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Everything you need to know to improve the quality of your power nap.
A good night’s sleep is refreshing and essential, and is one of the most important sources of energy in our lives as it helps us cope with the demands of everyday life. A study, which looked at the nighttime habits of more than 8,000 participants, found that Britons were sleeping just 5.91 hours a night on average in 2023 – down from 6.11 hours in 2022 and 6.19 in 2021. And it’s not just how much they’re sleeping. The quality of their sleep has also deteriorated over the past year.
Although naps are something most people leave behind in childhood, many experts believe that, if approached correctly, naps can be an effective support. In addition to boosting cognitive function, a power nap can improve memory consolidation, reboot concentration and productivity, and reduce feelings of fatigue and lethargy . A word of caution though, while naps are a great way to temporarily support sleep problems, they should never be used to replace a proper night’s sleep. If you suffer from insomnia or serious sleep disorders, it’s always best to seek medical attention.
Timing is everything
It’s important to stick to the golden rules of napping and knowing when you should be sleeping. Don’t try to sleep later than 3pm, as this could affect your nighttime sleep and cause more disruption. Most people usually find that fatigue hits after lunch , when blood sugar levels are low, so if that suits you, aim to do it after lunch.
Once you’ve decided when you should go to sleep, it’s time to figure out exactly how long you should sleep . To do this, you need to think about sleep cycles. When you sleep for several hours during the night, you go through several sleep cycles, each of which lasts a total of about 90 minutes and includes four different stages. The first two stages are light sleep, which represents the majority of sleep and is vital for learning and motor skills. This is followed by deep sleep, which is necessary for boosting immunity, removing waste materials from the brain, and repairing and rebuilding muscles. The final stage is REM, which is associated with memory, dreams, and creativity and helps activate the mind and body. When it comes to napping, ideally you want to stay in the first two sleep cycles and wake up before you enter stage three, which means setting your sleep alarm for 15 to 20 minutes. Leaving it in the deep stage can make you feel sluggish and disoriented, as it is much harder to wake up from the stage.
Choosing where to sleep won’t be a problem if you work from home, but if you work in an office it may require a little more thought. Whatever spot you choose should be free of distractions: other people, devices, or anything else that could distract from your efforts to drift off. It should be as quiet as possible – so consider earplugs – and ideally the space should be dark so your body knows it’s time to sleep. If you can’t do that, opt for a
sleep mask that blocks out as much light as possible, including bright screens from any screens. It’s also important to regulate the temperature of your room properly , so if you can, adjust the thermostat, remove or add layers, or open a window if necessary. While you shouldn’t be cold, sleep is easier when the room is cooler.
Improve your power nap
If you need to sleep but are worried about not being able to fall asleep in the middle of the day, it might be worth reaching for some white noise (one study found that it helped 38 percent of people fall asleep faster). If you have a little extra time, a short meditation or guided breathing session can be helpful to help you get your head out of work mode and into a more relaxed state before you leave.
It may seem counterintuitive to drink coffee right before you settle down for a snoose, but a “coffee nap” is a smart move if you want to wake up from your power nap feeling refreshed and ready. Because caffeine takes about 20 to 40 minutes to take effect in your body, if you drink coffee right before you settle down for your power nap, you should wake up just as it starts to take effect, helping you feel doubly alert.
Etiquette after sleep
Once your alarm goes off, it’s time to get up – now is not the time to procrastinate. Once you wake up, it’s time to get your body back into day mode, and the best way to do that is to get outside and into the daylight as soon as possible. If that’s not possible, splashing your face with cold water or dipping your hands in a sink of cold water will instantly activate your sympathetic nervous system and help your body and brain feel more awake. If you’re feeling a little sluggish and sluggish after your power nap, try some gentle stretches or movements, or try listening to some fast-paced music to help you feel refreshed.
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