Listen to a few performance gurus, making it tempting to think that a nap is a superpower: not just a quick fix following restless night, but a path towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes swear by it – and so are concert pianists, fighters and business leaders. But if you don't have a room for napping or a job that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to justify the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call compensatory napping, that is what happens following poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically is about desire: you have a chance to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to do, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (contingent on when you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists discovered that crew members experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies would say it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using similar routines you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that one could simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to recline and basically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
