Hear enough performance gurus, and it’s easy to believe that napping is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, improved mood and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a career that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, essentially the action you take after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, such as during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to wanting: there is an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or poor, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on what time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research about napping, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in alertness plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the perfect length of time, yet that often make people feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science would say it's more effective to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest employing the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should just doze in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and essentially tell yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – such as, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
