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Hear enough performance gurus, making it tempting to convince yourself that dozing is a secret weapon: rather than a band-aid following a bad night’s sleep, but a shortcut to a better memory, better spirits and possibly improved athletic performance. Premier League athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, fighters & high-profile executives. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a career that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* sufficient advantages to a short sleep to merit the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Furthermore, can you truly ensure you will arise feeling refreshed, rather than worse?

Understanding The Drive to Snooze

“There are three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” says a professor of circadian rhythm specialist. “The first is termed make-up sleep, essentially the action you take following insufficient sleep the night before. Secondly, there's preparatory napping, when you are pre-empting a sleep deficit in the future, such as when working on night shifts. Finally, there's “hedonic napping”, which simply is about desire: you get a chance to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to do it.”

The first thing to consider, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be genuinely useful when nighttime sleep gets interrupted due to causes you cannot change – such as, if you’re a parent of a newborn, or recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep expert. “However, if you’re napping as your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that’s often an indicator your sleep drive is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, daytime sleep can turn into part of the issue, not the solution. Use napping for brief periods for short-term problems – the priority must always be a robust and regular sleep at night.”

The Perfect Nap Duration

This implies that daytime sleep ought not to be sufficiently lengthy to affect your sleep at night, and best should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on what time you go to bed in the evening). How long is sensible? Recommendations vary. In one of the most-cited studies on the subject, researchers at Nasa found that astronauts experienced up to a 54% increase in alertness and a 34% increase in task performance after a 26-minute nap (technically, this included a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes – many individuals doze off within 10 minutes,” explains a sleep expert. “You'll find much advice around concerning the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the least helpful action you can possibly do when attempting to nod off is to stress over it.”

If you’re going to sleep for longer, bypass the 45-60 minute window that induces that sluggish feeling, that foggy state when you awaken. “The science would say it's more effective to opt for a longer nap lasting 60-90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” explains the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you wake up – whereas if you take it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing a full cycle and are likely to get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you're dozing for an hour and a half, it will affect your sleep in the evening.”

Finding the Right Sleep Space

When it comes to precise methods, advice differs. Some experts suggest adopting similar routines you use to encourage a good night’s sleep: a quiet room, a comfortable bed and maximum darkness as you can manage. Some advise that you should simply nap on a couch in whatever light happens to be around – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the environment you associate with proper sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to command,” notes a specialist. “If you don’t have the urge to sleep, it is tougher to get comfortable and practically tell yourself to fall asleep. There’s got to be some drive available to initiate sleep initially. Personally, I can often take a nap during the day and naturally wake up without an alarm, though, what aids many individuals is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply ease into sleep.”

Experimentation is key, and when options are scarce – for instance, if attempting to squeeze in some shut-eye during a commute or in a soundproof office pod – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with footballers, I suggest that they avoid becoming accustomed to their own bed for naps, as they’re going to have|they will