Hear a few performance experts, and it’s easy to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a path towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Can you find a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed make-up sleep, essentially the action you take following insufficient sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about desire: you get an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for example, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “But if you take a nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not where required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on when you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – the majority doze off quickly,” notes a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations regarding the ideal number of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies would say it’s better to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Nap Environment
As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest adopting comparable habits you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that you should just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive present to start the process to begin with. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to grab a quick nap on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
