Tune into enough productivity gurus, and it’s simple to think that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a band-aid following poor sleep, but a route towards improved recall, improved mood and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite athletes are all at it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists and business leaders. Yet, when you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that encourages daytime sleep, can there *honestly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, not worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes a leading sleep science researcher. “The first is termed make-up sleep, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for sleep loss coming up, for instance during overnight shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which essentially comes down to wanting: you get a moment to nap in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, when you are a new parent, or recovering from illness or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “But if you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or poor, that can be a sign your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the focus must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This means that naps must not be too extended to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (based on the time you retire in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, experts discovered that space travelers had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the optimal amount for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more worried than anything else – and the worst thing you can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish when you get up – while if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for a long period, it can influence your sleep later that night.”
Finding the Right Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend adopting comparable habits you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could just doze in a chair in whatever light is available – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” says an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and basically instruct yourself to nod off. You need a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to snooze in full light and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to anticipate an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – for example, when aiming to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing some accessories. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
