Hear enough self-improvement gurus, and you'll be easy to believe that dozing is a superpower: more than a quick fix after restless night, but a path to a better memory, a brighter outlook and perhaps improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes do it regularly – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists & media moguls. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a career that encourages regular snoozing, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the effort? Is there a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?
Understanding Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep among most adults,” explains a leading sleep science researcher. “The first is what we call compensatory napping, which is what happens when you’ve had insufficient sleep overnight. Another is prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, such as when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which essentially is about the wish: there is a chance to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to consider, therefore, is to think about your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for example, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping since your sleep at night seems unreliable or broken, that is frequently an indicator your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. In such situations, napping can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution to address immediate needs – the priority should still be a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Ideal Nap Duration
This means that daytime sleep must not be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most referenced research about napping, experts discovered that crew members had improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend using an alarm for 20-30 minutes – the majority are asleep in under ten minutes,” explains a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the perfect length for sleeping, yet that often cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to fall asleep is worry about it.”
Should you decide to sleep for longer, bypass the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you wake. “The science indicates it's more effective to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to put you into slow-wave sleep and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more alert. However, if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it can influence your sleep that night.”
Finding the Perfect Snooze Setting
As for exact methodologies, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest using the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and as much darkness as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting happens to be around – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” notes an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. I can usually nap in full light and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and just gently relax into it.”
It’s worth experimenting, and when your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to grab 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “Coaching footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, since they’re going to have|they will
