Hear plenty of productivity podcasters, and it’s tempting to believe that napping is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a career that encourages daytime sleep, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Is there a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” notes an expert circadian rhythm professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, which is the action you take following poor sleep the night before. Another is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about wanting: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to consider, so, is to think about why you want to nap. “Naps can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes beyond your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping since your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. In those cases, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
This means that napping ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and preferably shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer 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 of minutes, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to opt for a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into deep sleep and you’re more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you nap for a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts recommend adopting comparable habits you use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that you should just doze on a couch in the existing light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” says an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “In my work with elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
