Listen to a few self-improvement gurus, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers are all at it – and so are concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a job that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap among most adults,” explains an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “One is what we call compensatory napping, essentially what happens following insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating sleep loss ahead, for example during graveyard shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to desire: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on what time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this included a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the perfect length of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Research indicates it’s better to opt for a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect how you sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing the same protocol one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” says an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
