The Secret to an Ideal Nap: Timing, Location & for How Long?

Listen to enough self-improvement gurus, and you'll be easy to think that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid after restless night, but a route towards enhanced cognition, better spirits and maybe improved athletic performance. Elite footballers are all at it – as do musicians, UFC champions & high-profile executives. However, if you haven’t got a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, are there *really* enough benefits to a quick nap for it to be worth the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling improved, not worse?

Identifying Your Nap Motivation

“There are three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” notes a professor of circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially what you do after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. Another is preparatory napping, when you are preparing for insufficient sleep in the future, for example when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about the wish: there is a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”

The initial step to consider, then, is to think about your reason for napping. “Napping can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors beyond your control – for example, if you’re a new parent, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not where required. In those cases, napping can become part of the issue, rather than the answer. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”

The Ideal Nap Duration

Therefore that napping shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you go to bed in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in task performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this involved an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep expert. “You'll find much guidance out there regarding the ideal number for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more worried above all – and the worst thing you can possibly do when trying to get to sleep is worry about it.”

If you’re going to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling when you awaken. “Studies indicates it's more effective to take a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” says the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – while if you extend it a little longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a full cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it may impact how you sleep that night.”

Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting

As for specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose employing the same protocol you use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Others suggest that one could merely snooze on a couch with ambient lighting is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” notes an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it becomes harder to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and awaken on my own without a timer, though, what aids most folks is to look for a time that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”

Experimentation is key, and should your choices are limited – for example, if attempting to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a work pod – it is perfectly fine to employ sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will