Listen to a few self-improvement experts, making it easy to believe that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a route to a better memory, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and media moguls. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Is there a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping in the adult population,” says an expert sleep science researcher. “One is termed compensatory napping, essentially what happens when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to desire: there is an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for example, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap as your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that napping must not be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (contingent on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the ideal number of time, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies indicates it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that one could simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” explains an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
