Listen to a few performance podcasters, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to a better memory, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, UFC champions and media moguls. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep in the adult population,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is known as compensatory napping, that is the action you take following poor sleep the previous night. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you get a chance to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap as your night sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your need for sleep is not where required. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you retire overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. From a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies would say it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts suggest using similar routines you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to grab some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
