Listen to a few performance gurus, making it easy to think that napping is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” says a professor of sleep science professor. “One is what we call recovery napping, that is what happens following poor sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, for example during overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to the wish: there is a moment to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed due to causes you cannot change – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on when you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the perfect length of time, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science indicates it’s better to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – however, if you take it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing comparable habits you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze in a chair with ambient lighting is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and if your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
