Listen to plenty of performance gurus, making it simple to think that napping is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid after restless night, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Professional footballers are all at it – along with professional piano players, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a job that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes an expert sleep science specialist. “The first is known as compensatory napping, which is what you do when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for instance when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to the wish: you have an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons outside your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the focus must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that napping shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on when you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most-cited studies about napping, experts noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the optimal amount of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to have a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend using similar routines you’d use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on a couch in whatever light is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” says a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure there to start the process initially. I can usually take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
