Hear enough productivity experts, and it’s simple to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route to enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a room for napping or employment that encourages regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for napping among most adults,” explains a leading sleep science researcher. “One is what we call make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss ahead, such as when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about desire: there is an opportunity to doze in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for example, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently a sign your need for sleep is not where it should be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that napping shouldn’t be long enough to affect your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (contingent on when you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science would say it is preferable to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest adopting comparable habits one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in whatever light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive available to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to look for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
