Listen to a few self-improvement gurus, making it tempting to think that napping is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and media moguls. But if you don't have a room for napping or a career that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting sleep loss in the future, such as when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to the wish: you get a moment to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be genuinely useful when overnight rest gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – such as, when you are a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping as your night sleep is unstable or poor, that’s often a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the issue, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This means that naps must not be long enough to affect your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended in the late afternoon (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the perfect length of time, but that tends to make people feel more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science suggests it's more effective to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest using the same protocol one would use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent sleep inertia and to preserve your bedroom as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” says a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. You need a natural inclination present to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
