Hear a few performance podcasters, and it’s tempting to think that dozing is a superpower: more than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a path to improved recall, better spirits and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & media moguls. But if you haven’t got a special sleep space or employment that allows daytime sleep, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Exploring The Drive to Snooze
“There are three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” says a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “Firstly, there's termed compensatory napping, essentially what happens after experiencing poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for example when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically comes down to desire: you get an opportunity to nap in the afternoon, and it feels nice to indulge.”
The first thing to do, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or you’re recovering from illness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “Yet when you’re napping since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not as strong as required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a solid and consistent overnight rest.”
The Perfect Nap Length
Therefore that napping shouldn’t be long enough to affect your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (depending on what time you sleep overnight). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. Among a prominent study on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute sleep onset time). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there about the perfect length of time, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the worst thing one can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”
Should you decide to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research would say it's more effective to have an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you wake up – however, if you take it a little longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you’re sleeping for a long period, it may impact how you sleep later that night.”
Finding the Perfect Sleep Space
When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists suggest employing comparable habits you use to promote restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze on a couch in whatever light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is more challenging to recline and basically command yourself to fall asleep. There must be a natural inclination present to start the process in the first place. For me, it's possible to snooze during the day and naturally wake up without a timer, but what helps many individuals is to wait for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if your choices are limited – for instance, if you’re trying to fit in some shut-eye on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “Coaching elite athletes, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will
