Tune into a few productivity podcasters, and it’s simple to think that napping is a secret weapon: rather than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a job that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “One is what we call recovery napping, that is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to desire: you get an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to do, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap as your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on when you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that crew members had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around about the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies suggests it's more effective to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. But if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend employing comparable habits one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your bed as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” notes a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep initially. I can usually snooze in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when you have few options – such as, if attempting to grab 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
