Listen to plenty of performance gurus, and you'll be easy to believe that a nap is a powerful tool: more than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a route to a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – and so are musicians, fighters and business leaders. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the effort? Is there a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for napping for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, that is what happens following poor sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about wanting: you get an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – such as, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or broken, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on what time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists found that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around about the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies would say it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – while if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more refreshed. But if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose employing the same protocol you’d use to promote restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should just doze on the sofa in whatever light is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination available to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps most folks is to look for a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
