The Best Way to Nap

April 11, 2015

4 minute read

We all know that getting a full night’s sleep is essential, but what about napping? Should we leave napping for toddlers? Is there a preferred way to nap? Ask Science catches some zzzzz’s and gives you 8 strategies to optimize your naps.

142 EE The Best Way to Nap

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Hi, I’m Dr. Sabrina Stierwalt bringing you Quick and Dirty Tips to help you make sense of science.

As an astrophysicist, I often work all night when the telescope calls. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the world doesn’t follow my lead. If I need to grab groceries, I’m still going to have to do that during daytime hours. And my toddler has never looked at me at 6am and said, “It’s OK, mommy, you just rest today. I’ll feed myself.”

So for those of us who occassionally spend late nights working on a project or binge-watching our favorite television show, can naps help us recover those lost resting hours?

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What Sleep Does for the Brain

Sleep is known to give us energy, increase our alertness, and improve our mood, as well as our memory and reaction time. Getting a full night’s rest can also help you get fit and make better nutritional choices.

So how does sleep do all of that?

Our sleep is not the same throughout the night, instead it goes through cycles of REM and non-REM sleep. REM stands for “Rapid Eye Movement” and refers to the motions of our eyes which dart back and forth during this sleep phase.

Most or about 75% of the night is spent in non-REM sleep (called NREM). Our breathing slows, our blood pressure drops, and our muscles relax. Our body goes into repair mode bringing blood to our muscles, rebuilding tissue, and releasing hormones like those that help with growth and development. Hormones regulating our appetite are also released which may contribute to the link between lack of sleep and weight gain (in addition to, of course, late night snacking).

After the first 90 minutes of sleep, we reach the REM phase which is unique to mammals like ourselves. Our brain acts awake – this is the stage when dreams can occur – but our bodies are immobilized. Although called “rapid,” our eye movements are not actually any faster than they are during our wakeful periods. Researchers have found that blind people, even though their ocular activity is very different throughout the day, still undergo the same eye movements during REM sleep.

Studies have shown that while NREM sleep may be the most restorative, REM sleep appears to be more closely linked to improvements in creativity and problem solving skills.

Throughout the night we repeat these roughly 90-minute cycles, although each REM stage is slightly longer than the last. If you’ve ever been awoken between 60 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, you’ve probably experienced the grogginess that comes with interrupting the sleep cycle at its deepest and most restorative phase.

There is no substitute for a full night’s sleep. It’s the only way our brains can truly recharge. But for those of us who don’t always live up to those expectations, sleep is beneficial even if you’re getting it in shorter spurts throughout the day.

So how can we get the most out of our naps? Here are 8 tips based on scientific sleep studies on how to maximize your napping strategy:

8 Tips for Taking the Best Nap

We reach peak daytime sleepiness in the afternoon, making 2-3pm the ideal time for a nap. If you are an early riser, you may need to shift that time slightly earlier.
If you know you are going to have a late night, take a preemptive nap which are found to be more effective than naps taken once you are already sleep-deprived.
Napping between 10 and 20 minutes is best, and no longer than 30 minutes. Longer naps can cause you to feel groggy, something researchers call sleep inertia.
There are some benefits, however, to naps lasting over 2 hours that allow your brain to go through at least one 90-minute sleep cycle. These longer naps can be restorative, but be careful not to extend your nap too late in the day or you may have trouble falling asleep at night.
Set an alarm so that you can rest easy without worrying whether or not you’ll wake up in time for your next meeting or class.
Create a nap-friendly environment. Dim the lights and perhaps add some white noise or some low level classical music, whatever works for you.
Some people swear by the coffee-and-nap combo. Since caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, you can swig a cup of joe and then take a 15-20 minute power nap. If you haven’t perfected the art of falling asleep on cue, however, the timing does not leave much wiggle room so you may just end up making your napping efforts futile.
If you find yourself losing sleep at night, cut out the naps! Naps are not for everyone and should never take the place of a full night’s sleep.

See also: How to Teach Your Baby to Be a Good Sleeper

Of course, not all of us have the luxury of being able to nap during the day, so if you do, count yourself lucky. Many countries in Europe have adopted an afternoon siesta as part of their culture, and maybe the U.S. should join in. Some companies like Google and Apple already are by allowing their employees to take afternoon naps.

Also, remember that feeling drowsy in the afternoon is normal; it’s part of human nature. But more persistant exhaustion might be a sign of something that needs more attention, like anemia, diabetes, or depression.