Tune into enough self-improvement podcasters, making it tempting to think that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a route to a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Professional footballers are all at it – along with concert pianists, fighters & media moguls. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“There are three key drivers for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a professor of circadian rhythm professor. “The first is known as recovery napping, which is what you do when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for instance during on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially boils down to wanting: you get a chance to nap during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The first thing to do, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be genuinely useful when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a strong and predictable sleep at night.”
The Ideal Snooze Time
This implies that daytime sleep shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). What duration is wise? Advice differs. Among a prominent study about napping, researchers at Nasa discovered that crew members showed a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this included a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “The science would say it’s better to take an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – whereas if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep later that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Sleep Space
Regarding precise methods, recommendations vary. Some experts recommend employing the same protocol you’d use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bed as the space you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” explains a specialist. “Without any sleepiness, it becomes harder to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and wake up naturally alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will
