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Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, and you'll be easy to think that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after restless night, but a path towards enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe quicker running times. Professional soccer players do it regularly – and so are musicians, UFC champions & media moguls. Yet, when you don't have a room for napping or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to nod off promptly? And can you truly ensure you will get up feeling better, rather than worse?

Identifying The Nap Motivation

“We can identify three main reasons for taking a nap in the adult population,” says a leading circadian rhythm researcher. “The first is what we call make-up sleep, that is what you do when you’ve had poor sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. Finally, there's “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply is about wanting: you have a moment to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to do it.”

The primary task to do, so, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is being disrupted for reasons outside your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap because your nighttime sleep is unstable or poor, that is frequently an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”

The Perfect Nap Length

This means that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and preferably should not occur in the late afternoon (based on the time you sleep overnight). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. Among the most-cited studies about napping, researchers at Nasa found that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance and a 34% increase in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – many individuals doze off quickly,” notes a specialist. “There is plenty of advice around concerning the perfect length of minutes, but that tends to lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when trying to fall asleep is to be anxious.”

If you’re going to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45 to 60 minute range that promotes that sluggish feeling, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Research suggests it is preferable to opt for an extended nap lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” notes the expert. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented upon awakening – whereas if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to finish a natural sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more refreshed. However, if you're dozing for 90 minutes, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”

Finding the Right Sleep Space

Regarding specific techniques, advice differs. Certain specialists recommend adopting the same protocol you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that you should just doze in a chair in whatever light is present – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bedroom as the space your brain links with *real* sleep. “Napping is notoriously difficult to will,” says an expert. “If you don’t have any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and basically tell yourself to nod off. There’s got to be some drive there to initiate sleep initially. I can usually snooze in broad daylight and wake up naturally alarm-free, though, what aids most folks is to anticipate an instance where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently relax into it.”

Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to fit in 40 winks during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I recommend that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, because they’re going to have|they will