Listen to enough self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be easy to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route towards a better memory, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, UFC champions and media moguls. But if you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, that is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to desire: there is an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap as your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it's more effective to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing similar routines you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the environment your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and basically command yourself to nod off. There must be some drive present to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to grab 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
