Hear plenty of performance experts, and it’s simple to believe that a nap is a superpower: more than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players do it regularly – and so are concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that allows frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is termed compensatory napping, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating sleep loss coming up, for instance if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about the wish: you get a chance to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The primary task to undertake, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for instance, for a new parent, or you’re recovering from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This implies that napping shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on when you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much recommendations concerning the ideal number of time, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research indicates it's more effective to opt for a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing the same protocol one would use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in whatever light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to command,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and essentially tell yourself to go to sleep. You need some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “Coaching footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
