Listen to enough productivity podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with professional piano players, fighters & media moguls. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” notes an expert circadian rhythm professor. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, essentially what happens following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, such as when working overnight shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about desire: there is a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. In those cases, naps can become 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 night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that napping must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on when you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the perfect length of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed above all – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies suggests it's more effective to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, advice differs. Some experts propose using comparable habits you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on the sofa in whatever light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” says a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and basically command yourself to nod off. You need some drive available to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
