Your Guide To The Best Nap Ever
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Your Guide To The Best Nap Ever

Maximize your napping potential.

52
Your Guide To The Best Nap Ever

Remember the days when we were children? We were full of energy, had vivid imaginations, and got designated nap times. I miss those days. Now, a majority of us are always tired, stressed, and seem to be running on empty during the day. A nice, relaxing nap sounds like the perfect solution, right? Unless you're one of those people who lays down to nap and wakes up sweaty and disoriented, having accidentally slept for five hours and now your head hurts and you're even more tired than before. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid those situations and maximize the potential of your napping abilities.

To understand naps, you have to understand sleep. When you sleep, your brain goes through stages of brain wave patterns. There are stages of light sleep, one of deep sleep, and one of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) that is the deepest sleep. When you go down through all the stages and then back up again, that is one sleep cycle. One cycle takes approximately 90 minutes, and it is recommended that when you sleep at night, you sleep for several whole cycles (six hours, seven and a half, nine hours, etc.). When you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle, you're waking in the deeper stages of sleep making you tired and groggy -- it feels harder to really wake up. This is called sleep inertia, and it is why you sometimes feel more tired after a long nap.

To benefit the most from your nap, you either want to sleep for 10-20 or 90 minutes. After 20 minutes, you'll move into the third stage of sleep whereupon it will be harder to wake up and you won't feel quite as rested. In the first two stages of sleep your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease, and your body will begin to relax, but it will be easy for you to wake up. You might not even feel like you were asleep (you were just resting with your eyes closed, right Dad?), but you'll awake feeling more energized than before. Benefits for a full 90-minute sleep cycle include accessing the deep, healing sleep your body needs to boost immune function and feeling more energized upon awakening.

Here are some helpful tips as you begin your new quest to master the art of the nap.

1. Time it right

Most of us feel tired in the afternoon due to low points in our circadian rhythms, but the best time to nap really depends on when you wake up in the morning. If you wake up earlier, you can nap earlier in the day for the most benefits. Waking up later means you'll feel the slump later. This helpful nap wheel can help you find your peak nap time.

2. Use an alarm

Sometimes you can naturally wake at the end of a sleep cycle or pull yourself up from a 20-minute doze, but why risk it? Setting an alarm will ensure you get the proper amount of sleep and keep you from accidentally napping all day.

3. Have a coffee

Sounds counterproductive right? Well if you opt for a 20-minute nap, having caffeine right before you fall asleep will help you wake up even more energized and refreshed. Caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, meaning that if you drink right before you fall asleep, it will start to work just as you finish your nap.

4. Accessorize

If you want to nap heavy or have problems falling asleep, ear plugs or an eye mask are always good items to have on hand. They will help you fall asleep and stay asleep, so make sure you have that alarm ready!

5. Don't nap after 4 p.m.

And don't nap if you have insomnia. Either way, it will make it even harder for you to fall asleep at night. Of course, if you work the night shift, then you get to be the exception.

Happy napping my friends -- you all deserve some good rest.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58121
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37437
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959081
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

192754
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments