Tune into plenty of productivity podcasters, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite athletes do it regularly – as do professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap among most adults,” notes a professor of sleep science researcher. “Firstly, there's known as make-up sleep, which is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, such as during graveyard shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to desire: you have a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to do, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes outside your control – such as, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your need for sleep is not where it needs to be. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that daytime sleep must not be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and best are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you retire at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations about the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more stressed than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you take it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts recommend adopting the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to command,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure there to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine to employ a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
