Tune into a few productivity gurus, and it’s tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards improved recall, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Professional athletes do it regularly – along with concert pianists, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three key drivers for napping among most adults,” explains a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is what we call recovery napping, that is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, such as when working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to desire: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping because your sleep at night feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not where it should be. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
Therefore that naps must not be long enough to interfere with your overnight rest, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on when you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists found that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around concerning the ideal number of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state upon waking. “Studies would say it’s better to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to put you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – while if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose employing comparable habits one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and as much darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap in a chair in the existing light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” explains a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure present to bring the sleep on initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – such as, if attempting to grab some shut-eye during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
