A guide to taking the perfect nap
By Talia Bina
Have you ever closed your eyes, “just for a minute,” and woken up four hours later feeling groggy? Or have you taken a half hour nap and found yourself with a raging headache after? There’s an actual science behind these scenarios. In fact, the length of time and time of day that you take your nap can either be beneficial or harmful. To find an ideal nap that will help you feel rested and ready for the rest of the day, follow this guide.
Sleep cycle
When we sleep, we go through something called a “sleep cycle.” One sleep cycle goes through four steps and lasts from 90-120 minutes.
Stage one of the cycle is considered “light sleep” and lasts the shortest amount of time. You can think of this stage as “dozing off.”
In stage two, our heart rate and body temperature drop and our brain activity slows.
Stage three, or deep sleep, is characterized by brain activity known as delta waves. In this stage, it’s the hardest to be woken up as functioning is at its lowest. This stage is vital for restorative sleep: helping the body repair itself, bolster the immune system and may help with thinking and memory as well.
In stage four, known as REM sleep, your brain is very active. Even though your eyes are closed during this stage, you experience rapid eye movements (hence REM) and experience body muscle paralysis. REM sleep is known for the most vivid dreams and is known to be the stage in which the brain processes information and inputs it into memory.
Nap length
A power nap is often viewed as the best type of nap. It usually falls under 30 minutes and allows you to boost alertness without falling into deep sleep. On the other hand, a 90-minute nap can be helpful in emotional and procedural memory and creativity because you are likely to have gone through an entire sleep cycle in that span of time. These two nap lengths are ideal to reduce sleep inertia, or that “yucky” feeling you get after waking up from a nap.
A 30-minute nap is going to be your worst bet. Waking up during this stage will most probably leave you feeling groggy, tired and worse off than you were before your nap. 60-minute naps are also debatable because while it may be helpful in remembering and processing information, waking up during deep sleep is going to leave you feeling groggy.
Nap time
The best time to nap is in the early afternoon. Napping after 3 p.m. is likely to interfere with nighttime sleep. The Sleep Foundation states that “napping prior to the mid-afternoon can result in a combination of light and REM sleep, while napping after 2 p.m. results in more slow-wave sleep,” and as we know, slow-wave sleep/deep sleep is when we don’t want to be woken up.
Next time you feel that tired urge to take a nap, set your timer for 20 minutes or 90 minutes, grab your favorite stuffed animal and a soft blanket and let your brain bring the benefits.
Header photo by Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels
