Hear plenty of self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be simple to think that a nap is a superpower: more than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Professional footballers do it regularly – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and business leaders. But if you lack a room for napping or employment that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for instance during overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you have a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors outside your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From a prominent study about napping, experts noted that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose employing the same protocol you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
