Hear enough self-improvement experts, making it tempting to think that a nap is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – along with concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. But if you lack a room for napping or a career that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Does there exist a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains a leading sleep science specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, that is what happens after experiencing poor sleep the night before. Another is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you get a moment to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “Yet when you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or broken, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. In such situations, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that napping must not be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and best shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (contingent on when you retire in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists discovered that space travelers showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a specialist. “You'll find much advice around regarding the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more anxious than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “Research suggests it's more effective to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – whereas if you nap for a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be completing a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Creating the Right Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose using the same protocol one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair with ambient lighting is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any drowsiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to go to sleep. There’s got to be some sleep pressure available to bring the sleep on to begin with. I can usually nap in full light and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids a lot of people is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – such as, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will
