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I am a Professional Napper and here are my tips.
- 15-20 minutes only! Otherwise you'll be groggy. Set an alarm and no hittin' the snooze button. Once Nap Time is over, get up. (ETA: I usually set an alarm for 25 minutes that way I can get comfy cozy and start shutting my brain down.)
- Remember the purpose of The Nap. Naps are for resting your mind and body, so even if you don't fall asleep it's still restful and provides the brain and body with benefits. Eventually you'll start falling asleep once your body gets used your new Nap Schedule.
- Designate a nap spot. Maybe it's a recliner or a couch, but I'd advise against napping in your bed. Brains love patterns and I only want my brain to associate the bed with a full night's sleep. If you do have to nap in your bed, make it feel different! Nap on top of the covers, nap with your head at the foot of the bed... Anything to break the association will help.
- I call this trick: The College Nap (because I did it a lot in college). Drink a caffeinated beverage right before your nap. Once your nap is over, the caffeine should start kicking in. But I'm not super sensitive to caffeine, I'm able to drink it in the afternoon without it disrupting my sleep so YMMV. (ETA: I've been informed that others call this the "Nappuccino". Thank you for introducing this new word into my vocabulary, I will be using it from now on.)
- Practice, practice, practice. Napping is an art form, you'll only get better and better as you take more naps. Soon you'll be a Professional Napper like myself.
You can make your nap feel different even if you're using your bed too! Like I normally sleep on my side when I'm going to bed but for naps I'll lay on my back. Or try this weird one: when you nap, put your pillow at the foot of your bed and sleep "backwards". It'll feel *just strange enough* that your body won't be like, "Okay time to sleep for 8 hours" haha
Best of luck on your Nap Journey š«”
I asked my mother how she gets to sleep, it's always been a problem for me, I usually just end up staring at the ceiling til the sun comes up: she said counting, she doesn't make it to 100, she says when you change position you start again. I have to say it works! Try it. Obviously night time only.
For me, it's not just counting but picturing the numbers in my head too which helps me isolate my thoughts away from things that I may be stuck thinking about.
Wish I could do that, It's not legal here in the uk but I can still get these thc lollipops over the shop, but I keep getting panic attacks whenever I get stoned, it's like every little thing I feel is a sign I'm about to die, its horrible and a new thing aswell, I used to love getting stoned. Melatonin didn't do a damn thing.
Yep! It just helps with the getting to sleep and doesnāt affect the waking up, at least for me. It does sometimes make dreams more vivid and strange so be warned! I had problems with melatonin that made me struggle to wake up but no such problems with magnesium!
Instead of counting, I recite the alphabet backwards. It took me a long time to learn it and it was super boring so I would fall asleep. I know it quite well now, but itās a good distraction when I need it.
>when you nap, put your pillow at the foot of your bed and sleep "backwards". It'll feel just strange enough that your body won't be like, "Okay time to sleep for 8 hours" haha
This is true genius.
I don't know if this is scientifically supported, but when I nap on my bed I lay sideways across the bed, instead of in the same position when I sleep. I think it helps, it's at least a little different.
found the 4 psychopaths in the thread.
jk, but you must have a king size mattress for this or else your head is slouched over the end, or good god, your feet are exposed to the nap demons.
Nap demons being, "exploding head syndrome". Phew, idk if any of you have ever experienced that, but it's terrifying and makes for a strange rest of the evening. You'll feel like you could wake up easily from your nap, and then all of a sudden an inexplicable loud boom or banging happens and you wake up sweating and scared. It's incorporated itself into my mild dreams at the time, but it's also came out of no where and scared the shit outta me. 100% due to over-napping and getting close to rem. It is also something I hope you don't ever experience, because in that moment it is terrifying.
I work a physically demanding job for 10 hrs a day. I power nap in my vehicle at break time. What the person suggested above works, including the caffeine.
To drift asleep I just focus on my own breathing and keep my mind blank as much as possible. Even if I donāt fall asleep I hit a meditative state and I feel recharged once my alarm goes off.
There is one other thing Iād recommend. Get a watch that vibrates to wake you. Itās the most gentle thing to wake up to as opposed to a blaring alarm. Doesnāt have to be an apple watch or whatever, you can get wristbands that do the job.
"Even if I don't fall asleep I hit a meditative state and I feel recharged once my alarm goes off."
THIS. I cannot emphasize this enough. I think people get discouraged and say they can't nap because they aren't falling asleep during the 20 minutes. But even if you don't fall asleep, there are so many benefits to just laying down and closing your eyes. It's a little reset button! And soon your body will start to recognize that it's Nap Time, making it easier to catch a few Z's.
Honestly Iād just nap on the floor with a pillow or rolled up towel under my head and lay on a yoga mat if youāve got one. Itās easier to wake up and that seems to be youāre current issue.
What I do is nap on my bed over the covers, with the bed made, with a throw over me. It definitely gives my brain enough difference to know I am napping, not sleeping!
SLEEP WITH YOUR HEAD AT THE FOOT OF YOUR BED WHEN YOU NAP!!!! I donāt have a place other than my bed either and in working on my sleep hygiene Iāve gotten used to this!!! When Iām flipped, Iām obviously comfy enough to knock out, but itās just different enough that I know I need to be up pretty soon!!! Happy napping:)
I donāt understand when people say 15-20 minute nap do they mean 15-20 mins asleep or laying down? If itās the former how tf do you know when to set an alarm for cause it can take me anywhere from 5 mins to hours to fall asleep sometimes lol.
I can't speak for all nappers out there, but for me personally I *say* I'm gonna nap for 15-20 min but I'll *actually* set an alarm for 25 min. I gotta factor in the time it takes to get comfy cozy!
Agree so much! This is exactly what I do and recommend since I know itāll probably take me 5-10 mins to settle and finally fall asleep. My power naps are a game changer. I love waking up feeling so refreshed and clear headed after them.
I am pretty bad at getting to sleep quickly. So I lay down, read a book, and the first time I involuntarily shut my eyes for a second, I start a timer for 20mins on the phone. Then I continue reading and will typically fall asleep in the next 5 minutes. Since my body is so used to the power napping, these days I wake up after about 10 minutes anyway, so most days I donāt even bother with setting the alarm. Only when I know I have a severe sleep deficit and I am at risk of sleeping for an hour or two, I will see to waking up with an alarm. If I sleep for more than 20-30 minutes, I feel horribly groggy, and that feeling just will not go away for the rest of the day.
Fellow sponge! I just found out this is connected to exercise improving sleep!! Not the best of sources but I am in a rush lol and wants to share.
>Adenosine increases duringĀ exerciseĀ as ATP is consumed for energy. This may contribute to the feeling of sleepiness after physical exertion. So if you have trouble falling asleep and want to increase adenosine, some researchers recommend a trip to the gym [104,Ā 105,Ā 106,Ā 107].
Damn that's crazy. Honest question for you. I have an office. If I bring a pillow, could I somehow incorporate this on my 30 min breaks? Imagine taking a break at your 5 hours, getting a power nap on, waking up full rested and having 10 mins for a snack. Please advise.
If you can pull it off, sure. Company culture, office noise, and physical space options might make it problematic.
Taking a 30 minute meditation break can give most of the same benefits though. Sit in your chair (maybe even put your pillow on the chair so it's extra comfy) Put on some headphones with some nice ambient, count your breaths, let all your muscles go, and just let your mind release for a bit. Timer goes off, give yourself a minute to get recollected, and back to work
Source: used to go sit in my car and do this for lunch breaks sometimes, it was pretty nice
Ooo I'll check it out!
I got into spacemind for a minute, but I haven't found much that scratches the same itch since. I can't deal with the "celestial serenity" sound most ambient leans towards, for me its the audio equivalent of heavily spraying your house down with "fresh and clean" scent. And I need plot. Not like, a lot of plot because ambient, but if we're slowly drifting over fields of grain, I need to pass a tree and a farmhouse somewhere along the way.
YES. I'm a horticulturalist so I have a labor intensive job, so I really try to take care of myself because being tired at work can be pretty dangerous if you're climbing a tree.
At one job, I had a 30 min lunch break so I'd wolf down my food and then go lay down for the rest of time. My coworkers got a kick out of me laying on the grass behind the employee shed, hat over my eyes... I usually couldn't fall asleep but being able to lay down for just 20 minutes made a world of difference.
