Hear a few productivity experts, making it simple to think that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do professional piano players, mixed martial artists & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“There are three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” explains an expert sleep science professor. “One is termed recovery napping, which is the action you take following a lack of sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, for example if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to desire: you get an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to do, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, for caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that napping must not be long enough to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the worst thing one can do when attempting to fall asleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies would say it’s better to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest adopting similar routines you’d use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to force,” notes a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive there to start the process in the first place. I can usually snooze during the day and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps a lot of people is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – such as, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
