Hear enough productivity gurus, making it easy to believe that napping is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster after restless night, but a shortcut towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed compensatory napping, that is the action you take following poor sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, such as during graveyard shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you get a chance to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for instance, when you are a new parent, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap as your night sleep is unstable or unreliable, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
Therefore that naps ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your sleep at night, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you go to bed at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most-cited studies about napping, experts noted that crew members had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this included a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “The science suggests it’s better to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to put you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you get up – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest adopting similar routines you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to force,” says a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive available to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a moment when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to grab some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
