Hear plenty of self-improvement gurus, and it’s easy to think that napping is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers are all at it – and so are concert pianists, fighters and business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for napping among most adults,” notes an expert sleep science researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, such as during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about desire: you have a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to consider, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that naps ought not to be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on what time you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science indicates it is preferable to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest using comparable habits you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to recline and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
