Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, and it’s easy to think that napping is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a route towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League soccer players are all at it – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists & media moguls. However, if you lack a room for napping or a job that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for example when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to desire: you have a moment to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists propose adopting similar routines you use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the environment your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” explains a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and essentially command yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to anticipate a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
