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Hear a few self-improvement experts, and it’s easy to think that napping is a powerful tool: not just a band-aid following restless night, but a route towards a better memory, better spirits and possibly quicker running times. Elite athletes do it regularly – along with musicians, fighters and high-profile executives. But if you lack a room for napping or a job that allows regular snoozing, are there *really* worthwhile perks to a burst of shut-eye to merit the effort? Does there exist a reliable way to nod off promptly? And can you really guarantee you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, not worse?

Understanding The Nap Motivation

“There are three key drivers for taking a nap among most adults,” says an expert sleep science specialist. “One is known as make-up sleep, that is what happens when you’ve had a lack of sleep the previous night. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, which involves preparing for insufficient sleep ahead, for example when working on night shifts. The third is called “pleasure-based sleep”, which simply boils down to wanting: you get a moment to sleep in the afternoon, and it feels nice to nap.”

The initial step to undertake, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Napping can be really helpful when overnight rest gets interrupted for reasons beyond your control – such as, when you are caring for an infant, or recovering from illness or strenuous activity,” explains a sleep physiologist. “However, if you’re napping as your sleep at night is unstable or broken, that’s often a signal your need for sleep is not where it needs to be. Under those circumstances, napping can become part of the problem, instead of the fix. Use napping as a temporary measure for temporary issues – the main goal must always be a strong and predictable overnight rest.”

The Optimal Snooze Time

This means that napping shouldn’t be long enough to disrupt your overnight rest, and best are not recommended after about 3pm (based on when you retire overnight). What's a reasonable length? Advice differs. In one of the most-cited studies regarding daytime sleep, experts discovered that space travelers had a boost of up to 54% in attentiveness and a 34% boost in performance post a 26-minute snooze (in detail, this involved a six-minute long falling asleep phase). “I’d suggest setting an alarm for half an hour or less – most people doze off quickly,” says a specialist. “There’s a lot of guidance out there concerning the ideal number of minutes, however, that can lead individuals to become more anxious than anything – and the most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to get to sleep is worry about it.”

Should you decide to sleep for longer, steer clear of the period between 45 and 60 minutes that induces sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation upon waking. “Studies would say it is preferable to take a longer nap of one to one and a half hours than a medium-length one,” says the professor. “Three-quarters of an hour is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep and it is more probable to feel disoriented when you get up – while if you extend it a little longer to a full sleep cycle, you’re likely to be completing of a sleep cycle and are likely to awaken feeling more alert. Though if you're dozing for a long period, it may impact your sleep in the evening.”

Creating an Ideal Sleep Space

When it comes to precise methods, suggestions are diverse. Some experts suggest employing the same protocol one would use to promote restful sleep: a peaceful area, a supportive surface and as much darkness as is feasible. Alternatively, experts propose that you should merely snooze on the sofa in the existing light is present – to avoid post-nap grogginess and to maintain your sleeping quarters as the place your mind associates with *real* sleep. “Falling asleep is notoriously difficult to will,” explains an expert. “Without any drowsiness, it is tougher to lie down and practically command yourself to nod off. You need some sleep pressure available to start the process initially. I can usually nap in full light and wake up naturally without a timer, though, what aids many individuals is to wait for a moment when they are naturally slightly tired and then simply allow sleep to come.”

It’s worth experimenting, and when options are scarce – such as, when aiming to grab some shut-eye on a train or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing a few tools. “In my work with professional sportspeople, I suggest that they don’t get used to their own bed for naps, because they’re going to have|they will