The Art Of Napping
When it comes to napping practice makes perfect
Maybe it is a sign I am just getting old or maybe it has to do with the fact I am enjoying life more, but suddenly I find myself craving afternoon naps. Unfortunately, there are many negative connotations associated with napping as an adult but research indicates that it is time to shake them off and enjoy the benefits. While some strange and odd people don’t like taking naps, science tells us that not only can everyone benefit from a nap but when, how, and what type of nap you have is just as important.
We all know that sleeping better is known to improve your overall health as it not only boosts your memory and cognitive function, but it also promotes cell repair and maintains optimum hormone levels. Essentially, sleeping is when the body does most of its maintenance and repair work. Unfortunately, most people think that they do not have to follow the rules of biology, and can just eat, drink, sleep, play, or work whenever they want. Now more then, ever our lives are also filled with distractions, and we will spend hours mindlessly scrolling social media when we know we should be sleeping. Sleep deprivation has become a chronic issue today, and our overall health is suffering because of it.
The concept that we require 8 hours of unbroken sleep every night is relatively new. Across the globe, the world’s population sleeps in different ways, but the majority all enjoy the practice of having a nap. In some countries, the afternoon nap was meant to give a break from working outdoors during the hottest parts of the day, but regardless of the reasoning we are left feeling refreshed and we are more productive throughout the workday.
If we know the benefits of taking a nap, how come more people aren’t taking advantage of them? Fortunately, science may help us with this question as well. When I was younger, I was opposed to napping as I would often wake up feeling groggy and more tired then I was before the nap. It turns out each one of us has a different biological and genetic makeup, and the trick to feeling refreshed and more productive is to explore what kind of nap suits you. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of trial and error but finally, some research that I enjoy!
Exploring Your Napping Style
Even with all the benefits napping has, some people complain that it affects their nightly sleep quality. The trick to avoid this issue is to keep your naps down to somewhere around 20–30 minutes. Once you move past this point, you will wake up feeling groggy and your ability to fall asleep at night will be challenged. When we nap for 20–30 minutes we stay in what scientists refer to as light sleep mode. This is the non-rem form of sleep and is characterized by slow rolling eye movements. This is also when we tend to talk the most during sleep, so be careful! When we move past the 30-minute mark, our brains shift into REM sleep. By 90 minutes we are in deep REM and if we are suddenly woken up, we will suffer from sleep inertia. This is essentially the slowing of the brain’s frontal cortex, which handles functions like judgment, decision making, and inhibition. To reboot our brains from sleep inertia can take upwards of half an hour and leave us with that groggy feeling we so dread.
Since we are each unique, there is no one size fits all nap. Varying the times we take our naps and for how long we nap though can give us clues as to what our optimal nap is.
Where to Nap
While the length of your nap may be important where you choose to rest your head helps with how easily you can fall asleep. We all remember that episode of Seinfeld where George creates a bed under his desk but not everyone has that luxury. An ideal napping environment should be relatively cool, dark and quiet. This can be challenging in most office settings, but sometimes a little creativity can make all the difference. If the weather is nice, you may find a local park or even the back seat of your car. You must break free from our computer screens and cell phone alerts but remember to set an alarm to wake you back up so you don’t miss any important meetings. In case you are interested though someone did make a great sleeper desk.
The Caffeine Kick
At first, this may seem counter-intuitive, but hear me out before you make any snap judgments about my sanity. When we consume in a coffee, caffeine typically takes about 25 minutes to begin stimulating our nervous system. Once you are sleepy and ready for your nap, grab a cup of coffee and get ready for your nap. You should awake feeling refreshed and alert, so if you traditionally wake up groggy this trick may be helpful for you.
Stay Calm
When we lay down intending to nap for only 20–30 minutes, our brains can make us feel nervous and we may begin to worry that we won’t fall asleep before our alarm goes off or our nap will be too short. It’s important to not force the nap and find ways to relax. Meditation may work, and I like using the Calm app, as I find it is very helpful. Even if you are unsuccessful in your quest for a nap, just being in a more relaxed state of mind will still provide similar health benefits.
As you can see, there exists a myriad of benefits to napping the right way. So find your napping style, and experiment with the suggested techniques above so you can feel more at ease and less stressed and drained during the workday.
Practice Makes Perfect
Anytime you try something new, you’re usually very bad at it. When something doesn’t initially work like we think it should, we tend to quit and move on. Our brains are optimized to pick up new skills extremely quickly, and with a little persistence and practice, dramatic improvements in your ability to nap can be reached. Through trial and error and a bit of luck, you can figure out what works best for us. Try experimenting with different times of the day, different nap lengths, as well as different ways of waking up and don’t forget to set up your napping environment with as little light as possible.
Grab your pillow and good luck!
