Tune into enough productivity gurus, and you'll be easy to think that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path to improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players swear by it – and so are professional piano players, mixed martial artists and high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Can you find a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” says an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is termed make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing poor sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to desire: you have an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted because of factors outside your control – such as, when you are a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping since your night sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that napping must not be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, experts noted that crew members experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much advice around about the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it's more effective to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you nap for a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing comparable habits you use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair in whatever light is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bed as the space your mind associates with proper sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if attempting to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
