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Hear enough self-improvement experts, and you'll be simple to convince yourself that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a sticking plaster following poor sleep, but a path towards enhanced cognition, improved mood and possibly a faster 5k run time. Professional footballers are all at it – as do concert pianists, UFC champions and high-profile executives. But if you don't have a dedicated nap-room or a job that permits regular snoozing, are there *really* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye for it to be worth the effort? Is there a dependable method to get to sleep quickly enough? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you’ll wake up feeling better, rather than worse?

Identifying Your Reasons for Napping

“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep for many people,” says a leading sleep science professor. “Firstly, there's what we call make-up sleep, which is what you do after experiencing insufficient sleep overnight. The second is preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting insufficient sleep coming up, for instance during on night shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about the wish: you get an opportunity to sleep in the daytime, and it's enjoyable to nap.”

The first thing to undertake, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you nap because your sleep at night seems unreliable or broken, that can be a signal your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, rather than the answer. Employ naps for brief periods for short-term problems – the focus ought to remain a robust and regular overnight rest.”

The Perfect Nap Length

This implies that naps must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally are not recommended post-3 p.m. (based on what time you sleep at night). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, space agency scientists noted that space travelers experienced improvements of over 50% in vigilance plus a 34% rise in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (technically, this counted an initial six-minute falling asleep phase). “I recommend using an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority fall asleep within 10 minutes,” says a sleep coach. “There is plenty of guidance out there regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”

If you plan to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that promotes that sluggish feeling, that spaced-out feeling upon waking. “Research indicates it's more effective to take a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes than a medium-length one,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is sufficient to send you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – whereas if you nap for a bit longer to 60 or 90 minutes, you will probably to finish a full cycle and should get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for a long period, it will affect how you sleep later that night.”

Finding the Right Nap Environment

Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists suggest adopting the same protocol one would use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that one could merely snooze on a couch in the existing light happens to be around – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to preserve your bed as the space you associate with *real* sleep. “Sleep is quite challenging to will,” says a sleep coach. “Lacking the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to get comfortable and practically command yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive there to start the process in the first place. Personally, I can often snooze during the day and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to wait for an instance when they are naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”

Trying different approaches is valuable, and if options are scarce – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or at the office – it is perfectly fine with bringing some accessories. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will