Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, improved mood and maybe improved athletic performance. Premier League footballers swear by it – as do concert pianists, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or a career that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Does there exist a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Understanding Your Nap Motivation
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is known as recovery napping, essentially what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep overnight. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for instance when working overnight shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply comes down to the wish: there is a moment to doze in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”
The primary task to do, so, is consider your reason for napping. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes outside your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap because your night sleep is unstable or poor, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as it should be. In those cases, napping can become part of the problem, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Duration
Therefore that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on what time you retire overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of the most referenced research on the subject, experts noted that crew members had a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the ideal number for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything – and the worst thing you can do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, avoid the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science suggests it is preferable to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you extend it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and should awaken feeling more alert. But if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts recommend employing the same protocol you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bed as the environment your brain links with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes a specialist. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and basically command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually snooze in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to look for an instance when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to grab 40 winks on a train or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ sleep aids. “In my work with footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
