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Tune into plenty of performance podcasters, and it’s easy to think that napping is a secret weapon: not just a band-aid after restless night, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League footballers swear by it – along with concert pianists, fighters and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a special sleep space or employment that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to merit the kerfuffle? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling improved, instead of groggy?

Exploring The Reasons for Napping

“We can identify three primary motivations for taking a nap among most adults,” explains a professor of sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's known as make-up sleep, that is the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Another is pre-emptive sleep, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep in the future, for instance during on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which basically comes down to the wish: you get a moment to sleep during the day, and it's pleasant to nap.”

The initial step to consider, then, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep expert. “But if you’re napping because your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your body's sleep pressure is not where it should be. Under those circumstances, naps can become part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority should still be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”

The Ideal Nap Duration

This implies that daytime sleep must not be sufficiently lengthy to affect your nighttime sleep, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, experts discovered that astronauts showed a boost of up to 54% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this counted an initial six-minute nodding-off period). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There’s a lot of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more worried above all – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when trying to nod off is to stress over it.”

If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep inertia, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research indicates it’s better to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” explains the expert. “45 minutes is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and will probably awaken feeling more alert. But if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”

Creating an Ideal Snooze Setting

When it comes to specific techniques, recommendations vary. Certain specialists propose adopting the same protocol one would use to foster restful sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that one could merely snooze on a couch in the existing light is present – to avoid sleep inertia and to preserve your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says a sleep coach. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is more challenging to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. There’s got to be a natural inclination available to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze in broad daylight and naturally wake up without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to look for a time where they feel naturally slightly tired and calmly relax into it.”

Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – such as, if attempting to grab 40 winks on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ a few tools. “In my work with footballers, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will