Tune into plenty of self-improvement gurus, making it tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes swear by it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “One is known as recovery napping, that is the action you take following poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to desire: there is a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you nap as your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that naps must not be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of the most referenced research about napping, experts found that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there about the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies indicates it's more effective to take a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a full cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
As for precise methods, advice differs. A few professionals propose adopting comparable habits you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” says a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically command yourself to nod off. You need some drive present to start the process initially. I can usually take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and if your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to grab 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
