Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that a nap is a superpower: more than a band-aid after a bad night’s sleep, but a route towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with professional piano players, fighters and media moguls. But if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three primary motivations for taking a nap among most adults,” explains an expert sleep science researcher. “One is known as make-up sleep, that is the action you take following a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance if you’re working on night shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about the wish: you get a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes beyond your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not where it should be. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that napping must not be long enough to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on what time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research about napping, researchers at Nasa noted that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “The science suggests it's more effective to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you get up – however, if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more alert. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest employing the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light is present – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the place your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to force,” explains a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and essentially tell yourself to nod off. You need some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to grab 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
