Listen to plenty of self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a quick fix following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – along with concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for napping for many people,” notes an expert circadian rhythm specialist. “One is termed make-up sleep, which is the action you take after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is pre-emptive sleep, which involves pre-empting sleep loss ahead, for example during on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to the wish: there is an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to do it.”
The first thing to consider, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap because your night sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that napping shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you sleep at night). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. In one of a prominent study on the subject, experts found that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep quickly,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there about the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research would say it's more effective to opt for an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and will probably awaken feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
As for exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists propose adopting comparable habits one would use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to command,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it is tougher to lie down and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be some drive there to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze in full light 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 just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, when aiming to grab a quick nap during a commute or at the office – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
