Listen to plenty of productivity podcasters, and you'll be tempting to believe that napping is a superpower: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players are all at it – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a job that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed recovery napping, that is the action you take following a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, for example during overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: you get a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping as your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies about napping, space agency scientists found that astronauts showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there about the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research would say it’s better to have a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. A few professionals recommend adopting the same protocol you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” explains a specialist. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There must be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to grab 40 winks on a train or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
