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Hear enough productivity podcasters, making it simple to believe that a nap is a secret weapon: not just a sticking plaster after poor sleep, but a shortcut to enhanced cognition, a brighter outlook and maybe a faster 5k run time. Elite soccer players do it regularly – along with concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. However, if you don't have a room for napping or a career that allows daytime sleep, can there *honestly* sufficient advantages to a burst of shut-eye to justify the effort? Does there exist a surefire technique to get to sleep quickly enough? And can you really guarantee you will get up feeling better, rather than worse?

Exploring Your Reasons for Napping

“Experts note three primary motivations for daytime sleep for many people,” says an expert sleep science researcher. “The first is termed make-up sleep, that is what happens after experiencing a lack of sleep the previous night. The second is preparatory napping, which involves pre-empting sleep loss coming up, for example during on night shifts. The third is called “appetitive drive”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get a chance to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”

The first thing to undertake, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Naps can be really helpful when night sleeping is being disrupted because of factors beyond your control – for example, when you are caring for an infant, or if you are healing from illness or heavy physical exertion,” says a sleep physiologist. “But if you’re napping since your nighttime sleep feels fragile or unreliable, that can be a signal your need for sleep is not at the level required. Under those circumstances, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Utilize daytime sleep as a short-term solution for temporary issues – the priority must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”

The Ideal Nap Length

Therefore that naps must not be too extended to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally shouldn’t take place after about 3pm (based on what time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists noted that crew members had up to a 54% increase in attentiveness and a 34% boost in cognitive performance following a nap of 26 minutes (technically, this involved a six-minute long nodding-off period). “My advice is setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – the majority doze off in under ten minutes,” notes a sleep coach. “There is plenty of advice around about the perfect length of time, however, that can make people feel more worried than anything – and the most counterproductive thing one can do while aiming to nod off is to be anxious.”

If you plan to take an extended nap, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies would say it's more effective to opt for a longer nap of 60 to 90 minutes than a medium-length one,” says the expert. “Forty-five minutes is sufficient to plunge you into a deep sleep stage and you’re more likely to feel sluggish upon awakening – whereas if you take it slightly longer to an hour or 90 minutes, it's likely you'll to finish a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more rejuvenated. Though if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep later that night.”

Finding an Ideal Snooze Setting

As for specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. Certain specialists propose employing comparable habits you use to promote a good night’s sleep: a peaceful area, a cozy bed and minimal light as possible. Alternatively, experts propose that it's fine to merely snooze in a chair 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. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” notes an expert. “If you don’t have any drowsiness, it is tougher to recline and essentially command yourself to go to sleep. There must be some drive there to start the process initially. I can usually take a nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, however, what assists a lot of people is to wait for a moment where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and calmly allow sleep to come.”

Trying different approaches is valuable, and should your choices are limited – for instance, when aiming to squeeze in some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – it is perfectly fine to use sleep aids. “When I’m working with professional sportspeople, I advise that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will