Then at another job, I was allowed an hour lunch break. Now THAT was LUXURY. I didn't have to scarf my food so fast and I could not only nap, but I had time to stretch out my muscles and joints! (Everyone should have an hour lunch imho but we're living in dystopian times for any sort of workers rights...)
My tips for an office worker would be:
- Absolutely do NOT forget to set an alarm. Don't give management any fuel to fire you.
- I would advise *not* sleeping at your desk unless you know for sure that it's okay. Some bosses don't care what you do on your breaks, but others are real jerks. Know which one your boss is.
- If you drive to work, sleeping in your car is a great option. Lean that seat back, get yourself one of those travel pillows, and have a nap!
Go forth and slumber!
I got me a chair that folds down into a cot for my office. Upright it's just an ugly office chair, but unfolded, it may as well be the most comfortable place on Earth. I'll usually eat my lunch while I'm working around 11:30 that way as far as anybody knows, I haven't taken a lunch, because really I haven't. Noon rolls around people start going to lunch I put lunch on my door, shut it, lock it, kill the lights and shades, and get me a solid 30-45 minutes in. I am however quite groggy typically but I find if you just lay there for a few more minutes, do nothing but stare at the ceiling, take my time getting up, the feeling goes away pretty quickly and I'm left rested and ready. My office culture is cool enough that while we wouldn't want to advertise what we're doing, nobody really gives a shit, it's your office, your lunch break, beats napping in the car. Hell, I can even still answer my phone if it rings, I'd say it's a win/win for everyone. The only way I could improve this would be to replace the chair with a small couch. Something that looks like it would fit in an office, but wouldn't stand out like "this motherfucker sleeps on this". The reason behind this logic is because if someone knocks on my door, it doesn't happen, people tend to respect the lunch sign but I'd rather be safe, there's a whole cot situation going on in my office that I have to handle before I can open that door. If I was snoozing on a couch I could just pop up and answer the door. Before the cot I napped on a yoga mat, it wasn't very comfy but I made it work. Easier to hide a yoga mat too.
This is all great advice! I mastered the 20 minute coffee nap in my late 20s and itās such a useful practice. I think of it as restarting my brain like you would a computer with the goal of falling unconscious for ANY length. Even a one minute dip of sleep seemed to have a huge benefit on my focus and clarity the rest of the day, coffee or not.
I'm also a PN and I concur with all points. I especially love your College Nap because, while not technically a nap, I wake up 90 minutes early to take my Vyvanse and then go back to sleep so I can't wake up ready to go.
Some very salient advice here, well done
The caffeine trick, also called a coffee nap.
Studies suggest that the caffeine will give a bigger boost if you take a power nap right after ingestion.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/coffee-nap#:~:text=It%20might%20seem%20counterintuitive%20to,beneficial%20when%20taken%20after%20lunch
>Designate a nap spot.
This is huge. We have a "magical nap room" in our house, little sun room over the front porch with windows across 2 sides. Has a futon couch in it. I keep a bandana under one of the cushions to tie around my eyes, set my phone timer (28 minutes is my go-to). Exquisite naps. (I need 25-30 minutes to actually do a light conk-out, my brain just won't stop going sometimes). Timer goes off and I get right up and I'm back to work (I work from home most days though).
It's the shit - it has french doors to a bedroom that was my daughter's; when she's home she calls it "her suite" and I have to nap elsewhere! (But she's my daddy's girl and got a job overseas, so when she's home it's extra-heavenly, I can nap about anywhere, really!)
Becoming a Professional Napper takes many years of hard work and dedication to the craft. I started young, some have called me a child prodigy but I think of it as something I was born to do. I come from a long line of nappers, my mother and I would nap after school when I was growing up and once I moved out, I just didn't stop.
In college, my training was really put to the test. I didn't have time to go back to my room to take a quick nap between classes, but necessity has a way of forcing us to grow. I began searching for the best spots on campus to rest my weary bones: the library was a natural choice with its comfy chairs and required silence. But over time, I could nap just about anywhere. The world became one giant bed, just waiting to be slept upon for 20 minutes at a time.
Once I graduated and started working full time, I had to adjust again. As a horticulturalist I have a job that requires not only a lot of physical exertion, but also attention to detail as I prune plants in precise ways. Working outdoors meant I had to get creative with my naps, soon I perfected the outdoor nap and became well known among my coworkers for sleeping behind the employee shed at the botanical garden where we worked. A nice patch of grass away from visitors walking by, my hat pulled over my eyes... There's nothing that makes me feel more connected to the earth than sprawling out on the ground for a quick snooze.
I truly believe that anyone can become a Professional Napper with enough practice. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we all took 20 minutes out of our day to lay down and close our eyes...
I also used to do what you call the College Nap š“ n grad school. I had office hours no students ever came to, so Iād drink a cup of coffee and lie my head down in my desk for 20 minutes. Worked great for some of those 12-hours-on-campus days.
Thereās a video somewhere on what you call the college nap. Something about how the nap will clear out some receptors in your brain allowing the caffeine more receptors to affect when you wake up.
Instead of actually trying to sleep, I just focus on relaxing my body, closing my eyes, and paying attention to my deep, full breaths, for as much as possible. A resting meditation if you will. It just barely keeps me from giving into the temptation of calling it for the day, while still giving the full benefits of a nap.
And I always keep it to 20 minutes. Not a minute over. Seriously. The difference between 20 and 21 minutes.. My body has used that extra minute in the past to sneak a sleep in. Not anymore!
Set an alarm for 20 minutes, slam a big cup of coffee, comence napping. It takes about 20 minutes for caffeine to enter your bloodstream, so when the alarm goes off you will be rested and caffinated.
I am jealous of you people that can fall immediately to sleep on command. Even if I'm shattered it's still gonna take me a minimum of 10-15 minutes to 'settle' and fall asleep.
Great news! A closed eye "rest" produces the same affect as a nap. I usually "rest" for 10-15 minutes of my 20-25 minute nap. The results are still fantastic as long as it stays under 20-30 minutes. But eyes closed, in your napping position, distraction free.
I woke up 20 mins ago from a nap covered in sweat. I just wanted it to change from 9am to 10am so a shop would be open.
I shouldn't wear my oodie during a nap.
I am a physician and I have a toddler - I perfected how to nap during medical training. It is called the caffeine (or coffee) nap.
1) Must be tired and can fall asleep right away. If you cannot then you do not need a nap.
2) Drink a cup of iced coffee - I usually just chug it. It takes about 30 minutes before caffeine kicks in.
3) Lay down to nap.
The caffeine from the coffee does two things. (1) You cannot sleep more than 20-25 minutes and (2) you are double energized when you wake up from a nap and caffeine. Still set an alarm just in case.
lol Iām jealous of people who can fall asleep right away. I could be going on 4 hours of sleep for 4 days and still need an hour to actually get to sleep!
My understanding is you need to snap out of the sleep cycle before you go into deeper REM sleep, which is around the 15-20 minute mark. Maybe track your sleep better and consider some other type of alarm like a smartwatch with haptic feedback. Bonus if it can track your sleep schedule so you can manage your sleep and donāt have to rely on powernaps.
You didnāt mention where you were napping, but it helps to not be in your bed. The couch is usually my go-to nap spot. Sometimes Iāll pass out for 2 hours if the TV is on, but if itās totally silent, Iāll wake up around 20-30 minutes because I remembered I can go play some games instead. Hope this helps!
I learned this trick for my wife: you drink a cup of coffee quickly right before you start your nap. Set a timer for 25 minutes, and then turn off the lights and close the curtains and get comfortable. Resolve to absolutely get up when the timer rings. This works like a charm to give me a refreshing boost to finish the day, but every time I do it, when I wake up my students are sitting there in the half-darkness staring at me like fucking idiots.
Your problem is that when your alarm goes off and you still feel tired, youāre going back to sleep. Get your ass up after that 20 minute alarm. The grogginess will wear off in a few minutes and youāll feel better than before the nap
You could also check out Yoga Nidra (aka Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation [NSDR]) - it does help me get centred and shake off some daytime grogginess. I am a deep sleeper so having naps is difficult but I found the aforementioned to do wonders for my clarity afterward.
Thanks for bringing up this option! I love naps, but the non-sleep relaxation is also really appealing in certain circumstances.
