Hear enough productivity gurus, and it’s easy to think that dozing is a superpower: rather than a quick fix following restless night, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Elite footballers do it regularly – along with musicians, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that permits regular snoozing, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to justify the effort? Is there a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you honestly promise you will arise feeling refreshed, instead of groggy?
Understanding The Drive to Snooze
“Experts note three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” notes an expert sleep and circadian science researcher. “The first is what we call recovery napping, which is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is prophylactic napping, which involves pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, for instance if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which simply comes down to the wish: there is an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's pleasant to indulge.”
The primary task to do, then, is to examine your reason for napping. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” says a sleep expert. “However, if you take a nap as your night sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”
The Perfect Snooze Time
This implies that napping ought not to be long enough to disrupt your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (contingent on the time you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among a prominent study about napping, experts discovered that crew members showed up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting a timer for half an hour or less – most people doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There’s a lot of advice around concerning the ideal number for sleeping, yet that often lead individuals to become more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to fall asleep is to be anxious.”
If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science suggests it’s better to opt for a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – however, if you extend it slightly longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish of a sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Finding the Right Sleep Space
As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. Some experts propose using comparable habits one would use to encourage restful sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that one could just doze in a chair with ambient lighting is available – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to preserve your bedroom as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” explains an expert. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to lie down and basically tell yourself to go to sleep. You need a natural inclination available to initiate sleep initially. For me, it's possible to take a nap in full light and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if options are scarce – for instance, if you’re trying to grab a quick nap on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will
