Tune into enough productivity experts, and it’s tempting to think that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a quick fix following poor sleep, but a route to improved recall, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “The first is known as make-up sleep, that is the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for example during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you have an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping because your night sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where it should be. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep must not be long enough to affect your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (contingent on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science would say it's more effective to take a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest employing the same protocol one would use to foster restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually snooze during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to look for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will