Listen to a few self-improvement gurus, and it’s tempting to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix after restless night, but a route towards a better memory, improved mood and possibly quicker running times. Premier League athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, UFC champions and business leaders. But if you don't have a room for napping or a job that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the effort? Can you find a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says an expert sleep science professor. “One is known as recovery napping, which is what you do when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are preparing for sleep loss ahead, for example if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to wanting: there is an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to undertake, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for instance, for a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping because your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as required. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods to address immediate needs – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that naps shouldn’t be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on when you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From a prominent study on the subject, experts noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority doze off quickly,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much recommendations about the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that foggy state when you wake. “Research indicates it is preferable to opt for an extended nap of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel sluggish upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. Though if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. A few professionals suggest using comparable habits you’d use to foster quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light is available – both to discourage sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to nod off. You need some drive available to initiate sleep to begin with. For me, it's possible to snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a moment where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to grab 40 winks while traveling or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
