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Tune into plenty of performance gurus, and you'll be simple to believe that dozing is a superpower: not just a band-aid after poor sleep, but a shortcut towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Premier League soccer players swear by it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & high-profile executives. However, if you lack a room for napping or a job that permits frequent naps, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Can you find a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will get up feeling improved, instead of groggy?

Understanding The Drive to Snooze

“There are three primary motivations for daytime sleep in the adult population,” notes an expert circadian rhythm professor. “The first is known as recovery napping, which is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep overnight. The second is pre-emptive sleep, where you are preparing for insufficient sleep coming up, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to wanting: there is an opportunity to doze in the afternoon, and it's pleasant to nap.”

The primary task to do, then, is to examine why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when nighttime sleep is disturbed because of factors you cannot change – for example, if you’re caring for an infant, or if you are healing from sickness or intense exercise,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you’re napping as your sleep at night is unstable or poor, that can be a sign your need for sleep is not as strong as it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the problem, rather than the answer. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the main goal should still be a strong and predictable night’s sleep.”

The Optimal Nap Length

Therefore that naps shouldn’t be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and preferably are not recommended post-3 p.m. (contingent on the time you retire overnight). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. From the most referenced research about napping, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (in detail, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals are asleep within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much recommendations about the perfect length of time, yet that often make people feel more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do while aiming to nod off is to stress over it.”

If you’re going to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “The science would say it is preferable to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to put you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel disoriented upon awakening – while if you extend it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to finish a full cycle and will probably wake up feeling more rejuvenated. But if you’re sleeping for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”

Creating the Right Sleep Space

When it comes to specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Some experts propose employing similar routines you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as you can manage. Some advise that you should merely snooze on the sofa with ambient lighting is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is quite challenging to command,” says a specialist. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. You need some sleep pressure available to start the process to begin with. For me, it's possible to nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to look for a time when they are naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”

Experimentation is key, and should options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will