Hear enough self-improvement experts, making it tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, essentially what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, for instance when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about the wish: there is a chance to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be genuinely useful when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you nap because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on what time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research on the subject, experts found that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science indicates it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you extend it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest using the same protocol you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to wait for a time when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
