Hear plenty of performance podcasters, making it tempting to think that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players do it regularly – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's known as recovery napping, that is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to desire: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where it should be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on what time you go to bed at night). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts found that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there about the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science suggests it’s better to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you extend it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists propose employing similar routines you’d use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Some advise that you should just doze on the sofa in the existing light is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” says a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
