Listen to plenty of productivity gurus, and you'll be easy to think that a nap is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes are all at it – as do professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or employment that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” notes an expert circadian rhythm professor. “One is what we call make-up sleep, essentially the action you take following a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, where you are anticipating a sleep deficit ahead, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to desire: you have a moment to nap in the daytime, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to do, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping gets interrupted due to causes outside your control – for example, for caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap as your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the priority ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (depending on what time you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers experienced a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research would say it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep that night.”
Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Some experts suggest using similar routines one would use to foster restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure present to start the process to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when you have few options – for example, if attempting to fit in a quick nap while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
