How to Take a Power Nap

Do you nod off during your mid-afternoon break at the office, do you work two shifts a day or night shifts, or are you battling sleepiness while driving? No matter what you’re dealing with, a quick energizing nap (or nap) can help reduce stress, make you more alert and productive. ^{[1] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to the source} However, taking a nap is only effective if you do it right. Scientists have been studying energy naps and the results show that following the right steps will help you get the most effective nap.

Table of Contents

Find the right place to take a nap

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Find the right place to take a nap. For the nap to be most effective, you need to find a place where other people won’t disturb you.

Take a nap at work : A survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that about 30% of workers are allowed to sleep at work, even some Employers also reserve a place for employees to take a nap. ^{[2] X Research Source} If your workplace is not suitable for naps, you can take a quick refueling nap in the car.
Take a nap on the road : If you are driving, you should find a parking space to park. Do not park on the curb. Always turn off the engine and set the brake in emergency mode when parking. If at night, you should park your car in a well-lit place and there are many people around, and lock all the doors.
Take a nap at school : If you have time and are allowed, you can go to the library to take a nap. The library is usually the quietest place in a school. If not, you can take a nap in the car (if you have one).

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Choose a dark room. By blocking the light source, you will fall asleep faster. If you can’t get into a dark room, you can wear a sleeping mask or at least sunglasses to create darkness.

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Make sure the nap area is not too warm or too cold. Since naps need to be comfortable, find a cool but comfortable place to take a nap. Most people sleep best at 18°C. ^{[3] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

If the place to take a nap is too cold, you should prepare a comfortable blanket or jacket to cover or put on. Conversely, if the place to take a nap is too warm, you should turn on the fan in the room if possible.

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Listen to audio recordings of how to take a nap. There are many videos, audio recordings, and apps that will teach you relaxation techniques for taking a nap. You can find these recordings through the streaming site or download them to your phone or tablet.

If you use your phone to listen to instructions on how to take a nap, you should turn on “airplane” mode. This mode prevents calls and text alerts from disturbing you.

Choose the length of the nap time

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Determine how long you want to take a nap. Strictly speaking, the energy nap should last about 10-30 minutes. ^{[4] X Research Sources} However, shorter and longer sleep also offers various benefits. Therefore, you need to determine how long you have to take a nap and stick to that amount.

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Take a nap for about 2-5 minutes. If you don’t have much time, but you’re too sleepy and can’t keep working, a 2-5 minute nap, known as a “micro-nap,” can help you cope a bit with sleepiness. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Take a nap for about 5-20 minutes. A nap time of about 5-20 minutes is good for enhancing alertness, fitness and performance. This sleep is called the “nap”. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Sleep for about 20 minutes. This is what most people refer to when they talk about the “rechargeable nap” and is ideal for most people. Aside from the same benefits as taking a shorter nap, a energizing nap can help the brain get rid of unnecessary information stored in short-term memory and can also improve your memory. muscle. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

An energy nap offers the benefits of the first 2 of the 5 stages of a sleep cycle. These first two phases take place in the first 20 minutes. Besides helping you feel more relaxed and alert, electrical signals in the nervous system strengthen the connections between neurons in muscle memory, helping the brain work faster and more accurately.
A power nap can be especially helpful if you’re trying to remember a lot of important information, like test information.

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Sleep for about 50-90 minutes. Known as the “lazy man’s nap,” this long nap helps you reach a state of slow-wave REM sleep (commonly known as deep sleep). ^{[8] X Research Source} This means you have completed one sleep cycle.

If you have the time and are extremely tired physically and mentally after working all night (for example), a long sleep can help as it gives the body enough time to heal itself.

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Be aware of the effects of sleep lasting 30 minutes or longer. While it’s beneficial, taking long-term naps also puts you in a state of “sleep inertia,” a feeling of heaviness and fatigue that sometimes occurs after taking a nap. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Take a nap in the most effective way

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Turn off cell phones and any other sources of distraction. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, you should turn on “airplane” mode so that you won’t be disturbed by notifications.

If you can’t avoid background noise or have tinnitus, wearing over-ear headphones with soothing, relaxing music can help. Alternatively, you can wear earbuds that fit in your ears.

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Post a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door if you are at work. Make a note of how long it takes you to return to work. This way, co-workers won’t accidentally disturb you.

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Drink caffeine right before taking a nap. This may sound strange, since caffeine is a strong stimulant. However, you won’t feel the immediate effects, especially if you take a nap for less than 30 minutes. Caffeine must travel through the digestive tract and take up to 45 minutes to be absorbed. Drinking about 200 mg of caffeine just before a 20-minute nap can improve performance and make you less drowsy when you wake up. ^{[10] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

However, if it is late afternoon, you should skip the caffeine because it makes it difficult to fall asleep at night. You should also skip it if you’re trying to quit caffeine.

