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Tune into a few performance gurus, and it’s tempting to think that dozing is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster following restless night, but a path towards a better memory, a brighter outlook and possibly a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists & business leaders. But if you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or employment that encourages regular snoozing, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the effort? Is there a reliable way to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you honestly promise you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?

Exploring The Drive to Snooze

“Experts note three main reasons for napping among most adults,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is termed compensatory napping, essentially what happens when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, where you are anticipating insufficient sleep coming up, such as when working graveyard shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to desire: you have an opportunity to nap in the daytime, and it's pleasant to indulge.”

The initial step to do, therefore, is to think about your reason for napping. “Naps can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – such as, if you’re caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep expert. “Yet when you take a nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that is frequently an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the priority must always be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”

The Optimal Nap Duration

This implies that napping shouldn’t be too extended to affect your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended in the late afternoon (contingent on when you retire at night). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. From the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, researchers at Nasa found that crew members showed improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off quickly,” notes a specialist. “There’s a lot of recommendations concerning the optimal amount of minutes, but that tends to lead individuals to become more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when attempting to fall asleep is to be anxious.”

If you plan to sleep for longer, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “Forty-five minutes is enough time to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – whereas if you take it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing of a sleep cycle and should get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you’re sleeping for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep in the evening.”

Creating an Ideal Nap Environment

Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists propose employing similar routines you use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to just doze in a chair with ambient lighting is available – to prevent that groggy feeling and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the environment your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is quite challenging to will,” notes a sleep coach. “Without any sleepiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically instruct yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be a natural inclination there to initiate sleep initially. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, but what helps many individuals is to wait for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and just gently ease into sleep.”

Trying different approaches is valuable, and should options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye on a train or in a work pod – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, because they’re going to have|they will