Napping… let’s settle this once and for all.

Later this week, it’s World Sleep Day, and as much as many of us might like to spend the whole Saturday snoozing, we mostly have full schedules to think about.

Whether keeping up with the kids, maintaining that social life or working on the weekend, it’s all supported by our nightly rest that enables us to reset and recharge for each day.

Often, we face a deficit of sleep and look for ways to fit in some extra, so we can be our best. So today’s blog is a technical dive into one specific tactic: Napping!

You may laugh!

This is a contentious point of debate for me personally.

I have never been able to nap. I don’t have the gene. It’s been a lifelong frustration. 

I just can’t sleep during the day; it feels wasteful of time, and if there’s even a glint of daylight my brain insists that I be doing something. Anyone else?

I am also surrounded by friends and family who, as a result of doing shift work or living on unique schedules, have that magical ability to close their eyes for twenty minutes and wake up actually refreshed and recharged, rather than the scruffy and disoriented mess I would be.

But there’s a debate to be had about the science of napping. Sources conflict as to whether it’s handy and beneficial or potentially disastrous for our health.

The people need to know!

For busy working professionals such as ourselves, napping could be a useful tool to maximize our rest within busy schedules, increasing our focus, alertness and mood, even improving reaction time.

So I'm settling this once and for all. Are we supposed to nap or not?!

The Pros:

Better memory.

As we covered some time ago in our article on The Power of Sleep, sleep cycles play an important part in storing memories. Without it, we can become forgetful and more disorganised, so if you’re finding that your memory could be sharper, you may benefit from getting those extra minutes in, in the form of short power naps. 

This goes for processing and using information too. Studies have shown that nappers are better able to ‘connect the dots’ using information they received earlier in the day as a midday sleep helped to embed that information, to apply it later.

Improved reflexes, focus, and performance.

Again, if you are already getting the optimum amount of sleep at night (which is unique to you), then your ability to focus, reaction times etc should be just fine. However, if they are poorer than you’d like, or if you need them at 100% for a specific task, for instance a long drive, or a high pressure situation like a presentation at work, then the extra performance edge provided by additional sleep could have gratifying results.

Enhanced mood and relaxation.

We all get stressed, and tiredness can exacerbate a frustrated mood. Quick boosts of rest can improve our emotional sense of wellbeing by recharging the body and mind, and also act as a useful break in the day. When feeling overwhelmed, even half an hour of stopping to rest in a quiet environment can help us to reboot and begin again from a state of calm.

Health boost.

Studies show that high blood pressure and hypertension can be improved by short naps, bringing lasting health benefits. In addition, extra sleep can strengthen your immune system. 

The Cons:

Sleep inertia.

Commonly known as ‘the grogg’; sleep inertia is the state of confusion or sleepiness that can sometimes stay with us for hours after too much, too little or poor quality sleep. 

It’s a gamble I for one am not willing to take. Waking up from a nap ready to face the rest of the day is all well and good, but opening your eyes wishing you’d never attempted the power nap or indeed, never got out of bed in the first place this morning because clearly the rest of today is a write off! is more familiar for many of us, and the precise opposite of what we set out for. 

The worst case scenario in which we have to tackle that work presentation in such sub-par condition frankly doesn’t bear thinking about.

Disrupted circadian rhythms.

That’s what we know as a body clock. It tells us when to get up, and when it’s time to wind down towards a healthy full night's sleep. Many of us can experience disruption to our circadian rhythm due to napping, causing restless nights and ultimately more symptoms of fatigue that we started with.

Since the verdict seems to be that napping does have more benefits than drawbacks, but only if done correctly, here’s how to achieve them:

Environment.

Main tips center on ensuring ‘good sleep hygiene’ which involves finding a dark and quiet space, possibly where you normally sleep if this helps you to settle, and where you can use an alarm to wake up when planned. That’s just for work from home days, then. 

Time.

The optimum time to be napping if you will, is between 2 and 3pm, for 10 to 30 minutes. This helps us to recover from the notorious ‘post lunch slump’, and reserving naps before 3pm reduced the risk of nighttime sleeplessness.

‘Resting’, not sleeping.

The sad fact remains that sleeping habits, needs and cycles differ from person to person.

But I’m determined to crack this code.

If like me, you take an hour to get to sleep at night, a 30 minute cat nap during the day is out of the question, and when your head hits the pillow your mind wanders, landing you more mentally overstimulated than ever, here’s a life changing bit of info:

Napping doesn’t have to mean sleeping. Just lying down and working to relax your body, while letting your mind wander freely, has the same effect as meditation.

Hell, try meditating instead; this, stretching or a short burst of exercise (I prefer a brisk lunchtime walk in the fresh air) can boost our energy if napping is not an option.

Ultimately you have to do what works for you, but if you’re trying to become a napping convert, follow the tips and info above to train your mind and body gradually in the ability to switch off on queu.

It can be done!

I recommend this blog on the process of becoming a napper. It recommends strategic breathing, optimal posture, built in scheduling, and working upwards toward longer sleeps. Complete with a 60 second technique to fall asleep fast!

I’m skeptical, but I’ll be trying this one out.