If you nap, you\u2019ll be like 50% of Americans who do. You\u2019re in good company.<\/p>\n
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<\/strong>What kind of napper are you?<\/h2>\nNot all naps are created equal. Depending on what\u2019s going on in your life, you might be a planned napper \u2013 someone who will snooze in advance of getting sleepy, perhaps ahead of a big night that will keep you up later than normal.<\/p>\n
Habitual nappers<\/strong><\/a> are a devoted bunch that like to hit the sack at the same time each day. They have no qualms in announcing, \u201cTime for my nap now\u201d and then leave the room. Some lucky parents turn their kids into habitual nappers and as they move through the toddler years \u2013 but the lifelong napping habit doesn\u2019t stick with everyone.<\/p>\nMaybe you\u2019re a 911 napper though, day sleeping when you\u2019re exhausted and just can\u2019t continue one more moment with your day. This kind of napper can be dangerous if that moment of truth arrives when driving or using heavy or dangerous machinery.<\/p>\n
As long as you\u2019re open to the idea of day sleeping, the good news is that napping is helpful and healthful!<\/p>\n
How to plan the absolutely most perfect nap<\/h2>\n
1. Make your nap not too short, not too long<\/strong>. Short naps (10 to 30 minutes) will help recharge your energy levels without throwing a monkey wrench into your nighttime sleep. Even a 10 minute one will help improve your alertness for at least a couple of hours, according to the Better Sleep Council<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n2. Make it a habit<\/strong>. If you plan your nap for the same time every day, you\u2019ll find it easy to fall asleep as your body comes to expect and accept a brief scheduled siesta<\/strong><\/a> each day. It takes a bit of practice, but you\u2019ll soon get into the groove of your new nap routine.<\/p>\n3. Time it right<\/strong>. Late to mid-afternoon are the nap sweet spots according to researchers who looked at two groups of nappers \u2013 one got their zzzz\u2019s at noon and the other at 2 pm. The latter group did better on mental performance tests and was more alert. Plan accordingly.<\/p>\nMost people are naturally a bit drowsy in the afternoon between about 1 to 3 p.m. and find this is a good time to\u00a0nap. There\u2019s a biological reason for this. Our brains maintain a balance between the\u00a0sleep\u00a0drive and the circadian alerting system. Our sleep\u00a0drive<\/strong><\/a> increases throughout the day, but the alerting signal opposes it, keeping us awake. During the afternoon, the alerting signal struggles to compete with the strength of the\u00a0sleep\u00a0drive and we start to feel tired.<\/p>\n![\"8](\"https:\/\/restonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/03D63512-3-1024x873.jpg\")
4. Kick it up with coffee.<\/strong> Rebecca Lee, a registered nurse from New York and founder of Remediesforme.com<\/a>, a site that provides information on benefits of natural remedies for different ailments, such as\u00a0sleep\u00a0deprivation, suggests downing a cup of cool java before your short kip. \u201cCaffeine takes about 10 minutes for the effects to start kicking in,\u201d she says. \u201cThe peak caffeine concentration in the blood occurs after 45 minutes.\u201d Drinking coffee right before your 10 minute\u00a0nap\u00a0helps energize you immediately after waking.<\/p>\n5. Set an alarm<\/strong>. Lee also recommends that, if you take an afternoon\u00a0nap\u00a0in your car or a break room at work, consider setting the alarm<\/strong><\/a> on your smart phone and\u00a0sleeping\u00a0with headphones on. This will help block out noise. Wearing an eye mask will block out light and signal to others that you are intentionally napping at work<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n6. Quiet, please<\/strong>. \u201cYour\u00a0sleeping\u00a0brain continues to register and process sound,\u201d explains Lee. \u201cNoise can disturb your sleep, wake you up or cause you to switch from deep\u00a0sleep\u00a0to light\u00a0sleep.\u201d Nocturnal noise can also cause adverse\u00a0physical reactions<\/a>\u00a0during\u00a0sleep\u00a0such as raise your blood pressure and increase levels of stress hormones. That underscores the need to block out those disturbances. If you find it hard to\u00a0sleep\u00a0due to a lot of environmental noises, invest in a white noise machine or download a white noise machine app on your tablet or smart phone. The constant ambient sound helps to mask disturbances.<\/p>\n7. Embrace the dark side<\/strong>. Exposure to light can reset the\u00a0body\u2019s clock\u00a0<\/a>and delay\u00a0sleep. Make sure your preferred day-sleep-space is as dark as possible. Blackout shades, heavy drapes or blinds are good friends to sleep. And even if you\u2019re just napping, black out any bright LED displays before you head for your nap.<\/p>\n8. Keep your cool<\/strong>. As Lee points out, your body temperature naturally\u00a0decreases<\/a> during\u00a0sleep. If it\u2019s too hot, it can affect the quantity and quality of your\u00a0sleep. You\u2019ll want to aim to have a cool room. Research suggests 60-65 degrees F (16 -19 C) to help keep your body at the right, snooze-friendly\u00a0temperature.<\/p>\nA cautionary note on napping<\/h2>\n
