Listen to plenty of performance gurus, and it’s easy to think that a nap is a superpower: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Professional footballers swear by it – as do musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or a career that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is what we call recovery napping, that is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for example during graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about wanting: you have a chance to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists found that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the perfect length of time, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists propose using comparable habits you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that one could merely snooze on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains a sleep coach. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to 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 look for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
