Hear enough performance experts, and it’s simple to think that dozing is a powerful tool: not just a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League footballers are all at it – along with professional piano players, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you haven’t got a special sleep space or a job that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap for many people,” explains a professor of sleep science researcher. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, for instance during graveyard shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which essentially comes down to wanting: you get a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to indulge.”
The first thing to undertake, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when night sleeping gets interrupted for reasons you cannot change – such as, when you are a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you nap because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or broken, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In those cases, 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 ought to remain a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”
The Perfect Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep must not be too extended to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (based on the time you go to bed at night). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that astronauts showed up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people fall asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of advice around regarding the ideal number of time, however, that can cause people to feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies would say it’s better to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
As for exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts suggest adopting the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and as much darkness as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap in a chair with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your bed as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and essentially tell yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to look for an instance that they’re naturally feeling a bit drowsy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – it's acceptable to employ sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
