Tune into enough productivity experts, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that napping is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League soccer players swear by it – as do musicians, UFC champions & business leaders. But if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, essentially what you do following insufficient sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to wanting: there is an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to do, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, for a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping as your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around about the ideal number of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research suggests it's more effective to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to command,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if options are scarce – for example, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
