THE RECUPERATIVE VALUE

OF BRIEF AND ULTRABRIEF NAPS ON

ALERTNESS AND
COGNITIVE
PERFORMANCE
AMBER J. TIETZEL
LEON C. LACK
School of Psychology, Flinders University
Adelaide, SA, Australia

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the recuperative value of brief and
ultra-brief naps following nocturnal sleep restriction
To determine the minimum duration of nap sleep
required to restore alertness and performance
following nocturnal sleep restriction

METHODOLOGY
PARTICIPANTS
Composed of 16 participants
Eight male and eight female
Mean age = 22 years old ; Standard deviation = 4
years
Recruited through Flinders' Employment Service or
enrolled in a third year psychology practical topic at
Flinders University
Not regular nappers and self-reported good sleepers
with no history of sleep complaints

METHODOLOGY
DESIGN
Four separate afternoon laboratory sessions - each
comprising one experimental conditions

No-Nap
30 second nap
90 second nap
10 minute nap

METHODOLOGY
PRE-LAB SESSION
One week maintenance of regular bed time and wake up
times
A limited nocturnal sleep between 12 midnight and 5 am
on those evenings immediately preceding the four
laboratory sessions
Compliance check up through :
sleepwake diaries
activity monitors
check-in telephone calls
Neutralization of other sleeping factors

METHODOLOGY
LABORATORY SESSION
Participants arrival at 1:00 pm
Eye movement recording using Electroculograph (EOG)
electrodes
Bed confinement for the duration of the session
50 lux illumination in the laboratory environment
Elimination of external time cues

METHODOLOGY
LABORATORY SESSION
Three testing periods (TP)
First TP - prior to napping
Second TP - 5 min after awakening (to assess the
immediate changes resulting from the nap)
Third TP - 35 min after awakening
Two sleep onset latency (SOL) trials
Pre-nap SOL to measure latency to the nap
Post nap SOL 65 minutes after awakening

METHODOLOGY
LABORATORY SESSION

Figure 1. Summary of the experimental

protocol.

METHODOLOGY
TEST INSTRUMENTS
Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS)
Profile of Mood States (Fatigue & Vigor Subscales)
SymbolDigit Substitution Task (SDST)
Letter Cancellation Task (LCT)

RESULTS
PRELIMINARY
ANALYSES

Mean total sleep times for the evenings of enforced sleep

restriction:
no-nap (M=4.75 h, SD=0.04)
30-s nap (M=4.64 h, SD=0.06)
90-s nap (M=4.74 h, SD=0.04)
10-min nap conditions (M=4.69 h, SD=0.06).

RESULTS
OBJECTIVE ALERTNESS

RESULTS
SUBJECTIVE ALERTNESS

RESULTS
FATIGUE & VIGOR

RESULTS
SDST & LCT

CONCLUSION
Recuperative value of 10-minute afternoon nap
Improved subjective alertness, fatigue and SDST
performance 35 min postnap, and objective and
subjective alertness 65 min post-nap
No significant post-nap benefit at 30 and 90 seconds