Tune into plenty of performance gurus, making it simple to believe that a nap is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players do it regularly – as do professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit 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
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating sleep loss ahead, such as when working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to the wish: you get a chance to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where required. Under those circumstances, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on when you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, experts discovered that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the ideal number of time, but that tends to make people feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “The science suggests it's more effective to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend employing similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often snooze in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