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Set alarm. When you’re almost done with a cup of coffee (or green tea or a coffee-flavored jelly drink, etc.), you should set an alarm to wake up after your desired nap time. Setting an alarm puts you at ease knowing that you won’t sleep longer than you intended.

Remember how long you need to take a nap. If you want a 20-minute nap and it usually takes about 5 minutes to fall asleep, you should set your alarm for 25 minutes. If it’s easy to fall asleep, simply set the alarm for a few minutes more than your desired nap time.
If you are one of those people who have a habit of pressing the “reset” button and then going to sleep, you should place the alarm clock around the room or as far away from people as possible if in a car to make it difficult to turn off the alarm.

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Close your eyes and relax . If you drink caffeine, you can close your eyes to relax immediately after drinking; If you don’t drink caffeine, you can close your eyes and relax as soon as you are in a comfortable position and set the alarm.

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Try “exercise 4-7-8” to fall asleep fast. If you have trouble sleeping, you can try this exercise: Close your eyes and inhale as hard as you can. Then slowly exhale while counting to 4. Hold the breath while counting to 7; then, make a hiss and exhale through your mouth on the count of 8. Inhale and repeat this cycle 3-4 times. ^{[11] X Research Source} The whole exercise takes about 60 seconds and helps you fall asleep quickly.

You can also try to get all thoughts out of your head and try focusing only on breathing. This exercise is similar to meditation and can help you relax to fall asleep quickly.
Try counting down slowly from 100. If you forget what number you’re counting to, simply count back from 100. This tip helps you stop thinking about the thoughts that keep you awake. ^{[12] X Research Source}
You can also try one of the commercially available nappers or CDs that help recharge your batteries by playing a special recording that puts you to sleep.

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Close eyes. Even if you can’t fall asleep during your nap, it’s still a good idea to close your eyes and meditate. Even if you don’t sleep, you can still recharge your brain with some energy. In addition, incorporating naps into your daily routine (like taking a nap every day after lunch) can help “train” your body to know it’s time for a nap and you’ll be more likely to fall asleep. more sleep. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Wake up as soon as the alarm goes off. Suppress the urge to “sleep” a little more. In theory, you should wake up feeling refreshed; But there are also times when you want to sleep more. You need to do your best to resist this urge as it affects your sleeping habits and causes you to wake up a second time in a state of “sleep inertia”.

Physical activity after waking up. Get your heart rate up a bit by jumping rope or doing a few push-ups, or you can try brisk walking in place.
Wash your face and face a bright light source (such as sunlight) to help you feel more awake if you are still tired after a nap. ^{[14] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

Advice

Force yourself to wake up. While naps are comfortable, you’ll need to wake up and get to work. Napping for too long can affect your sleep habits, so you should only take short naps.
Remember that sleeping too long during the day will keep you awake at night.
If you feel sleepy, don’t delay, take a nap right away.
Choose to take a nap over caffeine, or try the caffeine pre-nap method described above. However, keep in mind that caffeine alone (especially in high doses) will not have the same benefits as an energy nap.
Taking a nap until late in the afternoon can adversely affect your sleep habits and make you sleep deprived in the morning.
Determine the nap time that works best for you. Some people feel their best after taking a 20-minute nap, while others feel their best after taking a 30-minute nap.
Try a sleep aid device or CD (such as the Power Nap app), which plays a special audio recording that guides the brain into a nap. Power Nap guides the brain through cycles of deep sleep and REM sleep, leaving users feeling refreshed after just 20 minutes of rest.
Try napping at the same time of day to create a schedule for regular sleep.
Remember that short naps increase work performance. Some people don’t want to take a nap because they think it’s “lazy.” But if so, why are successful executives and athletes in the habit of taking a quick nap? Vinci, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison all make time for a quick energy nap ^{[15] X Research Source}

Warning

Energizing naps only help to a certain extent and are not a substitute for the benefits of a good night’s sleep. If you’re sleep-deprived, you need to get this under control before you can think about the full benefits of a energizing nap.
Although commonly found in sodas, coffees, teas and “energy drinks,” caffeine is a potent and potentially addictive substance.Abuse of caffeine can make you dependent on it and cause side effects like affect normal sleep cycles ^{[16] X Research Source} Therefore, you should only consume caffeine to a minimum.

Things you need

Place to sleep
Alarm clock
Caffeine (optional)
Relaxing music (optional)
Sleeping mask (optional)

Steps