How Does Yoga Nidra Differ From a Nap?
Andrew Huberman says a 10 to 30 minute afternoon yoga nidra is not a nap. Non-sleep deep rest restores mental and physical vigor without sleep inertia, and he calls the practice better than a nap.
He typically does not get enough sleep and struggles to fall asleep early enough. People are shocked, because they think of him as the sleep guy. On days he has slept really well, he skips both a nap and yoga nidra. In the session he lies still, deeply relaxes his body, and keeps his mind awake on purpose. The practice also teaches a person to fall back asleep after waking in the middle of the night. Emerging evidence finds pockets of the brain in deep sleep during non-sleep deep rest, and growth hormone release might happen too. He is drawn to hypnagogic, liminal states between sleep and awake, and he usually comes out with clarity about what he wants to do.