Listen to a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a superpower: rather than a sticking plaster after a bad night’s sleep, but a path to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and possibly improved athletic performance. Elite athletes swear by it – as do musicians, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the hassle? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, instead of groggy?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three main reasons for daytime sleep among most adults,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, which is what happens after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, when you are preparing for a sleep deficit ahead, such as during on night shifts. Finally, there's “appetitive drive”, which basically is about the wish: you have an opportunity to sleep in the afternoon, and it's enjoyable to do it.”
The first thing to do, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when night sleeping is being disrupted for reasons beyond your control – for instance, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you nap because your nighttime sleep seems unreliable or poor, that can be a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, instead of the fix. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that naps must not be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (based on what time you sleep overnight). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that crew members had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this counted a six-minute long sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off quickly,” explains a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations about the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”
If you plan to take an extended nap, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science would say it’s better to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you extend it a bit longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to be on the end of a sleep cycle and are likely to get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting
Regarding exact methodologies, advice differs. Some experts recommend adopting the same protocol one would use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair in the existing light is present – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the environment your mind associates with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to force,” notes a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to get comfortable and basically command yourself to go to sleep. You need some sleep pressure available to start the process to begin with. I can usually snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”
Trying different approaches is valuable, and if you have few options – for instance, if you’re trying to squeeze in a quick nap while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use a few tools. “Coaching professional sportspeople, I suggest that they not rely on napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
