Listen to plenty of performance experts, and you'll be tempting to think that a nap is a superpower: rather than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers do it regularly – along with professional piano players, UFC champions & media moguls. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed recovery napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, for example during overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the focus must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that naps must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on when you retire overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep quickly,” says a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for a longer nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for a long period, it will affect your sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Sleep Space
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest employing the same protocol you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says a specialist. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to recline and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive present to start the process to begin with. I can usually nap in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists a lot of people is to look for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – such as, when aiming to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
