Tune into plenty of self-improvement experts, making it easy to believe that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is what we call make-up sleep, essentially what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, for instance during graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to desire: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or poor, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not where it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on the time you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research about napping, experts found that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of time, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies indicates it's more effective to have an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest using the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that you should simply nap in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” says a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
