Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, and you'll be simple to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers swear by it – as do musicians, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “One is termed make-up sleep, which is the action you take following insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit ahead, such as when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to wanting: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – such as, for a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or broken, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that naps shouldn’t be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you retire at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts found that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the perfect length of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science indicates it is preferable to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend employing comparable habits one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually nap during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to wait for a time when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, when aiming to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
