Listen to plenty of performance gurus, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a route to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Professional footballers are all at it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, essentially the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, such as during on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to wanting: there is an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to nap.”
The primary task to do, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that napping must not be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on the time you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies would say it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing similar routines one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination present to start the process to begin with. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
