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Listen to plenty of performance gurus, and you'll be tempting to think that dozing is a powerful tool: more than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut towards improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Premier League footballers swear by it – as do professional piano players, fighters & business leaders. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or employment that permits regular snoozing, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a quick nap to justify the kerfuffle? Is there a reliable way to fall asleep fast? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will arise feeling better, rather than worse?

Exploring Your Nap Motivation

“We can identify three key drivers for napping in the adult population,” explains a professor of sleep and circadian science specialist. “Firstly, there's termed recovery napping, that is what you do following poor sleep overnight. Another is preparatory napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, such as during overnight shifts. The third is called “hedonic napping”, which essentially is about desire: there is a chance to doze in the daytime, and it's pleasant to do it.”

The initial step to undertake, so, is consider why you want to nap. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted due to causes beyond your control – for instance, for caring for an infant, or recovering from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you nap because your nighttime sleep feels fragile or broken, that’s often a signal your body's sleep pressure is not as strong as required. In those cases, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, instead of the fix. Utilize daytime sleep for brief periods for temporary issues – the priority should still be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”

The Perfect Snooze Time

Therefore that daytime sleep shouldn’t be sufficiently lengthy to affect your overnight rest, and ideally should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. From the most referenced research regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that crew members experienced a boost of up to 54% in alertness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this involved a six-minute nodding-off period). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off within 10 minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “You'll find much advice around concerning the perfect length for sleeping, but that tends to cause people to feel more stressed than anything else – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”

Should you decide to nap for a longer period, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep inertia, that foggy state when you awaken. “Research would say it’s better to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to send you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy upon awakening – however, if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing a natural sleep cycle and are likely to wake up feeling more refreshed. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”

Creating the Right Nap Environment

When it comes to exact methodologies, advice differs. Certain specialists propose adopting comparable habits one would use to foster a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Others suggest that one could simply nap in a chair in the existing light is available – to avoid sleep inertia and to “protect” your bedroom as the space your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in broad daylight and naturally wake up without an alarm, but what helps most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and just gently ease into sleep.”

Experimentation is key, and if your choices are limited – for example, if you’re trying to squeeze in 40 winks on a train or at the office – it is perfectly fine to use a few tools. “Coaching elite athletes, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to napping in bed, since they’re going to have|they will