Listen to plenty of productivity gurus, and it’s simple to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, better spirits and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers are all at it – as do musicians, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Nap Motivation
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” notes a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “One is what we call compensatory napping, essentially what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, such as when working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to desire: you have an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, for a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that naps must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies would say it’s better to take a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. A few professionals suggest adopting the same protocol you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap in a chair in whatever light happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” notes a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and essentially command yourself to nod off. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to grab 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
