The role of a short post-lunch nap in improving cognitive, motor, and sprint performance in participants with partial sleep deprivation

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a post- lunch nap on subjective alertness and performance following partial sleep loss. Ten healthy males ( mean age 23.3 years, = 3.4) either napped or sat quietly from 13: 00 to 13: 30 h after a night of shortened sleep ( sleep 23: 00 - 03: 00 h only). Thirty minutes after the afternoon nap or control ( no- nap) condition, alertness, short- term memory, intra- aural temperature, heart rate, choice reaction time, grip strength, and times for 2- m and 20- m sprints were recorded. The afternoon nap lowered heart rate and intra- aural temperature. Alertness, sleepiness, short-term memory, and accuracy at the 8- choice reaction time test were improved by napping ( P<0.05), but mean reaction times and grip strength were not affected ( P>0.05). Sprint times were improved. Mean time for the 2- m sprints fell from 1.060 s (s(x) =0.018) to 1.019 s (s(x) =0.019) (P > 0.031 paired t- test); mean time for the 20- m sprints fell from 3.971 s ( s(x) =0.054) to 3.878 s ( s (x) =0.047) ( P= 0.013). These results indicate that a post- lunch nap improves alertness and aspects of mental and physical performance following partial sleep loss, and have implications for athletes with restricted sleep during training or before competition.