Listen to enough productivity podcasters, making it easy to think that a nap is a superpower: not just a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players are all at it – and so are concert pianists, fighters & business leaders. But if you lack a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a leading circadian rhythm professor. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, such as during on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to desire: there is an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The first thing to consider, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you’re napping because your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that can be a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus should still be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts found that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in task performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority fall asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the perfect length of time, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose employing similar routines one would use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that one could simply nap on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on initially. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and awaken on my own without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to use some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
