Hear enough performance podcasters, and it’s simple to think that napping is a superpower: more than a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite soccer players are all at it – as do concert pianists, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a reliable way to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will arise feeling better, not worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for napping among most adults,” notes a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “Firstly, there's known as make-up sleep, that is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit coming up, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to the wish: there is a chance to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to consider, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Napping can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap since your sleep at night seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your sleep at night, and best should not occur in the late afternoon (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. In one of the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness plus a 34% rise in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around about the perfect length for sleeping, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you nap for a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish of a sleep cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest employing similar routines you use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as you can manage. Some advise that you should just doze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” explains a sleep coach. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to get comfortable and practically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure present to start the process initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to grab 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “Coaching footballers, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, as they’re going to have|they will
