Tune into plenty of productivity experts, and it’s easy to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: not just a quick fix following restless night, but a route towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's known as compensatory napping, essentially the action you take following poor sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, such as during overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: you have a moment to doze during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap as your night sleep feels fragile or poor, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that naps ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you retire at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “The science would say it's more effective to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Sleep Space
As for exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend using the same protocol you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that one could merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, though, what aids a lot of people is to wait for a time where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
