Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, making it tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route to a better memory, improved mood and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you don't have a room for napping or a career that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” explains a professor of sleep science professor. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, which is what you do following poor sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance during graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to consider, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons you cannot change – for example, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap as your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This implies that naps ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the ideal number of minutes, yet that often make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest employing similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” says a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to look for a time when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to grab 40 winks during a commute or at the office – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
