ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses strategies to improve alertness even in contexts where adequate sleep opportunities are minimal. Well-planned naps can serve a maintenance or a recuperative function to attenuate the effects of fatigue on performance until normal sleep is once again possible. Although napping exerts little or no effect on the circadian component of sleepiness/fatigue, it can mitigate the general impact of fatigue during circadian 'low points' by reducing overall sleep pressure. It is essential to provide a napping area that is dark and comfortable, and one in which noise and distractions are minimal. The effectiveness of naps lies in their power to reduce the homeostatic drive for sleep. The recommendation that naps be kept to less than 45 minutes or that they be at least two hours in length stems in large part from efforts to minimize sleep inertia.
