Tune into plenty of productivity experts, and it’s tempting to think that napping is a superpower: more than a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Elite soccer players swear by it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions and business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for napping for many people,” says an expert sleep science professor. “One is known as recovery napping, essentially what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to desire: you have an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that naps shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on when you go to bed overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the perfect length of time, yet that often make people feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies indicates it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists propose using the same protocol one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to fit in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
