Tune into plenty of performance experts, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Professional athletes are all at it – along with professional piano players, mixed martial artists and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or a career that encourages regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the effort? Can you find a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for napping among most adults,” notes an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, essentially the action you take following insufficient sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, such as when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to desire: you get a chance to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on when you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists found that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything – and the least helpful action one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes 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 rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you nap for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals recommend using the same protocol you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to just doze on a couch with ambient lighting is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to command,” notes a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to initiate sleep initially. I can usually nap during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to look for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – such as, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