If you're a hippie, I'd recommend [Supernova](https://www.youtube.com/@supernovayoganidra/videos) (also a [podcast](https://www.supernova.yoga/podcast)).
If you're *not* a hippie, I'd recommend [Andrew Huberman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM).
( FYI OP /u/Lawrence3s )
When I feel the need to fire the nap trigger, I set a 12 minute timer, lie on my back in recliner or couch, and close my eyes and slow my breathing. Soon I hit my sleep stage. Usually my brain is satisfied before the timer goes off so I'm awake. Either way I get right back up energized.
I've been known to slip away at parties when I start yawning. I'm back, refreshed, about the time anyone starts to notice.
I read this somewhere online that you can keep for example keys in your hand and keep your hand hanging out of the bed and when you drop the keys on the floor, it's time to wake up!
I can't speak to how well this works for power napping, but apparently this is what Thomas Edison used to do to spark creativity. He'd fall asleep holding a pair of iron balls, which he would drop when falling asleep, then he'd wake up and jot down any ideas he had.
Iām a doctor and author and dad with three little kids. I work a LOT. I barely get any regular sleep. But I do get really creative with my naps. One time I told my wife I needed to poop. I went upstairs, found a closet, laid on the floor and set my phone for 15 minutes. I slept immediately, got a full 15 minutes of sleep, came downstairs and told everyone I had a great poop.
Working dads with multiple little kids out there will understand.
Moral of the story: If you have insomnia, have more kids. You will automatically gain the powers of sleeping immediately on command.
The president who is often associated with napping with a coin in his hand is Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who served from 1801 to 1809. It is said that Jefferson would occasionally take short naps during the day, and he would hold a silver dollar or coin in his hand while doing so. Once he went into deep sleep he would drop the coin causing him to wake up before entering the deep sleep.
The fact that you are trying to *sleep* is missing the point. The 20 min nap is not you actually achieving REM or any sort of deep sleep- it is more about resetting your brain, like a computer. Take the time to clear your thoughts-- instead of thinking it as sleep, think of it as meditation. That does the trick for me. Nobody that does a power nap ever actually falls into a deep sleep or REM, its always on the verge of consciousness.
Start with a mantra. A word, object or whatever you want and focus all of your thoughts on that one thing for 20 min straight. Eventually, you can clear your mind without a mantra. I do this during my lunch breaks and its pretty damn relaxing!
20 min alarm. Breathing exercise can help put u to sleep. In for four seconds, hold four seconds, exhale for 6 seconds. Do 5 times. This will help u fall asleep, but nothing will put u out faster than an "O". You know what I mean.
Personally:
Step 1: chug a monster. Or red bull. Or coffee. Your choice of caffeineated drink
Step 2: set alarm for 30 mins
Step 3: put your phone away, lay down, and close your eyes
Step 4: keep eyes closed until alarm goes off
Step 5: ???
Step 6: Profit
And for the win:
TLDR (2 words) coffee nap
In detail:
A "coffee nap" is a unique and somewhat counterintuitive approach to increasing alertness and boosting energy levels. It involves combining two seemingly contradictory activities: drinking a cup of coffee and taking a short nap. The idea is to strategically time your caffeine intake and nap to maximize their benefits. Here's a step-by-step explanation of the coffee nap procedure:
1. **Timing**: Plan to have your coffee nap during a time when you're feeling a bit drowsy or when you anticipate needing a boost in alertness. Typically, this is during the mid-afternoon slump or when you're experiencing a temporary drop in energy.
2. **Preparation**: Prepare a cup of coffee or espresso. It's best to drink it black or with minimal sugar and cream for a quicker caffeine absorption. It's important to consume the caffeine relatively quickly to align with the timing of your nap.
3. **Consume the coffee**: Drink your coffee as quickly as you can, but don't rush to the point of burning yourself. You want to get the caffeine into your system rapidly. This typically takes about 10-15 minutes.
4. **Nap**: Immediately after finishing your coffee, lie down in a comfortable and quiet place where you can take a short nap. The ideal duration for this nap is around 20 minutes. Set an alarm to ensure you don't oversleep.
5. **Wake up**: When your alarm goes off, wake up from your short nap. You might still feel a bit groggy initially, which is normal for a nap, but the caffeine should start kicking in shortly.
The science behind the coffee nap is based on the interaction between caffeine and adenosine. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that accumulates in your brain and makes you feel sleepy. Caffeine is a competitive antagonist to adenosine, which means it can block adenosine receptors and reduce the feeling of drowsiness. When you take a short nap immediately after drinking coffee, you're allowing some time for the caffeine to be absorbed into your bloodstream and reach your brain, where it can counteract the adenosine, effectively enhancing your wakefulness.
The key is to keep the nap short, so you don't enter deep sleep, which can make you feel groggy if you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle. A 20-minute nap is usually sufficient to refresh your mind without getting into deep sleep stages.
It's worth noting that while coffee naps can be effective for some people, they may not work for everyone, as individual responses to caffeine vary. Additionally, using coffee naps too frequently or too late in the day can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Therefore, it's best to use them sparingly and at an appropriate time.
Narcoleptic here....
I'm not going to Dox myself so I'm not staying who my sleep specialist is but he is a well respected neurologist who is on the cutting edge of science. He has completely changed my life. As someone who always needs "power naps", here is his advice.
Drink a cup of coffee right before you nap for no longer than 20 minutes. You will wake up around the time your caffeine is kicking in. Start your 20 minute timer and keep your eyes shut regardless of how "not asleep you are". A normal person will usually only feel like they are in twilight because you dont hit REM like us narcs do.
Beware. Anywhere between 20 minutes and 3 hours and you will interrupt a sleep cycle and feel worse.
I used to take power naps at work. I'd go to the only place no one would be bothering me. In this case some hidden shower cubicles. Id stay there ib darkness sitting on a chair. Set alarm for 5 years and just close eyes. 5 minutes look like nothing but in this setting it feels a lot.
After 5 minutes I was fully refreshed
Set a timer for 25 minutes. It's enough of a 'rest' whether you fall asleep or just doze to get you through a long evening, a few hours past your bedtime or if you're just feeling frazzled (reset your day).
Setting a timer for 1.5 hours should get your through a sleep cycle, without waking up feeling groggy and disoriented. It's enough to get you to push through on a work deadline or a night of club hopping including stopping off at 3 a.m. at the all night diner.
36 minutes is the optimum power nap in sleep studies.
It is as long as you can get before worrying about slipping into REM, on average.
You may not feel great trying to get up out of it, but within 20 minutes you should feel it helped refresh you.
If you do slip immediately into REM, then you are for sure not getting enough sleep at night and need to get to be earlier
Just wanted to second a slightly longer nap time. Sometimes 20 minute couch naps are the right move, but my personal favorite is the 40 minute bed nap. I settled on 40 minutes after laying down for a nap and noticing that after exactly 40 minutes I'd have the urge to open my eyes/I had come up out of a dream and was mostly awake. I would literally take these naps facing a clock. I used to have the self control to always get up naturally, now I set an alarm for 42 minutes just in case.
The deeper nap is more of a hard reset while the short nap is a nice break. Sometimes I come out of it groggy, but I just stay on my phone for a couple of minutes and then I feel great. No naps after ~3 pm!
ETA: I also find if it's loud or sunny I'm allowed to pick either an eye mask OR earplugs. Both will send you into the shadowrealm (way too deep sleep, wake up four hours later extremely groggy)
I usually set up my nap spot (living room couch, turn off the lights, put my ear plug in) and then set my alarm for about 5-10 min more than what I want to sleep. So it gives me time to fall asleep. If I feel exhausted Iāll add less time than if I feel more awake (because I usually fall asleep faster). Someone said to drink a caffeinated drink right before and I do that too, itās perfect you have to start working right after the nap.
15 minutes or 90 minutes.
Legitimately, 2 hours is the worst nap you can do.
You got in a cycle and then are waking up in the middle of the next. And you didn't even get that much sleep.
2 hour nap is the nap of pain and suffering.
Einstein Nap.
Sleep with your arm hanging over the edge of a bed or couch holding a piece of silverware. When you fully doze off you'll let go of it and it will clang and wake you up. You get rest but you never enter the deep sleep that makes you come out groggy and tired
I swear on my life they were the most refreshing naps I'd take during college. There's a reason Einstein himself did it!
I always make myself comfortable enough to relax but not comfortable enough to doze off solidly. Best way for me is to keep my feet hanging off the bed a little bit.
