Hear enough performance podcasters, and it’s simple to think that napping is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a shortcut towards a better memory, improved mood and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional soccer players swear by it – and so are professional piano players, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a special sleep space or employment that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a burst of shut-eye to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you honestly promise you’ll wake up feeling improved, rather than worse?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” notes a leading sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, essentially what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating a sleep deficit in the future, for example if you’re working graveyard shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically boils down to wanting: there is a moment to doze during the day, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The initial step to undertake, so, is to examine your nap motivation. “Naps can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes you cannot change – for instance, when you are a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
This means that naps shouldn’t be long enough to interfere with your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (contingent on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa noted that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in task performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals are asleep quickly,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more stressed than anything else – and the worst thing you can do when attempting to nod off is to stress over it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you wake. “Studies suggests it’s better to take an extended nap of one to one and a half hours compared to a medium-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel sluggish when you get up – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end a full cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence how you sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Snooze Setting
As for precise methods, advice differs. Some experts propose adopting the same protocol you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and minimal light as you can manage. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in whatever light is available – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to will,” explains an expert. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to recline and practically instruct yourself to nod off. There must be some drive there to bring the sleep on initially. For me, it's possible to snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps most folks is to look for a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if attempting to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to use sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I recommend that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
