Tune into plenty of self-improvement experts, and you'll be tempting to believe that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists & media moguls. However, if you lack a room for napping or a job that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “One is what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens following a lack of sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, for instance during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about the wish: there is a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to do, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and best are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on the time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, experts found that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations about the perfect length of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “Research would say it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Right Nap Environment
As for precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend using the same protocol one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” explains a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically tell yourself to nod off. There must be some drive available to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
