Tune into enough self-improvement podcasters, and it’s tempting to think that napping is a superpower: more than a band-aid following restless night, but a route towards a better memory, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers do it regularly – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. But if you lack a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's termed make-up sleep, that is the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to the wish: you have a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes beyond your control – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (based on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies about napping, space agency scientists found that crew members had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep quickly,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around about the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can make people feel more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to get to sleep is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies would say it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend adopting similar routines you use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” notes an expert. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and basically command yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination present to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually snooze during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to fit in a quick nap during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
