Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and it’s tempting to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a quick fix after poor sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, fighters & media moguls. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or employment that encourages frequent naps, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling better, rather than worse?
Understanding The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for napping in the adult population,” says an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “One is what we call make-up sleep, which is the action you take when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss in the future, for example during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get a moment to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you nap since your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This implies that naps ought not to be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. From a prominent study on the subject, experts discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – many individuals doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there about the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “Studies suggests it's more effective to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Nap Environment
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists recommend using the same protocol you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Some advise that one could merely snooze in a chair with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to maintain your bed as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to grab a quick nap on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use some accessories. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I advise that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
