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Tune into plenty of performance gurus, making it simple to think that dozing is a secret weapon: more than a sticking plaster following a bad night’s sleep, but a path towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and maybe improved athletic performance. Professional footballers swear by it – and so are musicians, fighters and media moguls. Yet, when you haven’t got a dedicated nap-room or a career that permits daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you honestly promise you will get up feeling refreshed, rather than worse?

Exploring Your Nap Motivation

“We can identify three main reasons for napping in the adult population,” says an expert sleep and circadian science professor. “The first is termed recovery napping, which is the action you take following insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's pre-emptive sleep, where you are pre-empting insufficient sleep ahead, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “hedonic napping”, which basically boils down to desire: there is a moment to doze in the daytime, and it feels nice to do it.”

The first thing to do, then, is to examine your nap motivation. “Napping can be truly beneficial when overnight rest is disturbed for reasons beyond your control – for instance, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or you’re recovering after being ill or intense exercise,” says a sleep specialist. “However, if you take a nap as your nighttime sleep is unstable or broken, that can be an indicator your sleep drive is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the focus should still be a robust and regular sleep at night.”

The Perfect Nap Length

This implies that daytime sleep must not be too extended to disrupt your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place post-3 p.m. (based on the time you go to bed at night). How long is sensible? Guidelines are mixed. Among the most referenced research on the subject, experts discovered that astronauts had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (to be precise, this counted a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest using an alarm for half an hour or less – most people are asleep quickly,” explains a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around concerning the perfect length of minutes, but that tends to make people feel more worried above all – and the worst thing one can do when attempting to get to sleep is to stress over it.”

If you plan to nap for a longer period, steer clear of the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep inertia, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Research indicates it’s better to have a lengthier snooze of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the sleep scientist. “Three-quarters of an hour is sufficient to put you into a deep sleep stage making it more likely to feel disoriented when you get up – however, if you nap for slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it may impact your sleep later that night.”

Finding the Right Snooze Setting

Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting the same protocol you’d use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Some advise that it's fine to simply nap on a couch with ambient lighting is present – to prevent sleep inertia and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the space your brain links with proper sleep. “Sleep is something really tricky to command,” says a specialist. “Without the urge to sleep, it becomes harder to lie down and essentially command yourself to nod off. There must be some sleep pressure there to initiate sleep initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and naturally wake up alarm-free, but what helps most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally slightly tired and then simply ease into sleep.”

Experimentation is key, and when your choices are limited – such as, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks while traveling or at the office – it's acceptable to employ a few tools. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I recommend that they not rely on their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will