While power naps can have a slew of health benefits, it\u2019s not all happy news. Many people experience a dip in energy in the late afternoon, but if you\u2019re finding yourself tired to the point you can\u2019t function, that could be a red flag indicating an underlying sleep issue. \u201cExcessive daytime tiredness, leading to the need for power naps, is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),\u201d says Dr. Ronald Rosenthal, a Norfolk, VA-based dentist, instructor and specialist for treating headaches and migraines.<\/p>\n
Maybe you\u2019re a 911 napper though, day sleeping when you\u2019re exhausted and just can\u2019t continue one more moment with your day. This kind of napper can be dangerous if that moment of truth arrives when driving or using heavy or dangerous machinery.<\/p>\n
As long as you\u2019re open to the idea of day sleeping, the good news is that napping is helpful and healthful!<\/p>\n
How to plan the absolutely most perfect nap<\/h2>\n
1. Make your nap not too short, not too long<\/strong>. Short naps (10 to 30 minutes) will help recharge your energy levels without throwing a monkey wrench into your nighttime sleep. Even a 10 minute one will help improve your alertness for at least a couple of hours, according to the Better Sleep Council<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n 2. Make it a habit<\/strong>. If you plan your nap for the same time every day, you\u2019ll find it easy to fall asleep as your body comes to expect and accept a brief scheduled siesta<\/strong><\/a> each day. It takes a bit of practice, but you\u2019ll soon get into the groove of your new nap routine.<\/p>\n 3. Time it right<\/strong>. Late to mid-afternoon are the nap sweet spots according to researchers who looked at two groups of nappers \u2013 one got their zzzz\u2019s at noon and the other at 2 pm. The latter group did better on mental performance tests and was more alert. Plan accordingly.<\/p>\n Most people are naturally a bit drowsy in the afternoon between about 1 to 3 p.m. and find this is a good time to\u00a0nap. There\u2019s a biological reason for this. Our brains maintain a balance between the\u00a0sleep\u00a0drive and the circadian alerting system. Our sleep\u00a0drive<\/strong><\/a> increases throughout the day, but the alerting signal opposes it, keeping us awake. During the afternoon, the alerting signal struggles to compete with the strength of the\u00a0sleep\u00a0drive and we start to feel tired.<\/p>\n 5. Set an alarm<\/strong>. Lee also recommends that, if you take an afternoon\u00a0nap\u00a0in your car or a break room at work, consider setting the alarm<\/strong><\/a> on your smart phone and\u00a0sleeping\u00a0with headphones on. This will help block out noise. Wearing an eye mask will block out light and signal to others that you are intentionally napping at work<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n 6. Quiet, please<\/strong>. \u201cYour\u00a0sleeping\u00a0brain continues to register and process sound,\u201d explains Lee. \u201cNoise can disturb your sleep, wake you up or cause you to switch from deep\u00a0sleep\u00a0to light\u00a0sleep.\u201d Nocturnal noise can also cause adverse\u00a0physical reactions<\/a>\u00a0during\u00a0sleep\u00a0such as raise your blood pressure and increase levels of stress hormones. That underscores the need to block out those disturbances. If you find it hard to\u00a0sleep\u00a0due to a lot of environmental noises, invest in a white noise machine or download a white noise machine app on your tablet or smart phone. The constant ambient sound helps to mask disturbances.<\/p>\n 7. Embrace the dark side<\/strong>. Exposure to light can reset the\u00a0body\u2019s clock\u00a0<\/a>and delay\u00a0sleep. Make sure your preferred day-sleep-space is as dark as possible. Blackout shades, heavy drapes or blinds are good friends to sleep. And even if you\u2019re just napping, black out any bright LED displays before you head for your nap.<\/p>\n 8. Keep your cool<\/strong>. As Lee points out, your body temperature naturally\u00a0decreases<\/a> during\u00a0sleep. If it\u2019s too hot, it can affect the quantity and quality of your\u00a0sleep. You\u2019ll want to aim to have a cool room. Research suggests 60-65 degrees F (16 -19 C) to help keep your body at the right, snooze-friendly\u00a0temperature.<\/p>\n While power naps can have a slew of health benefits, it\u2019s not all happy news. Many people experience a dip in energy in the late afternoon, but if you\u2019re finding yourself tired to the point you can\u2019t function, that could be a red flag indicating an underlying sleep issue. \u201cExcessive daytime tiredness, leading to the need for power naps, is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),\u201d says Dr. Ronald Rosenthal, a Norfolk, VA-based dentist, instructor and specialist for treating headaches and migraines.<\/p>\n4. Kick it up with coffee.<\/strong> Rebecca Lee, a registered nurse from New York and founder of Remediesforme.com<\/a>, a site that provides information on benefits of natural remedies for different ailments, such as\u00a0sleep\u00a0deprivation, suggests downing a cup of cool java before your short kip. \u201cCaffeine takes about 10 minutes for the effects to start kicking in,\u201d she says. \u201cThe peak caffeine concentration in the blood occurs after 45 minutes.\u201d Drinking coffee right before your 10 minute\u00a0nap\u00a0helps energize you immediately after waking.<\/p>\nA cautionary note on napping<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/restonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/00-RESTONIC-WEB-BANNER.png\")
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