Listen to enough self-improvement podcasters, and it’s simple to think that a nap is a superpower: not just a sticking plaster after restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – along with musicians, mixed martial artists and media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Identifying The Nap Motivation
“We can identify three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “The first is known as make-up sleep, essentially what you do following a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss in the future, such as if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which essentially is about wanting: there is an opportunity to nap during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is consider your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “Yet when you take a nap as your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that’s often a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
Therefore that napping must not be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (depending on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting a timer for 20-30 minutes – most people are asleep quickly,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to cause people to feel more worried than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research would say it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – however, if you take it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Sleep Space
Regarding exact methodologies, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals suggest adopting the same protocol you’d use to foster restful sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to simply nap on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – to avoid that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the space you associate with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to will,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to recline and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists many individuals is to wait for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”
Experimentation is key, and if options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to grab a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
