Listen to plenty of performance podcasters, making it tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path to a better memory, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Elite soccer players do it regularly – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or employment that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a short sleep to merit the hassle? Does there exist a dependable method to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Reasons for Napping
“There are three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” says an expert sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep in the future, such as during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: there is a chance to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you nap because your nighttime sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a sign your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal ought to remain a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on when you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people fall asleep in under ten minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations about the perfect length of time, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose employing the same protocol you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on a couch in the existing light is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to lie down and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive present to start the process to begin with. I can usually nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and just gently allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