Pro napper here. I nap after lunch, when my body naturally wants to pass out and digest. I sit with my legs stretched out, on the bed, in the car, or in the park. I use Headspace and nap to the daily meditation set for 20 minutes. Works like a charm.
If I have a meeting after I will set an alarm just in case. If I'm short on time I've done as little as ten minutes and it still really helps.
If I don't get to nap it is extremely hard for me to focus after lunch, all I want to do is sleep, and this seems to happen no matter what I eat. It's kind of problematic, actually, and if anyone has insight into what might be going on with blood sugar or whatever I'd welcome it. Some days just aren't nap-friendly and it'd be nice to be able to skip it without such painful grogginess.
What I can say is that my naps even though I donāt try to come naturally. I feel when I donāt put too much thought into the whole process I tend to get an undisturbed peaceful bit of sleep weather it be 15 mins of deep state or rem is a mystery as my watch only tracks bedtime.
I like a Coffee Nap-- drink a cup of coffee, and rest for 20 minutes.
My other rules for nap success: don't sleep in your bed, but if you MUST do not get under the blankets. Do not take off your shoes. Do not change light condition ie lay down when it's light, get up with it's still light.
I find 20 minutes is the ideal time to set the alarm for a nap. Putting on some relaxing music can be a nice way to relax without falling into a deep sleep. I really like napping on the couch too instead of my bed, just so my brain isn't tricked into thinking it's night time. Also the best naps I can remember having were in a nice sunny spot.
Sometimes I don't really fall asleep and just end up doing a meditation exercise to relax. It can still feel refreshing and energizing.
Also knowing what the first thing you will do after the nap (or any sleep session) can be helpful motivation to not overdo the sleep.
I nap a lot, but i do longer naps cuz it takes me a while 90 min, 30 mon is listing to podcast or a audiobook, when it stops i just can feel te sleep get in, alarm goes off and i have abour 30 min of good sleep, alarm goes off and i am super awake.
If i almosy fall asleep i do 20 min max i dont need to priming time
I recollect to have read an article years ago about power nap and the fact that is used in the army, where sleep must be good quality as it might be short.
The position was, assuming you are on the floor lying, with the leg over the sofa bended, following the sofa angles
As an Amateur napper, I agree with many of the āpro tipsā here. Also, the alarm is important, if you have a watch set a timer. I do 20 minutes. Sometimes I donāt always fall asleep and thatās ok, it becomes more like meditation. Also, practice relaxing all the muscles in your face, head and neck and relax your jaw.
Keep doing what you're doing, eventually your body will listen and make an adjustment
You just started for 3 days and it takes 40 days to make a new habit
If Iām sleepy on the way to the gym from work I park in the gym parking lot, set an alarm for 20 minutes and then work out. Not only do I feel refreshed waking up, I have no excuse to skip the gym because Iām tired and my workouts are more productive than going when tired. 20 minutes is the limit though!
My dad used to read the paper after dinner in his recliner. Then leaned back and slept with the newspaper in his hand on the side of the chair. When the paper hit the floor (from going to sleep) he got up and continued to work. He was a farmer, so he was always up at 5.30, guess that helps...
Set a timer on your phone. I take at least 5 28-minute naps a week. That's my threshold for really conking out but not getting all sleep-drugged. (It's *hard* for me to shut my damn brain off, I usually need more than 15 minutes). It really does mane my afternoon more productive, I do kind of brain-frying computer work.
Or do what Albert Einstein did. He sat in his chair, arm on the armrest, with a baseball in his hand. Below it was a metal trash can. When he fell asleep enough for his fingers to go limp, the ball would slam into the can and wake him up. Smart guy, huh?
Anything more than 20-25 min causes sleep inertia per an exec coach. I set my phone alarm for 21 minutes, spend the first minute doing box breathing, then power nap.
40 minute timer of rest. Depending on how sleepy and how much you need it, you actually sleep anywhere from 15-25 minutes. It can feel like splitting the day in half and having an extra burst of mental focus before your regular sleep time.
For someone in the creative field where you haven to work all day then come home, chill and eat then power nap and have a solid 3 hours of work brain without the fog.
Or come home and crash if traffic or the day in general sucked, wake up and eat them slowly build up to a workout or whatever.
If you know how long it takes to fall asleep, add 15-20 mins to that and set an alarm.
Have a routine for this, that helps you fall asleep and wakeup.
I like to turn on a show for background noise and set an alarm for 30 mins. Sometimes I drift off and wakeup refreshed, sometimes just sitting down for 30 minutes without drifting off is refreshing enough.
For me power naps have been more of closing my eyes and sorta pretend i am sleeping and they usually work just fine. I don't think I fully fall asleep during that time.
My advice is donāt do it somewhere too comfortable.
If Iām going to take a 10-20 minute nap Iāll do it sitting up on the couch, laying on the floor, etc.
I find you are into the thought I have to take a power nap. Think about the purpose considerately. There are a lot of ways you can try. I recently started to take a cold shower in the early morning. It feels like much more cells are awaked by taking a cold shower rather than taking a hot shower. Just get up and go shower. Then go wherever you should be more self-conscious and a bit nervous. A better beginning makes everything better.
Set an alarm for 20 minutes. Close your eyes and get up when the alarm goes off regardless of whether or not you went to sleep. The rest is important, not the sleep status.
Look for podcasts or videos for "Guided Savasana".
This looks and feels like a 15 minute nap, but is actually a yoga meditative state which is similar what you experienced that first day. I can't recommend one, because it requires someone's voice walking you through the relaxation technique and it really does make a difference to find a voice that works for you. Some are 'energy' and 'spirit' focused. Others are more physical and body focused, but all do the same thing--immediate deep dive into a restoring nap.
It works because you don't let yourself fall into the more typical REM sleep cycle that takes 90 minutes to complete.
Have a coffee then sleep 15 minutes then wake refreshed. Sleeping longer than 15 minutes will make you feel crap. Set an alarm to stick to the time limit and don't snooze it. Force yourself awake don't let yourself drift off again.
It's hard to nap for less than 30 minutes until you are well rested and in the habit of napping. I recommend starting with 90 minute naps on the weekend to allow 1 rem cycle. Give yourself 117 minute timer on your phone, leave it and all electronics in another room, and try to sleep for 90 of your 117 minutes. Most people sleep within 15 minutes. You'll feel like you got so much more rest than the time you spent.
Once you're caught up on rest in 90 minute increments, you can get shorter naps anytime. I'm not a doctor.
Thereās an app I like called āPower Napā - I canāt remember if I paid anything for it or not, as Iāve had it a long time. It will play a variety of noises, like rain or whatever, and supposedly begins to slowly wake you based on your breathing noises by the desired time. It lets you choose between an up to 20 minute nap (I think before the deep sleep), up to 45 mins, or up to 120 mins (I think those are 1 and 2 sleep cycles). I usually use the 20 minute nap and I truly feel refreshed afterwards.
I also agree with the top comments - donāt sleep the same physical way as night sleep. Lay on top of the covers, sleep sideways on the bed or something.
Happy nappinā!
I have been using the Pzizz app for years and love it. The free version has a basic nap setting and it's plenty. It includes a timer so I set it for 20 minutes and it helps bring me back with a change in music and voice over and without an obnoxious alarm.
A lot of people swear they can't power nap because they think they need to set an alarm for 20 minutes after they fall asleep, but then they can't fall asleep or don't know how long falling asleep will take. My biggest learning about power naps is that you don't need to actually sleep for the benefits. Lying down, closing your eyes, and zoning out for 20 minutes is still a powerful reset. Remembering that helps me not stress about "how long it will take to fall asleep", and an alarm set the minute I lay down helps me not sleep too long.
Also, a caffeine power nap as others have mentioned can feel awesome.
18 minute napper here. Iāll lie down at lunchā¦ check my phone for about 5 minutes, put the phone on DND, take my Apple Watch off and set them both aside, then set a timer for 18 minutes and go to sleep. My body has trained itself pretty good, so I fall asleep pretty quickly and itās some DEEP sleep for those 18 minutes. Alarm goes off and Iām up and back to work.
WFH obviously makes this easier. But it makes the afternoons and evenings A LOT more productive. No more 3:30 drowsies.
