Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and it’s simple to think that a nap is a superpower: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers are all at it – and so are musicians, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a job that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for napping among most adults,” notes a leading sleep science professor. “One is termed recovery napping, essentially the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for instance during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about the wish: you get an opportunity to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers had 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 nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there about the perfect length of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies suggests it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and should get up feeling more alert. Though if you nap for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest employing comparable habits you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, but what helps a lot of people is to look for an instance where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
