Tune into enough productivity podcasters, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Professional athletes do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you don't have a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit coming up, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to wanting: there is a moment to nap in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The primary task to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – for example, for a new parent, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “But if you nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not where required. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that napping must not be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on when you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this included a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to have an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend employing comparable habits one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that one could just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” says a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There must be some drive present to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
