Tune into enough productivity podcasters, making it easy to think that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe quicker running times. Professional athletes are all at it – and so are musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. Yet, when you don't have a special sleep space or a career that encourages daytime sleep, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to merit the hassle? Is there a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to honestly promise you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?
Exploring Your Reasons for Napping
“We can identify three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call recovery napping, that is what happens when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. Another is prophylactic napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply is about wanting: there is a moment to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The initial step to consider, so, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors outside your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or poor, that can be a sign your sleep drive is not as strong as required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus must always be a solid and consistent night’s sleep.”
The Ideal Nap Length
This implies that daytime sleep must not be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably are not recommended after about 3pm (based on the time you sleep in the evening). What duration is wise? Guidelines are mixed. Among a prominent study on the subject, experts found that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in alertness plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (in detail, this included an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a sleep coach. “There is plenty of recommendations regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often make people feel more worried than anything – and the least helpful action one can do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “The science suggests it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to send you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you nap for slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it can influence the quality of your sleep that night.”
Establishing the Perfect Nap Environment
When it comes to exact methodologies, recommendations vary. A few professionals recommend employing comparable habits you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that it's fine to just doze on the sofa in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is notoriously difficult to force,” says a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it becomes harder to recline and basically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive present to initiate sleep to begin with. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and wake up naturally without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to look for a time when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and should options are scarce – such as, if attempting to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a work pod – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
