Tune into a few self-improvement gurus, and it’s easy to believe that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following restless night, but a route towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – and so are musicians, fighters & high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got 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 effort? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for napping for many people,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, which is what happens when you’ve had poor sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for example when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to desire: you get a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to do, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap because your night sleep is unstable or poor, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not where it should be. In those cases, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Use napping as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that napping must not be too extended to disrupt your overnight rest, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around regarding the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies would say it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. But if you nap for a long period, it may impact how you sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest employing the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” says an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination available to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to look for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to fit in 40 winks on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
