Hear a few self-improvement experts, making it simple to believe that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional footballers are all at it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions and media moguls. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for napping for many people,” notes a leading sleep science researcher. “One is what we call compensatory napping, essentially what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, for instance during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to wanting: there is a moment to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, when you are a new parent, or recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and preferably shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on what time you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists found that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the perfect length of time, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies suggests it is preferable to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend adopting the same protocol one would use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a time when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to grab some shut-eye during a commute or at the office – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
