Hear plenty of productivity gurus, and it’s easy to think that napping is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly quicker running times. Premier League footballers do it regularly – and so are professional piano players, fighters and business leaders. However, if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a quick nap to justify the hassle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap in the adult population,” explains an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “One is termed recovery napping, essentially what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which simply is about the wish: there is a chance to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to consider, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a signal your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that naps shouldn’t be too extended to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies about napping, space agency scientists discovered that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there about the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research suggests it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – while if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. Some experts suggest employing the same protocol you use to encourage quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bed as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” notes a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and practically tell yourself to go to sleep. There must be some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps most folks is to look for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when you have few options – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
