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Hear a few self-improvement podcasters, making it simple to think that napping is a superpower: rather than a quick fix following restless night, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps a faster 5k run time. Professional athletes are all at it – and so are professional piano players, UFC champions and media moguls. However, if you lack a special sleep space or a job that encourages frequent naps, is it *truly* worthwhile perks to a short sleep to justify the hassle? Is there a dependable method to fall asleep fast? And can you truly ensure you will arise feeling improved, rather than worse?

Understanding Your Nap Motivation

“We can identify three main reasons for daytime sleep for many people,” notes a leading sleep science researcher. “One is what we call compensatory napping, essentially the action you take after experiencing a lack of sleep the night before. The second is preparatory napping, which involves preparing for sleep loss coming up, for example if you’re working overnight shifts. The third reason is “pleasure-based sleep”, which basically is about wanting: you have an opportunity to sleep during the day, and it's enjoyable to nap.”

The first thing to do, therefore, is consider your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be really helpful when night sleeping is disturbed due to causes beyond your control – for example, when you are a parent of a newborn, or if you are healing from sickness or strenuous activity,” states a sleep physiologist. “However, if you take a nap because your night sleep is unstable or unreliable, that is frequently a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In those cases, napping can become a contributing factor, not the solution. Employ naps for brief periods to address immediate needs – the priority must always be a solid and consistent overnight rest.”

The Perfect Snooze Time

Therefore that napping must not be sufficiently lengthy to interfere with your sleep at night, and ideally should not occur after about 3pm (depending on when you go to bed overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most referenced research about napping, space agency scientists noted that astronauts experienced improvements of over 50% in attentiveness and a 34% increase in cognitive performance post a 26-minute snooze (to be precise, this involved a six-minute falling asleep phase). “My advice is setting an alarm for 20-30 minutes – many individuals fall asleep within 10 minutes,” notes a specialist. “You'll find much guidance out there concerning the ideal number of time, but that tends to lead individuals to become more anxious than anything else – and the most counterproductive thing one can do when trying to nod off is worry about it.”

If you plan to sleep for longer, bypass the 45-60 minute window that promotes sleep grogginess, that foggy state when you wake. “The science indicates it is preferable to have a lengthier snooze lasting 60-90 minutes compared to a medium-length nap,” says the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is enough time to plunge you into slow-wave sleep making it more likely to feel groggy when you get up – while if you take it a bit longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be completing a natural sleep cycle and will probably get up feeling more rejuvenated. However, if you nap for an hour and a half, it will affect the quality of your sleep that night.”

Finding the Perfect Sleep Space

As for precise methods, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting comparable habits you use to encourage restful sleep: a silent space, a cozy bed and maximum darkness as possible. Some advise that you should merely snooze on a couch in the existing light is available – both to discourage post-nap grogginess and to “protect” your sleeping quarters as the place your brain links with nighttime rest. “Napping is quite challenging to force,” explains an expert. “Without the urge to sleep, it is more challenging to recline and essentially tell yourself to nod off. You need some drive present to bring the sleep on in the first place. Personally, I can often nap in full light and awaken on my own without an alarm, however, what assists most folks is to wait for a moment that they’re naturally somewhat sleepy and then simply relax into it.”

It’s worth experimenting, and should you have few options – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye while traveling or in a soundproof office pod – there’s nothing wrong to employ a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I advise that they don’t get used to sleeping in their bed, as they’re going to have|they will