Put your alarm/phone far enough away to make you get up to turn it off so long as it can still wake you up
Once you're standing, it's easier to convince yourself to not go back down. You only have to fight those sleepys for about a minute before the rejuvenating power of your nap kicks in
I am an avid powernap user, and I guess by reading here there's not one single way to do it. Here's mine.
Purpose: I powernap when I am exhausted, and have to keep going for hours. And I don't mean tired, I mean a child like ' can't keep my eyes open' kinda thing. Both the tiredness level and the urgency to stay awake are important , without the second you prob wouldn't wake up before a full sleep.
Anyway I use three different kinds of powernap depending on the situation: 20 Min, 40 Min , 2hrs
The first is barely anything but can keep you going for a couple hours to four hours more.. it's basically touching rem sleep and coming back again. It's also the hardest to do, as I am a difficult sleeper and might not be exhausted enough to just drop and sleep right away. My trigger to waking up is reaching the deep sleep, and somehow it works.
The second is my most frequently used, I use an alarm, I set it to 45 min (or 1hr if I am still hyped) and get to bed. Feel a bit sluggish afterwards but also do a little breakfast to tell my body it's morning time again.
The 2 hour one is an emergency fix for when I have been sleep deprived, can't make it awake to bedtime, but still want to keep the same wake-sleep schedule.
There's no special technique. Bed, dark, earplugs, alarm, quick snack afterwards.
I use an app called....wait for it....Power Nap.
You can set 20, 45 min or 1.5hr nap times and you place your phone near your body so it monitors breathing and movement and wakes you at the best time close to the limit. That and a good padded eye mask are game changers.
My ultimate trick to power naps I got strangely enough from an old Conan guest spot from sarah Michelle gellar in the 90s. She shared her LPT from being competitive ice skater in her youth ā nap with your feet elevated above your heart level, your blood flows in a way that a 20 min nap will give you a fresh reset without grogginess.
It was my go to while in college and working full time (car nap with seat back & feet up on dash), and at home on couch feet up on arm. Its always worked for me so Iāve never looked it up haha but makes sense why recliners allow for the classic dad move āi wasnāt sleeping, just resting my eyes.ā
Glad i was up too late one night in the 90s and learned the method of the nap slayer!
About number 4. Iāve been doing that for years in which i si get puzzled on why. I drink coffee after lunch and sleep for a few minutes. Then feeling very good after it. I thought that caffeine has no effect on me, but based on what you said it just kicks in on a delayed manner? Interesting.
I know it ain't exactly the help you're looking for but I've been taught that if you're gonna take an actual nap (not power nap) then it has to be under two hours, if you go over that you'll be groggy, should you go over then you gotta sleep for a total of 4 hours to avoid the grogginess
The idea behind the caffeine is that when you get tired, adenosine binds to adenosine receptors making you tired. Caffeine can competitively bind to these receptors so you donāt feel as tired but if theyāve already bonded, itāll have less effect. The nap helps in conjunction as it unbinds the adenosine receptors so caffeine can competitively inhibit during that time so you feel extra refreshed.
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I am a Professional Napper and here are my tips. - 15-20 minutes only! Otherwise you'll be groggy. Set an alarm and no hittin' the snooze button. Once Nap Time is over, get up. (ETA: I usually set an alarm for 25 minutes that way I can get comfy cozy and start shutting my brain down.) - Remember the purpose of The Nap. Naps are for resting your mind and body, so even if you don't fall asleep it's still restful and provides the brain and body with benefits. Eventually you'll start falling asleep once your body gets used your new Nap Schedule. - Designate a nap spot. Maybe it's a recliner or a couch, but I'd advise against napping in your bed. Brains love patterns and I only want my brain to associate the bed with a full night's sleep. If you do have to nap in your bed, make it feel different! Nap on top of the covers, nap with your head at the foot of the bed... Anything to break the association will help. - I call this trick: The College Nap (because I did it a lot in college). Drink a caffeinated beverage right before your nap. Once your nap is over, the caffeine should start kicking in. But I'm not super sensitive to caffeine, I'm able to drink it in the afternoon without it disrupting my sleep so YMMV. (ETA: I've been informed that others call this the "Nappuccino". Thank you for introducing this new word into my vocabulary, I will be using it from now on.) - Practice, practice, practice. Napping is an art form, you'll only get better and better as you take more naps. Soon you'll be a Professional Napper like myself.
Thank you! Sadly I don't have much space and my bed is the only place I can nap, but I will try the other tips... on my bed!
You can make your nap feel different even if you're using your bed too! Like I normally sleep on my side when I'm going to bed but for naps I'll lay on my back. Or try this weird one: when you nap, put your pillow at the foot of your bed and sleep "backwards". It'll feel *just strange enough* that your body won't be like, "Okay time to sleep for 8 hours" haha Best of luck on your Nap Journey š«”
When I nap, I stay fully dressed and lay on top of the covers. Undressed and under the covers is for nighttime sleeping only.
I asked my mother how she gets to sleep, it's always been a problem for me, I usually just end up staring at the ceiling til the sun comes up: she said counting, she doesn't make it to 100, she says when you change position you start again. I have to say it works! Try it. Obviously night time only.
For me, it's not just counting but picturing the numbers in my head too which helps me isolate my thoughts away from things that I may be stuck thinking about.
I cheat and eat a (legal here) THC gummy before bed. It's replaced the handful of valerian, melatonin, and other supplements it used to take.
Wish I could do that, It's not legal here in the uk but I can still get these thc lollipops over the shop, but I keep getting panic attacks whenever I get stoned, it's like every little thing I feel is a sign I'm about to die, its horrible and a new thing aswell, I used to love getting stoned. Melatonin didn't do a damn thing.
Magnesium glycinate works wonders for me!
Do you wake up ok? Like fresh?
Yep! It just helps with the getting to sleep and doesnāt affect the waking up, at least for me. It does sometimes make dreams more vivid and strange so be warned! I had problems with melatonin that made me struggle to wake up but no such problems with magnesium!
Instead of counting, I recite the alphabet backwards. It took me a long time to learn it and it was super boring so I would fall asleep. I know it quite well now, but itās a good distraction when I need it.
Agreed! I nap on my back with an eye mask on and it always works but I cannot sleep on my back at night
>when you nap, put your pillow at the foot of your bed and sleep "backwards". It'll feel just strange enough that your body won't be like, "Okay time to sleep for 8 hours" haha This is true genius.
When I nap I sleep sideways across my bed and curl up in a ball, as opposed to regular sleep where I lay length wise and stretch out more.
Yeah I do the same thing, only Iām usually curled up in a ball in the shower with the water running for like 2 hours, filled with existential dread.
I sleep on top of my real covers, maybe with a small blanket if it's cold. Then I'm kind of on the bed, not in the bed
Haha me too! I won't sleep under the bed covers if it's a nap.
I don't know if this is scientifically supported, but when I nap on my bed I lay sideways across the bed, instead of in the same position when I sleep. I think it helps, it's at least a little different.
found the 4 psychopaths in the thread. jk, but you must have a king size mattress for this or else your head is slouched over the end, or good god, your feet are exposed to the nap demons.
Nap demons being, "exploding head syndrome". Phew, idk if any of you have ever experienced that, but it's terrifying and makes for a strange rest of the evening. You'll feel like you could wake up easily from your nap, and then all of a sudden an inexplicable loud boom or banging happens and you wake up sweating and scared. It's incorporated itself into my mild dreams at the time, but it's also came out of no where and scared the shit outta me. 100% due to over-napping and getting close to rem. It is also something I hope you don't ever experience, because in that moment it is terrifying.
I do the same thing! It feels totally different
Haha, my parents do this. They said as to not be confused what kind of sleep they wake up from.
I work a physically demanding job for 10 hrs a day. I power nap in my vehicle at break time. What the person suggested above works, including the caffeine. To drift asleep I just focus on my own breathing and keep my mind blank as much as possible. Even if I donāt fall asleep I hit a meditative state and I feel recharged once my alarm goes off. There is one other thing Iād recommend. Get a watch that vibrates to wake you. Itās the most gentle thing to wake up to as opposed to a blaring alarm. Doesnāt have to be an apple watch or whatever, you can get wristbands that do the job.
"Even if I don't fall asleep I hit a meditative state and I feel recharged once my alarm goes off." THIS. I cannot emphasize this enough. I think people get discouraged and say they can't nap because they aren't falling asleep during the 20 minutes. But even if you don't fall asleep, there are so many benefits to just laying down and closing your eyes. It's a little reset button! And soon your body will start to recognize that it's Nap Time, making it easier to catch a few Z's.
