Tune into a few performance podcasters, and it’s simple to convince yourself that a nap is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Premier League footballers are all at it – along with musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science researcher. “One is termed make-up sleep, that is what you do following insufficient sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for instance during on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply boils down to wanting: you have a moment to doze during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is to examine your reason for napping. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap as your sleep at night seems unreliable or broken, that can be an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus must always be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps shouldn’t be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From the most referenced research on the subject, space agency scientists found that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often lead individuals to become more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing one can do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “The science would say it’s better to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Nap Environment
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. A few professionals recommend employing comparable habits one would use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that one could merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – such as, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
