Hear enough productivity experts, and it’s easy to believe that a nap is a superpower: more than a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, fighters & business leaders. But if you lack a special sleep space or a job that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for napping in the adult population,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is termed compensatory napping, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for instance when working on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to desire: you get a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (based on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts found that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – many individuals fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can make people feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research indicates it’s better to have a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals recommend using similar routines you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the place your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and practically instruct yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps many individuals is to look for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
