Listen to a few performance podcasters, and you'll be simple to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a route towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional footballers are all at it – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that encourages regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, essentially the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as when working graveyard shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to desire: you have a moment to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to do, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not where required. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps ought not to be long enough to affect your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around about the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies indicates it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals recommend adopting similar routines you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” notes a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. You need some drive present to start the process in the first place. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
