Listen to enough performance podcasters, and it’s easy to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: more than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – as do musicians, fighters and media moguls. But if you lack a special sleep space or a career that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to justify the effort? Is there a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” explains a leading circadian rhythm professor. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, such as during on night shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: there is an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap because your night sleep is unstable or broken, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where required. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your overnight rest, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything else – and the worst thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science indicates it's more effective to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for a long period, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Finding the Right Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest employing the same protocol you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure present to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to fit in 40 winks on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to use a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
