Listen to plenty of productivity experts, and it’s tempting to think that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers are all at it – as do musicians, fighters & business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that encourages regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, which is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to wanting: you have a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
Therefore that napping must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research on the subject, experts noted that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is long enough 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 a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists recommend using comparable habits one would use to foster restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that you should simply nap on a couch in the existing light is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to wait for an instance where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “In my work with footballers, I recommend that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
