while if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest using similar routines you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on initially. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, though, what aids a lot of people is to look for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to grab 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
