Listen to enough performance experts, and it’s simple to think that napping is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to improved recall, improved mood and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players swear by it – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” notes a leading sleep science professor. “The first is termed make-up sleep, essentially what you do following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to desire: you have an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study about napping, experts noted that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off quickly,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies suggests it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you take it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend using similar routines you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” notes an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing sleep aids. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