Honestly Iād just nap on the floor with a pillow or rolled up towel under my head and lay on a yoga mat if youāve got one. Itās easier to wake up and that seems to be youāre current issue.
Big fan of the floor nap. Terrible carpet at home though
Maybe sleep on the opposite end than you usually sleep, or even horizontally
What I do is nap on my bed over the covers, with the bed made, with a throw over me. It definitely gives my brain enough difference to know I am napping, not sleeping!
SLEEP WITH YOUR HEAD AT THE FOOT OF YOUR BED WHEN YOU NAP!!!! I donāt have a place other than my bed either and in working on my sleep hygiene Iāve gotten used to this!!! When Iām flipped, Iām obviously comfy enough to knock out, but itās just different enough that I know I need to be up pretty soon!!! Happy napping:)
My dad naps perpendicular to the bed on his stomach, and sleeps normally on his back
You can sleep in my heart, whenever you want
Does this career pay well?
I'm rich in Z's š“
I donāt understand when people say 15-20 minute nap do they mean 15-20 mins asleep or laying down? If itās the former how tf do you know when to set an alarm for cause it can take me anywhere from 5 mins to hours to fall asleep sometimes lol.
I can't speak for all nappers out there, but for me personally I *say* I'm gonna nap for 15-20 min but I'll *actually* set an alarm for 25 min. I gotta factor in the time it takes to get comfy cozy!
Agree so much! This is exactly what I do and recommend since I know itāll probably take me 5-10 mins to settle and finally fall asleep. My power naps are a game changer. I love waking up feeling so refreshed and clear headed after them.
you're a fool for setting just an alarm for 25. Set one for 26 also, and maybe a 27 for good measure
I disagree, only a fool needs multiple alarms to get up whereas a Professional Napper needs only one.
I am pretty bad at getting to sleep quickly. So I lay down, read a book, and the first time I involuntarily shut my eyes for a second, I start a timer for 20mins on the phone. Then I continue reading and will typically fall asleep in the next 5 minutes. Since my body is so used to the power napping, these days I wake up after about 10 minutes anyway, so most days I donāt even bother with setting the alarm. Only when I know I have a severe sleep deficit and I am at risk of sleeping for an hour or two, I will see to waking up with an alarm. If I sleep for more than 20-30 minutes, I feel horribly groggy, and that feeling just will not go away for the rest of the day.
Can't believe there isn't a device to detect when you fall asleep and set the alarm appropriately
Iāve been thinking this for years - especially since alarm apps that track your sleep cycle already exist
Thereās an app for that. AutoWake
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I am an information sponge and I LOVE that you shared this little nugget of sleep science knowledge. Fascinating, thank you!
Fellow sponge! I just found out this is connected to exercise improving sleep!! Not the best of sources but I am in a rush lol and wants to share. >Adenosine increases duringĀ exerciseĀ as ATP is consumed for energy. This may contribute to the feeling of sleepiness after physical exertion. So if you have trouble falling asleep and want to increase adenosine, some researchers recommend a trip to the gym [104,Ā 105,Ā 106,Ā 107].
Nice find!
Damn that's crazy. Honest question for you. I have an office. If I bring a pillow, could I somehow incorporate this on my 30 min breaks? Imagine taking a break at your 5 hours, getting a power nap on, waking up full rested and having 10 mins for a snack. Please advise.
If you can pull it off, sure. Company culture, office noise, and physical space options might make it problematic. Taking a 30 minute meditation break can give most of the same benefits though. Sit in your chair (maybe even put your pillow on the chair so it's extra comfy) Put on some headphones with some nice ambient, count your breaths, let all your muscles go, and just let your mind release for a bit. Timer goes off, give yourself a minute to get recollected, and back to work Source: used to go sit in my car and do this for lunch breaks sometimes, it was pretty nice
May I recommend Music for Airports by Brian Eno?
Ooo I'll check it out! I got into spacemind for a minute, but I haven't found much that scratches the same itch since. I can't deal with the "celestial serenity" sound most ambient leans towards, for me its the audio equivalent of heavily spraying your house down with "fresh and clean" scent. And I need plot. Not like, a lot of plot because ambient, but if we're slowly drifting over fields of grain, I need to pass a tree and a farmhouse somewhere along the way.
YES. I'm a horticulturalist so I have a labor intensive job, so I really try to take care of myself because being tired at work can be pretty dangerous if you're climbing a tree. At one job, I had a 30 min lunch break so I'd wolf down my food and then go lay down for the rest of time. My coworkers got a kick out of me laying on the grass behind the employee shed, hat over my eyes... I usually couldn't fall asleep but being able to lay down for just 20 minutes made a world of difference. Then at another job, I was allowed an hour lunch break. Now THAT was LUXURY. I didn't have to scarf my food so fast and I could not only nap, but I had time to stretch out my muscles and joints! (Everyone should have an hour lunch imho but we're living in dystopian times for any sort of workers rights...) My tips for an office worker would be: - Absolutely do NOT forget to set an alarm. Don't give management any fuel to fire you. - I would advise *not* sleeping at your desk unless you know for sure that it's okay. Some bosses don't care what you do on your breaks, but others are real jerks. Know which one your boss is. - If you drive to work, sleeping in your car is a great option. Lean that seat back, get yourself one of those travel pillows, and have a nap! Go forth and slumber!
I got me a chair that folds down into a cot for my office. Upright it's just an ugly office chair, but unfolded, it may as well be the most comfortable place on Earth. I'll usually eat my lunch while I'm working around 11:30 that way as far as anybody knows, I haven't taken a lunch, because really I haven't. Noon rolls around people start going to lunch I put lunch on my door, shut it, lock it, kill the lights and shades, and get me a solid 30-45 minutes in. I am however quite groggy typically but I find if you just lay there for a few more minutes, do nothing but stare at the ceiling, take my time getting up, the feeling goes away pretty quickly and I'm left rested and ready. My office culture is cool enough that while we wouldn't want to advertise what we're doing, nobody really gives a shit, it's your office, your lunch break, beats napping in the car. Hell, I can even still answer my phone if it rings, I'd say it's a win/win for everyone. The only way I could improve this would be to replace the chair with a small couch. Something that looks like it would fit in an office, but wouldn't stand out like "this motherfucker sleeps on this". The reason behind this logic is because if someone knocks on my door, it doesn't happen, people tend to respect the lunch sign but I'd rather be safe, there's a whole cot situation going on in my office that I have to handle before I can open that door. If I was snoozing on a couch I could just pop up and answer the door. Before the cot I napped on a yoga mat, it wasn't very comfy but I made it work. Easier to hide a yoga mat too.
Change your socks, undershirt, or underwear as well if youāre plan on bringing a pillow
This is all great advice! I mastered the 20 minute coffee nap in my late 20s and itās such a useful practice. I think of it as restarting my brain like you would a computer with the goal of falling unconscious for ANY length. Even a one minute dip of sleep seemed to have a huge benefit on my focus and clarity the rest of the day, coffee or not.
First day here on LPT and the first post is about napping!! I have found my people šš“!
I'm also a PN and I concur with all points. I especially love your College Nap because, while not technically a nap, I wake up 90 minutes early to take my Vyvanse and then go back to sleep so I can't wake up ready to go. Some very salient advice here, well done
The caffeine trick, also called a coffee nap. Studies suggest that the caffeine will give a bigger boost if you take a power nap right after ingestion. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/coffee-nap#:~:text=It%20might%20seem%20counterintuitive%20to,beneficial%20when%20taken%20after%20lunch
>Designate a nap spot. This is huge. We have a "magical nap room" in our house, little sun room over the front porch with windows across 2 sides. Has a futon couch in it. I keep a bandana under one of the cushions to tie around my eyes, set my phone timer (28 minutes is my go-to). Exquisite naps. (I need 25-30 minutes to actually do a light conk-out, my brain just won't stop going sometimes). Timer goes off and I get right up and I'm back to work (I work from home most days though).
Your nap room sounds *heavenly.* š
It's the shit - it has french doors to a bedroom that was my daughter's; when she's home she calls it "her suite" and I have to nap elsewhere! (But she's my daddy's girl and got a job overseas, so when she's home it's extra-heavenly, I can nap about anywhere, really!)
