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Howto: Power Nap

December 27th, 2005

Men’s Journal is running a short article on Power Napping. The piece is really a brief introduction of the subject.

Some practical advice offered is on preventing “sleep inertia” by awakening at the wrong point in your sleep cycle. It is suggested that one must keep the nap to 20 minutes or slightly less. If extra sleep is needed, sleep up to the 50-minute mark. This will prevent you from waking up groggy, or even more tired than when you fell asleep.

The following list is included in the article. It is from the forthcoming book Take Back the Nap! by Dr. Sara Mednick.

1. The first consideration is psychological: Recognize that you’re not being lazy; napping will make you more productive and more alert after you wake up.
2. Try to nap in the morning or just after lunch; human circadian rhythms make late afternoons a more likely time to fall into deep (slow-wave) sleep, which will leave you groggy.
3. Avoid consuming large quantities of caffeine as well as foods that are heavy in fat and sugar, which meddle with a person’s ability to fall asleep.
4. Instead, in the hour or two before your nap time, eat foods high in calcium and protein, which promote sleep.
5. Find a clean, quiet place where passersby and phones won’t disturb you.
6. Try to darken your nap zone, or wear an eyeshade. Darkness stimulates melatonin, the sleep- inducing hormone.
7. Remember that body temperature drops when you fall asleep. Raise the room temperature or use a blanket.
8. Once you are relaxed and in position to fall asleep, set your alarm for the desired duration

Read the Article:

Snooze, You Win [Men's Journal]

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Entry Filed under: Sleep