Hear enough productivity podcasters, and it’s simple to believe that a nap is a superpower: not just a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Professional soccer players are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap for many people,” notes a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “One is what we call compensatory napping, which is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you have an opportunity to doze in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to consider, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons you cannot change – for example, if you’re a new parent, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap since your sleep at night is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that napping ought not to be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (based on the time you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the optimal amount of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Studies would say it’s better to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for a long period, it will affect your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to lie down and practically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination available to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps most folks is to wait for an instance that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when you have few options – for instance, if attempting to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
