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Hear a few self-improvement gurus, making it tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following restless night, but a route to improved recall, better spirits and perhaps quicker running times. Elite soccer players do it regularly – as do concert pianists, UFC champions & high-profile executives. But if you don't have a room for napping or employment that permits frequent naps, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a short sleep for it to be worth the hassle? Does there exist a surefire technique to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, not worse?

Understanding The Drive to Snooze

“There are three primary motivations for taking a nap among most adults,” notes a leading sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, essentially the action you take when you’ve had poor sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, where you are pre-empting a sleep deficit coming up, such as if you’re working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically boils down to wanting: there is a moment to sleep during the day, and it feels nice to nap.”

The first thing to do, then, is consider your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed because of factors outside your control – for instance, for a parent of a newborn, or recovering after being ill or strenuous activity,” states a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap because your sleep at night feels fragile or broken, that is frequently a signal your sleep drive is not as strong as required. In those cases, naps can become part of the issue, not the solution. Utilize daytime sleep as a temporary measure to address immediate needs – the focus must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”

The Optimal Nap Duration

Therefore that daytime sleep ought not to be too extended to disrupt your nighttime sleep, and best shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you sleep in the evening). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. Among the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, experts noted that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “My advice is setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the optimal amount of time, however, that can cause people to feel more anxious above all – and the most counterproductive thing you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is worry about it.”

If you’re going to take an extended nap, bypass the 45-60 minute window that encourages sleep grogginess, that spaced-out feeling when you wake. “Research suggests it’s better to have a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the professor. “45 minutes is enough time to put you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you extend it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for 90 minutes, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”

Creating the Right Snooze Setting

Regarding precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists recommend using similar routines you’d use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a supportive surface and minimal light as possible. Others suggest that you should just doze on a couch in the existing light is present – both to discourage that groggy feeling and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the space your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Napping is something really tricky to command,” says an expert. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to lie down and basically tell yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure available to initiate sleep in the first place. I can usually take a nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids most folks is to look for a time that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply allow sleep to come.”

Experimentation is key, and if your choices are limited – for example, when aiming to fit in a quick nap on a train or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong with bringing a few tools. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I recommend that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will