The Science of Perfect Naps: Unveiling The Ideal Nap Duration for Maximum Energy Boost
If you have experienced the afternoon exhaustion that lasts between 1 and 3 pm, you know what an afternoon nap is all about. At this time, the body temperature is likely to dip slightly, leading to exhaustion and sleepiness. For some people, this is the best time to walk to avoid sleepiness and regain attention. However, you should not do that; science suggests that succumbing to the nap could improve your productivity.
Rather than resisting the urge, spare some time and get quality sleep. You can do so on your desk; just lie on the couch if you work from home. A perfect nap is ideal for regaining and boosting the body’s energy. Once you are done, wash your face and resume work, and you will realize how much energy you have.
However, before you take a nap, schedule a duration for your daily nap to avoid spending too much of your productivity time sleeping. If you are wondering how long it should last and how to maximize the benefit, let’s explore some ideal details you need to know.
How Long Should You Nap
As stated, a nap is ideal for productivity; succumbing to it has some energy benefits; however, you should decide how long it should last. Here is a simple situation: a longer nap is the equivalent of sleep. Eventually, it may affect your productivity, leading to more exhaustion, and you shall have lost more productivity time sleeping. No boos would tolerate that; however, everyone understands a nap is perfect for productivity. As such, they would not mind you taking a power nap.
If you are wondering how long should a nap last, scientific studies indicate 10 to 30 minutes would be ideal for getting maximum benefits. This short duration is enough to regain focus, alertness, and clarity, boosting cognitive performance. Typically, most people think duration is shorter and tend to defy them. There are incidences when people prefer to do more power naps during the day, i.e., having two or more 10 to 30 minutes of naps. This is unhealthy and can indicate insomnia or lack of quality sleep.
You probably have some sleep challenges if you have multiple naps or a nap lasting more than 30 minutes. Remember, power naps are only effective when you have quality night sleep, the advised sleep cycle of at least six hours.
The Best Time to Take a Nap
As discussed, naps tend to occur in the afternoons. For most people, it occurs after eating lunch or any meal in the afternoons. As a result of increased digestion changes in the body temperatures, you naturally begin to sleep. Therefore, the best time to nap is generally between 1 to 3 pm.
If you find yourself getting exhausted, dizzy, and sleeping before 1 pm, there could be other conditions causing it. It is not abnormal to feel like taking a nap that early; however, you need to address some issues. Scientifically, some conditions that could lead to such problems include mental issues, exhaustion, insomnia, and other situations.
How to Make the Nap Effective
Taking a nap at work can sometimes be against company policies. Besides that, sleeping on a desk or office table will be a serious challenge, and some back injuries may occur. Resisting the nap all the time only makes it more powerful, and eventually, the condition may last longer, affecting your concentration, productivity, and focus.
If you are at the office, the best strategy is to slant your chair and lie. Doing so in a quiet place, enabling maximum sleep without noise disruptions, is best. Put on some headphones to cancel the noise and make everything more peaceful. If there is a dark place, you can select it for your sleep. While resisting the nap at the office, do not take caffeine or alcohol to help you stay sober. Caffeine will only make the issues worse and other matters worse.
If you work from home, just head to the seat, close the curtains and blinders, and get some quality sleep. Covering yourself or going to bed for a nap is not advisable. This would lead to longer sleep duration, eating into your productivity time.
How to Give in to The Nap
Napping is scientifically beneficial; hence, you should give in to the urge for a few minutes. However, there are occasions when you can feel exhausted and sleepy but fail to sleep. If you have challenges sleeping during a nap, the environment may be imperfect. Getting a nap will be challenging if the temperatures are too high, your surroundings are loud, crowded, and filled with too much light.
To sleep faster during the nap, you can do some simple procedures. Deep breaths, controlled breathing, meditation, and mental wellness activities will help you get quality sleep faster. Allow the muscles in the body to relax and calm, leading to some sleep. Your mind should ease into sleep, especially if it is a routine; however, if you are new to it, these strategies may help you get some sleep.
Bottomline
For most people, a perfect nap would last about 15 minutes; however, getting 30 minutes of quality sleep is not bad. Just ensure you do not pass that time, and also focus on getting some quality sleep at night to avoid multiple and abnormal naps during the day. Before taking a nap, ensure the environment is perfect for uninterrupted sleep and the posture does not leave you with some injuries like back pain.
