Research conducted by Harvard Medical School found that napping during the day can actually improve our overall wellbeing by making up for the breaks in our nighttime sleep. But if you don’t feel tired during the day, squeezing a snooze in isn’t easy. Here are four tips for mastering the perfect daytime nap.
Tips for the perfect nap
Find somewhere quiet
Choose a space that is quiet, dark and cool.
Plan your nap
Make your nap time regular so your body learns to expect it. This will eventually help you get to sleep faster. Avoid napping in the evening, as this will energise you too close to your actual bedtime. “[This] “can alter the night sleep cycle and cause you to wake with such a groggy sensation that you can’t enjoy your evening activities,” Dr Kent Smith, D-ABDSM, ASBA, president of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy told Verily.
Aim for early-to-mid afternoon.
Limit your caffeine intake
If you usually have multiple coffees throughout the day, cut back and stick to one hot cuppa in the mornings. You will really struggle to nap with caffeine in your system.
Short is sweet
Make sure you don’t over-nap. This will leave you feeling even more tired and drowsy, and make sleeping at night difficult. Don’t exceed 45 minutes. Smith says that it “depends on the reason for the nap, but fifteen to forty-five minutes is considered an optimal duration, as longer than that can put you into a REM cycle, making you feel groggy.”
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