Listen to a few performance podcasters, and it’s simple to believe that napping is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid after restless night, but a route towards a better memory, improved mood and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, UFC champions & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Nap Motivation
“There are three primary motivations for napping for many people,” notes a professor of sleep science specialist. “The first is known as make-up sleep, essentially what happens following insufficient sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating sleep loss in the future, such as when working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to the wish: you have a moment to doze in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping because your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, experts found that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations about the ideal number of time, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it’s better to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Nap Environment
As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest employing similar routines one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in whatever light is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” says a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure present to start the process to begin with. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, but what helps a lot of people is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “Coaching footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
