Tune into plenty of self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be simple to think that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, fighters & media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for napping among most adults,” explains an expert sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep coming up, for instance when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to wanting: there is a chance to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap since your night sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists found that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of time, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science indicates it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose employing similar routines you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive available to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to grab a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
