Tune into enough self-improvement podcasters, and it’s easy to believe that napping is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix after restless night, but a route towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers are all at it – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you lack a special sleep space or a career that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” notes an expert sleep science researcher. “One is termed compensatory napping, which is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss coming up, such as when working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to desire: there is an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to undertake, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not where required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the priority must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and best shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies suggests it's more effective to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – however, if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest adopting the same protocol you’d use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and if you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
