Listen to plenty of productivity experts, and it’s easy to convince yourself that napping is a superpower: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a shortcut to improved recall, improved mood and maybe quicker running times. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do musicians, fighters and media moguls. But if you lack a special sleep space or a job that allows frequent naps, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a short sleep to justify the effort? Is there a surefire technique to fall asleep fast? Furthermore, can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying Your Reasons for Napping
“Experts note three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains a leading circadian rhythm professor. “One is termed recovery napping, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep overnight. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves anticipating insufficient sleep in the future, such as when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to wanting: there is a moment to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”
The first thing to consider, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when overnight rest gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – such as, when you are a new parent, or recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” states a sleep physiologist. “Yet when you take a nap because your night sleep seems unreliable or poor, that’s often an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. In such situations, napping can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This means that daytime sleep must not be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (contingent on what time you sleep at night). What duration is wise? Advice differs. From a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa discovered that space travelers showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this counted a six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount of minutes, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies indicates it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect how you sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Snooze Setting
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals propose adopting comparable habits you’d use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could simply nap on the sofa in the existing light is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically instruct yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should your choices are limited – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will
