Hear a few productivity podcasters, and it’s tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a career that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” notes an expert sleep science professor. “One is known as make-up sleep, which is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply is about the wish: you have an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to do, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed due to causes you cannot change – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on when you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From a prominent study about napping, experts noted that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies would say it is preferable to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts recommend adopting similar routines you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive there to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and wake up naturally without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for an instance that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to fit in a quick nap during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
