Hear enough performance gurus, and it’s easy to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster after restless night, but a route to a better memory, improved mood and perhaps quicker running times. Elite athletes do it regularly – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. But if you haven’t got a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” explains an expert circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is known as make-up sleep, that is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, where you are preparing for a sleep deficit in the future, for instance during graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply comes down to the wish: there is a moment to nap during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The primary task to consider, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons you cannot change – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping as your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. In such situations, napping can become part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular sleep at night.”
The Optimal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep ought not to be long enough to affect your nighttime sleep, and ideally should not occur in the late afternoon (based on the time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Advice differs. From a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute long sleep onset time). “I recommend setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off quickly,” explains a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the perfect length of minutes, however, that can cause people to feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do while aiming to nod off is worry about it.”
If you plan to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “The science would say it is preferable to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – however, if you extend it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you will probably to be on the end a full cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it can influence your sleep in the evening.”
Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists suggest adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to maintain your bedroom as the place your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is something really tricky to will,” says an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and practically instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and awaken on my own alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – for instance, when aiming to fit in some shut-eye on a train or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
