Hear a few performance podcasters, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a route to improved recall, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Elite footballers swear by it – as do musicians, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?
Exploring Your Drive to Snooze
“There are three primary motivations for taking a nap for many people,” explains a leading sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, essentially what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, such as if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to wanting: there is a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap as your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not where required. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority ought to remain a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This means that naps ought not to be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on the time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a specialist. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more stressed above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Creating the Right Nap Environment
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists recommend using the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to force,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically instruct yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive available to bring the sleep on to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to look for an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and should you have few options – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
