Tune into plenty of performance podcasters, and it’s tempting to believe that napping is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains a leading circadian rhythm professor. “The first is known as compensatory napping, which is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to wanting: there is a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, for a new parent, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as required. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on what time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study on the subject, experts noted that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the perfect length of time, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel groggy when you wake up – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing similar routines you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
