Sleeping from 7 to 9 hours each night is key to health and well-being. Chronic (and even occasional) sleep deprivation negatively affects cognitive and physical performance. It also can contribute to chronic health conditions such as obesity. For this reason, I like to create schedules that help prioritize sleep for me and my family. But life is busy and unpredictable. Sometimes it's impossible to fit all my daily demands in the remaining 15 to 17 waking hours, or my kids get sick, or I simply don't sleep well. As a result, I sometimes end up feeling more tired and less alert the next day. Napping is a simple tool that helps me recover from inadequate sleep and boost my performance.
Scientists have found napping positively impacts learning, memory, attention, and emotional regulation. Here are a few tips to use napping as a tool for performance optimization.
Understand the different ways to use napping
Sleep is complex and involves different stages. During specific periods, your body rests deeply and recovers from physical fatigue. Other phases reset the brain and restore your ability to self-regulate after a stressful day. Certain stages of sleep are crucial for learning, memory consolidation, and restoring the brain’s capacity to retain and process information. Recently, scientists discovered that the brain also disposes of harmful waste (defective proteins, metabolic byproducts, cellular debris, etc.), while you sleep.
The best way to get all those benefits is to sleep as much as you can at night. But when you consistently sleep less than 7 to 9 hours each night, grabbing a nap when your schedule allows is a good strategy to make up for sleep debt. The idea is that if you can't meet your sleep goal during regular sleep hours, you can compensate by taking a nap.
Personally, I make it a priority to get enough sleep during the night. Still, my ability to focus and think clearly sometimes drops in the afternoon. This is when I take a nap to boost my cognitive performance. It can help reduce fatigue and increase alertness when I can't perform at my best. So, taking a midday nap is an extra tool in my performance optimization toolbox, but isn’t a replacement for a good night of sleep.
Set a timer
My ideal time for a midday nap is in the afternoon when my cognitive performance drops—when I get easily distracted and can no longer focus. It’s not a coincidence that this usually happens between 1300 and 1500. This is a period where some people experience a slight drop in alertness level, and it’s easier to fall alseep. But I limit the duration of my midday naps, or else I’m groggy and lethargic for the rest of the afternoon. In short, I aim for a power nap and not a full-cycle sleep.
For most people, 20 to 60 minutes is the sweet spot for a cognitive-enhancing nap. You can experiment to find a number that works for you. If even a short nap makes you feel groggy, one thing you might try is consuming a moderate amount of caffeine before your midday nap. It might help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your day.
Use with caution
You should approach a midday nap as a performance-enhancement tool, not as a way to relieve boredom or fill your time. Excessive napping might disrupt your sleep schedule, which reinforces the need for a long nap the next day. If your work schedule allows, your primary goal should be to get as much sleep as possible at night Use power naps to reset alertness and enhance cognitive performance as needed.
If you frequently need long naps, this might indicate other underlying physical or mental health conditions. Discuss it with your healthcare provider. Again, the perfect time to fill your sleep need is when it's dark outside. A sustainable approach to health and performance should prioritize regular nightly sleep.
Next time, when all else fails and you can't meet your sleep goal at night, take a midday nap. For more information, visit HPRC’s Facebook video on how to improve sleep performance. Happy napping!
About the Author
Camila Almeida is a Staff Scientist for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). She has a PhD in neuroscience and is particularly interested in understanding the brain mechanisms responsible for cognitive and mental performance.
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
