Listen to plenty of performance podcasters, and you'll be easy to think that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route to a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers do it regularly – as do musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a job that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep science professor. “One is known as recovery napping, that is the action you take after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for instance when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: you get an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers had improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science suggests it's more effective to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and will probably awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest employing similar routines one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” notes a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and practically command yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
