Could the 8-minute navy seal nap turn my week around?

Back at my desk after a 12-ish minute absence, I’m asked how my nap was. “Stressful,” I reply. Not only had I not fallen asleep, I hadn’t gotten close, oscillating between rumination and something approaching meditation. Had I totally missed the point?

“Falling asleep isn’t like switching a light off,” Dr Katharina Lederle, sleep and circadian rhythm specialist at The London General Practice says. “It takes a few moments.” She notes that, where napping is concerned, studies show that a stolen snooze is most beneficial when it lasts between 10 and 30 minutes, or a full 90 minutes, which amounts to a full sleep cycle. Joshua Piper, sleep clinician at ResMed UK, suggests doubling the Navy Seal allowance: “Eight to 10 minutes is the typical time it takes most people to fall asleep,” he tells me. “So, I would set an alarm for 20 minutes from the point you pursue sleep. This should then cover the relaxation and falling asleep portion, but not so much that you end up in a deeper stage of sleep (that can leave you feeling groggy on waking up).”

If anything, experimenting with the Navy Seal nap showed me how quickly I can reset my nervous system, by seeking out a quiet space and spending a few minutes focused on smooth, steady breathing. “Slow breathing engages the parasympathetic nervous system and decreases activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which helps you feel restored,” says Dr Lederle.

What’s with the elevated legs, I ask Dr Chris Mosinic, Calm’s chief clinical officer. “Keeping your legs elevated promotes better circulation, helps blood return to the heart more efficiently and can leave you feeling more energised and less fatigued after a nap,” he tells me. “This improved circulation can, in turn, reduce swelling in the legs and feet, particularly if you’re standing or sitting for long periods of time throughout the day. It’s not a direct boost of energy, per se, but it can ease discomfort and encourage a relaxed state.”

Would I recommend it? I’m not sure. If you are so knackered that the thought of lying down for eight minutes feels like sweet relief, then, by all means, go for it. But if you can, extending the window of time to 20 or 30 minutes will make actually falling asleep more achievable – and the whole thing more beneficial.