Listen to plenty of performance podcasters, making it easy to think that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix following restless night, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite athletes do it regularly – as do musicians, UFC champions & media moguls. However, if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes a leading sleep science researcher. “One is what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting sleep loss coming up, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply is about the wish: there is a chance to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted because of factors beyond your control – such as, for a new parent, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you nap because your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that napping ought not to be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state upon waking. “Research indicates it’s better to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals propose using the same protocol you’d use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and as much darkness as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on a couch with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
