Hear enough performance experts, making it easy to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a shortcut to a better memory, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite footballers swear by it – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says an expert sleep science researcher. “One is known as recovery napping, which is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss coming up, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to desire: you get a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this involved an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Research would say it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists propose adopting the same protocol one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze on a couch in whatever light is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. There must be some drive there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – for example, when aiming to grab 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
