Hear enough performance gurus, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a superpower: not just a quick fix following poor sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League athletes are all at it – along with musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's known as recovery napping, that is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to the wish: there is a chance to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that napping ought not to be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on when you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the ideal number of minutes, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies indicates it's more effective to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing the same protocol you use to foster restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that you should just doze on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive available to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually snooze in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for instance, if attempting to grab some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
