Listen to enough performance experts, making it simple to think that a nap is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes swear by it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists & media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep among most adults,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “One is what we call recovery napping, which is the action you take following a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to desire: you get an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (contingent on when you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much advice around about the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies would say it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a full cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest using the same protocol you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” says an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep to begin with. I can usually take a nap in full light and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