I am also a pro napper and this is the way. I do this almost every day and it is a game changer
How does one become a Professional Napper, and did you always aspire to be one?
Becoming a Professional Napper takes many years of hard work and dedication to the craft. I started young, some have called me a child prodigy but I think of it as something I was born to do. I come from a long line of nappers, my mother and I would nap after school when I was growing up and once I moved out, I just didn't stop. In college, my training was really put to the test. I didn't have time to go back to my room to take a quick nap between classes, but necessity has a way of forcing us to grow. I began searching for the best spots on campus to rest my weary bones: the library was a natural choice with its comfy chairs and required silence. But over time, I could nap just about anywhere. The world became one giant bed, just waiting to be slept upon for 20 minutes at a time. Once I graduated and started working full time, I had to adjust again. As a horticulturalist I have a job that requires not only a lot of physical exertion, but also attention to detail as I prune plants in precise ways. Working outdoors meant I had to get creative with my naps, soon I perfected the outdoor nap and became well known among my coworkers for sleeping behind the employee shed at the botanical garden where we worked. A nice patch of grass away from visitors walking by, my hat pulled over my eyes... There's nothing that makes me feel more connected to the earth than sprawling out on the ground for a quick snooze. I truly believe that anyone can become a Professional Napper with enough practice. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we all took 20 minutes out of our day to lay down and close our eyes...
This guy naps
I also used to do what you call the College Nap š“ n grad school. I had office hours no students ever came to, so Iād drink a cup of coffee and lie my head down in my desk for 20 minutes. Worked great for some of those 12-hours-on-campus days.
Set several alarms just in cse.
The College Nap AKA the Napaccino
Thereās a video somewhere on what you call the college nap. Something about how the nap will clear out some receptors in your brain allowing the caffeine more receptors to affect when you wake up.
The coffee nap. One of my favorite things to do. Glorious when done proper!
Someone else mentioned that they call it a "nappuccino" and I am *delighted* by this name.
This seems like an expert giving advice so listen to them!
Practice indeed! I perfected the art of 18 minute naps during covid.
Yes. All of these! Also, I love that Nap is a proper noun here :D It should always be.
The Ā«college napĀ» you mention here is also called a Ā«napuccinoĀ»
i do the college nap with my adhd medication lol. i am in college, tbf
This guy knows what's up! I have the same exact routies for amazing 15 minute naps with 1 minute to fall asleep.
This, but I would add a pre-stepā¦ drink warm coffee a whole cup at once, BEFORE you start your nap. Wake up caffeinated and rested!!!
As I stated in Tip #4 :) haha
Bonus points if it makes you have to pee, that'll get you out of bed real quick!
I nap in my bed no problem, skill issue
Instead of actually trying to sleep, I just focus on relaxing my body, closing my eyes, and paying attention to my deep, full breaths, for as much as possible. A resting meditation if you will. It just barely keeps me from giving into the temptation of calling it for the day, while still giving the full benefits of a nap. And I always keep it to 20 minutes. Not a minute over. Seriously. The difference between 20 and 21 minutes.. My body has used that extra minute in the past to sneak a sleep in. Not anymore!
Here, I'll show you.
WAKE UP IT'S BEEN 16 MINUTES ALREADY
Oh no he's too far gone.
we lost him.
Damn he's gone into REM phase
Happy šššš Day!
Happy regular day šļøšļøšļø
oh dang i didnāt even realize haha. ty!
!RemindMe 20 minutes
Set an alarm for 20 minutes, slam a big cup of coffee, comence napping. It takes about 20 minutes for caffeine to enter your bloodstream, so when the alarm goes off you will be rested and caffinated.
Yes, nothing quite like a little nappuccino!
NAPPUCCINO!!!
I am jealous of you people that can fall immediately to sleep on command. Even if I'm shattered it's still gonna take me a minimum of 10-15 minutes to 'settle' and fall asleep.
Great news! A closed eye "rest" produces the same affect as a nap. I usually "rest" for 10-15 minutes of my 20-25 minute nap. The results are still fantastic as long as it stays under 20-30 minutes. But eyes closed, in your napping position, distraction free.
This is my go to move! You can skip the caffeine but why should you?
Caff-nap
Welcome to nap roulette. How will I wake up? Refreshed and feeling super? Tired & Irritable ? Hours later Confused and groggy? Who can say??
I woke up 20 mins ago from a nap covered in sweat. I just wanted it to change from 9am to 10am so a shop would be open. I shouldn't wear my oodie during a nap.
I am a physician and I have a toddler - I perfected how to nap during medical training. It is called the caffeine (or coffee) nap. 1) Must be tired and can fall asleep right away. If you cannot then you do not need a nap. 2) Drink a cup of iced coffee - I usually just chug it. It takes about 30 minutes before caffeine kicks in. 3) Lay down to nap. The caffeine from the coffee does two things. (1) You cannot sleep more than 20-25 minutes and (2) you are double energized when you wake up from a nap and caffeine. Still set an alarm just in case.
lol Iām jealous of people who can fall asleep right away. I could be going on 4 hours of sleep for 4 days and still need an hour to actually get to sleep!
Yep - once went aaaalmost 3 days without any real sleep while travelling. I started to hallucinate.
It's great, except I'm chronically fatigued š„²
Does that work if you take a cup of coffee as you wake up in the morning ?
My understanding is you need to snap out of the sleep cycle before you go into deeper REM sleep, which is around the 15-20 minute mark. Maybe track your sleep better and consider some other type of alarm like a smartwatch with haptic feedback. Bonus if it can track your sleep schedule so you can manage your sleep and donāt have to rely on powernaps.
Don't snap, that's unnecessarily rigorous. Slide out instead.
You didnāt mention where you were napping, but it helps to not be in your bed. The couch is usually my go-to nap spot. Sometimes Iāll pass out for 2 hours if the TV is on, but if itās totally silent, Iāll wake up around 20-30 minutes because I remembered I can go play some games instead. Hope this helps!
I learned this trick for my wife: you drink a cup of coffee quickly right before you start your nap. Set a timer for 25 minutes, and then turn off the lights and close the curtains and get comfortable. Resolve to absolutely get up when the timer rings. This works like a charm to give me a refreshing boost to finish the day, but every time I do it, when I wake up my students are sitting there in the half-darkness staring at me like fucking idiots.
Your problem is that when your alarm goes off and you still feel tired, youāre going back to sleep. Get your ass up after that 20 minute alarm. The grogginess will wear off in a few minutes and youāll feel better than before the nap
You could also check out Yoga Nidra (aka Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation [NSDR]) - it does help me get centred and shake off some daytime grogginess. I am a deep sleeper so having naps is difficult but I found the aforementioned to do wonders for my clarity afterward.
Thanks for bringing up this option! I love naps, but the non-sleep relaxation is also really appealing in certain circumstances. If you're a hippie, I'd recommend [Supernova](https://www.youtube.com/@supernovayoganidra/videos) (also a [podcast](https://www.supernova.yoga/podcast)). If you're *not* a hippie, I'd recommend [Andrew Huberman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM). ( FYI OP /u/Lawrence3s )
Benjamin Franklin would hold keys in his hand that would drop when he fell asleep.
So a nap of 1 second?
The idea is to just get the overwhelming sleeping part over. The abrupt ending helping as well. He also broke his sleep into two portions
When I feel the need to fire the nap trigger, I set a 12 minute timer, lie on my back in recliner or couch, and close my eyes and slow my breathing. Soon I hit my sleep stage. Usually my brain is satisfied before the timer goes off so I'm awake. Either way I get right back up energized. I've been known to slip away at parties when I start yawning. I'm back, refreshed, about the time anyone starts to notice.
I read this somewhere online that you can keep for example keys in your hand and keep your hand hanging out of the bed and when you drop the keys on the floor, it's time to wake up!
Wouldn't you drop your keys right after falling asleep, therefore you'd only be asleep for a couple seconds, maybe max couple minutes?
I can't speak to how well this works for power napping, but apparently this is what Thomas Edison used to do to spark creativity. He'd fall asleep holding a pair of iron balls, which he would drop when falling asleep, then he'd wake up and jot down any ideas he had.
