Tune into plenty of productivity podcasters, and it’s easy to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a path towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, fighters and business leaders. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to merit the hassle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling better, rather than worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says a leading sleep science professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, which is the action you take when you’ve had insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, for example if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially boils down to wanting: there is an opportunity to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The primary task to consider, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – such as, for a new parent, or recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that naps shouldn’t be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From a prominent study about napping, space agency scientists found that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around about the perfect length of minutes, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose adopting comparable habits you use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to command,” notes an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure available to start the process to begin with. I can usually nap during the day and wake up naturally without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or at the office – there’s nothing wrong to use a few tools. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
