Tune into plenty of productivity gurus, and it’s simple to think that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix following poor sleep, but a shortcut to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes do it regularly – as do musicians, mixed martial artists & high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a dedicated nap-room or a job that allows regular snoozing, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep 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’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying The Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading sleep science specialist. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, that is what you do following insufficient sleep the previous night. The second is prophylactic napping, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit ahead, for instance when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to doze during the day, and it's pleasant to do it.”
The initial step to consider, therefore, is to think about why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted because of factors you cannot change – for instance, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or intense exercise,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that is frequently a sign your sleep drive is not at the level required. In such situations, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the priority should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
Therefore that naps shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your overnight rest, and ideally shouldn’t take place in the late afternoon (based on what time you retire in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Guidelines are mixed. From the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There is plenty of recommendations concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more anxious than anything – and the worst thing you can possibly do while aiming to get to sleep is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the 45-60 minute window that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “The science would say it’s better to take a lengthier snooze of one to one and a half hours rather than a mid-length nap,” says the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is long enough to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Establishing an Ideal Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines you’d use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place you associate with nighttime rest. “Napping is something really tricky to force,” explains a sleep coach. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and essentially tell yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination there to bring the sleep on in the first place. For me, it's possible to take a nap during the day and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists many individuals is to look for an instance when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – for example, if attempting to grab some shut-eye during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable to use sleep aids. “In my work with elite athletes, I suggest that they don’t get used to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will
