Listen to plenty of productivity experts, and it’s simple to believe that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Premier League footballers do it regularly – along with musicians, mixed martial artists & business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, not worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “Firstly, there's termed compensatory napping, which is the action you take following insufficient sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep in the future, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to desire: you have an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The first thing to do, so, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – for instance, for a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you nap since your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not where it should be. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep must not be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on when you sleep in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists found that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off quickly,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around about the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “The science would say it's more effective to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. Though if you nap for a long period, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest using the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” notes a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to anticipate a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for example, if attempting to fit in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
