According to the National Sleep Foundation, humans are part of only 15% of mammals who segregate their days into sleeping and being awake. The rest of our mammalian cronies have multiple awake and sleep periods a day. Think of your pet’s life; that’s what we’re talking about. There is no proof that humans are supposed to have our days divided into two distinct periods of sleep and awake.
The fact that napping is engrained into some cultures makes it tough to argue that we are meant to sleep all night and be awake all day (National Sleep Foundation). Research is increasingly showing the benefits of napping, especially for those of us burning the candle at both ends, and we can use the information from those studies to maximize our napping results.
Napping Environment
Your napping location is imperative to your success as a napper, since being uncomfortable or in a noisy place is likely to cause some challenges in falling and staying asleep during what could be a short amount of allotted time. That said, find a place that is quiet (or be sure you have noise canceling ear plugs or white noise) and where you can lie down comfortably (“Napping”). For instance, Google’s Mountain View campus has sleeping/napping areas with private napping pods.
Nap Length
The length of your nap will depend on two main factors: 1) What do you want out of your nap? and 2) How much time do you actually have to devote to a good nap?
According to Jennifer Ackerman’s article, “Napping, the Expert’s Guide”, a 20-minute nap “enhances alertness and concentration, elevates mood, and sharpens motor skills.” This is typically what is recommended, especially if you have to be alert following your nap.
If you’re not as concerned about being alert, there can be benefits to taking a 45-minute nap, including enhanced creative thinking and sensory processing (Ackerman). It’s possible you will wake up during REM sleep, however, and suffer from what the sleep experts call “sleep inertia”. This is that disoriented, groggy feeling you sometimes get when waking up from a nap (Ackerman).
A third option is to nap for 90-120 minutes. This nap would include all phases of the sleep cycle. Ackerman said that his length can be helpful to “help clear your mind, improve memory recall, and recoup lost sleep.” By sleeping through an entire cycle, you shouldn’t wake up woozy, and it could just make your day a little better.
Need a Super Boost: Try a Coffee Nap
The coffee nap was discovered when British scientists were looking for a way to combat drowsy drivers (Mann). Here’s what you do: Slam a cup of coffee or other highly caffeinated option (Coke and other sodas don’t have enough caffeine. Plus, the sugar content will severely set you back and your blood sugar goes way off the charts!), set your clock for 20 minutes, and begin your a nap (in a good napping location). When you wake up, the caffeine will have kicked in and you’ll have had just the right amount of sleep to feel alert, fresh, and ready to take on the rest of your day. Research shows that Coffee Naps are more effective than either coffee or a nap by itself (Mann).
Naps can be highly regenerative, bring back your creativity, levels of alertness and overall awareness. You’ll feel your focus and mood improve and your work-related productivity will likely increase, too!
Nap some more and we’ll see you at the gym…after you woke up. 😉