Listen to plenty of self-improvement gurus, and you'll be tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, fighters and business leaders. However, if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the effort? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially the action you take following a lack of sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, for instance when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply comes down to the wish: there is a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping because your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (based on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists noted that crew members had improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the perfect length of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Some advise that you should simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the place you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually nap during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