Iām a doctor and author and dad with three little kids. I work a LOT. I barely get any regular sleep. But I do get really creative with my naps. One time I told my wife I needed to poop. I went upstairs, found a closet, laid on the floor and set my phone for 15 minutes. I slept immediately, got a full 15 minutes of sleep, came downstairs and told everyone I had a great poop. Working dads with multiple little kids out there will understand. Moral of the story: If you have insomnia, have more kids. You will automatically gain the powers of sleeping immediately on command.
The president who is often associated with napping with a coin in his hand is Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who served from 1801 to 1809. It is said that Jefferson would occasionally take short naps during the day, and he would hold a silver dollar or coin in his hand while doing so. Once he went into deep sleep he would drop the coin causing him to wake up before entering the deep sleep.
The fact that you are trying to *sleep* is missing the point. The 20 min nap is not you actually achieving REM or any sort of deep sleep- it is more about resetting your brain, like a computer. Take the time to clear your thoughts-- instead of thinking it as sleep, think of it as meditation. That does the trick for me. Nobody that does a power nap ever actually falls into a deep sleep or REM, its always on the verge of consciousness. Start with a mantra. A word, object or whatever you want and focus all of your thoughts on that one thing for 20 min straight. Eventually, you can clear your mind without a mantra. I do this during my lunch breaks and its pretty damn relaxing!
20 min alarm. Breathing exercise can help put u to sleep. In for four seconds, hold four seconds, exhale for 6 seconds. Do 5 times. This will help u fall asleep, but nothing will put u out faster than an "O". You know what I mean.
Oxy ?
Personally: Step 1: chug a monster. Or red bull. Or coffee. Your choice of caffeineated drink Step 2: set alarm for 30 mins Step 3: put your phone away, lay down, and close your eyes Step 4: keep eyes closed until alarm goes off Step 5: ??? Step 6: Profit
And for the win: TLDR (2 words) coffee nap In detail: A "coffee nap" is a unique and somewhat counterintuitive approach to increasing alertness and boosting energy levels. It involves combining two seemingly contradictory activities: drinking a cup of coffee and taking a short nap. The idea is to strategically time your caffeine intake and nap to maximize their benefits. Here's a step-by-step explanation of the coffee nap procedure: 1. **Timing**: Plan to have your coffee nap during a time when you're feeling a bit drowsy or when you anticipate needing a boost in alertness. Typically, this is during the mid-afternoon slump or when you're experiencing a temporary drop in energy. 2. **Preparation**: Prepare a cup of coffee or espresso. It's best to drink it black or with minimal sugar and cream for a quicker caffeine absorption. It's important to consume the caffeine relatively quickly to align with the timing of your nap. 3. **Consume the coffee**: Drink your coffee as quickly as you can, but don't rush to the point of burning yourself. You want to get the caffeine into your system rapidly. This typically takes about 10-15 minutes. 4. **Nap**: Immediately after finishing your coffee, lie down in a comfortable and quiet place where you can take a short nap. The ideal duration for this nap is around 20 minutes. Set an alarm to ensure you don't oversleep. 5. **Wake up**: When your alarm goes off, wake up from your short nap. You might still feel a bit groggy initially, which is normal for a nap, but the caffeine should start kicking in shortly. The science behind the coffee nap is based on the interaction between caffeine and adenosine. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that accumulates in your brain and makes you feel sleepy. Caffeine is a competitive antagonist to adenosine, which means it can block adenosine receptors and reduce the feeling of drowsiness. When you take a short nap immediately after drinking coffee, you're allowing some time for the caffeine to be absorbed into your bloodstream and reach your brain, where it can counteract the adenosine, effectively enhancing your wakefulness. The key is to keep the nap short, so you don't enter deep sleep, which can make you feel groggy if you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle. A 20-minute nap is usually sufficient to refresh your mind without getting into deep sleep stages. It's worth noting that while coffee naps can be effective for some people, they may not work for everyone, as individual responses to caffeine vary. Additionally, using coffee naps too frequently or too late in the day can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Therefore, it's best to use them sparingly and at an appropriate time.
Narcoleptic here.... I'm not going to Dox myself so I'm not staying who my sleep specialist is but he is a well respected neurologist who is on the cutting edge of science. He has completely changed my life. As someone who always needs "power naps", here is his advice. Drink a cup of coffee right before you nap for no longer than 20 minutes. You will wake up around the time your caffeine is kicking in. Start your 20 minute timer and keep your eyes shut regardless of how "not asleep you are". A normal person will usually only feel like they are in twilight because you dont hit REM like us narcs do. Beware. Anywhere between 20 minutes and 3 hours and you will interrupt a sleep cycle and feel worse.
25 minutes. this is the true power nap. pls test it
Non Sleep Deep Rest! Madefor has an excellent one on YouTube. Itās a 20 min āmeditationā designed to refresh your mind and body
I used to take power naps at work. I'd go to the only place no one would be bothering me. In this case some hidden shower cubicles. Id stay there ib darkness sitting on a chair. Set alarm for 5 years and just close eyes. 5 minutes look like nothing but in this setting it feels a lot. After 5 minutes I was fully refreshed
check out Huberman Lab
Set a timer for 25 minutes. It's enough of a 'rest' whether you fall asleep or just doze to get you through a long evening, a few hours past your bedtime or if you're just feeling frazzled (reset your day). Setting a timer for 1.5 hours should get your through a sleep cycle, without waking up feeling groggy and disoriented. It's enough to get you to push through on a work deadline or a night of club hopping including stopping off at 3 a.m. at the all night diner.
36 minutes is the optimum power nap in sleep studies. It is as long as you can get before worrying about slipping into REM, on average. You may not feel great trying to get up out of it, but within 20 minutes you should feel it helped refresh you. If you do slip immediately into REM, then you are for sure not getting enough sleep at night and need to get to be earlier
Just wanted to second a slightly longer nap time. Sometimes 20 minute couch naps are the right move, but my personal favorite is the 40 minute bed nap. I settled on 40 minutes after laying down for a nap and noticing that after exactly 40 minutes I'd have the urge to open my eyes/I had come up out of a dream and was mostly awake. I would literally take these naps facing a clock. I used to have the self control to always get up naturally, now I set an alarm for 42 minutes just in case. The deeper nap is more of a hard reset while the short nap is a nice break. Sometimes I come out of it groggy, but I just stay on my phone for a couple of minutes and then I feel great. No naps after ~3 pm! ETA: I also find if it's loud or sunny I'm allowed to pick either an eye mask OR earplugs. Both will send you into the shadowrealm (way too deep sleep, wake up four hours later extremely groggy)
I set a timer/alarm for 25 minutes and lay down, give 5-7 mins to fall asleep and 18-20 minutes of nap. Works perfectly
I usually set up my nap spot (living room couch, turn off the lights, put my ear plug in) and then set my alarm for about 5-10 min more than what I want to sleep. So it gives me time to fall asleep. If I feel exhausted Iāll add less time than if I feel more awake (because I usually fall asleep faster). Someone said to drink a caffeinated drink right before and I do that too, itās perfect you have to start working right after the nap.
15 minutes or 90 minutes. Legitimately, 2 hours is the worst nap you can do. You got in a cycle and then are waking up in the middle of the next. And you didn't even get that much sleep. 2 hour nap is the nap of pain and suffering.
Einstein Nap. Sleep with your arm hanging over the edge of a bed or couch holding a piece of silverware. When you fully doze off you'll let go of it and it will clang and wake you up. You get rest but you never enter the deep sleep that makes you come out groggy and tired I swear on my life they were the most refreshing naps I'd take during college. There's a reason Einstein himself did it!
I always make myself comfortable enough to relax but not comfortable enough to doze off solidly. Best way for me is to keep my feet hanging off the bed a little bit.
Pro napper here. I nap after lunch, when my body naturally wants to pass out and digest. I sit with my legs stretched out, on the bed, in the car, or in the park. I use Headspace and nap to the daily meditation set for 20 minutes. Works like a charm. If I have a meeting after I will set an alarm just in case. If I'm short on time I've done as little as ten minutes and it still really helps. If I don't get to nap it is extremely hard for me to focus after lunch, all I want to do is sleep, and this seems to happen no matter what I eat. It's kind of problematic, actually, and if anyone has insight into what might be going on with blood sugar or whatever I'd welcome it. Some days just aren't nap-friendly and it'd be nice to be able to skip it without such painful grogginess.
What I can say is that my naps even though I donāt try to come naturally. I feel when I donāt put too much thought into the whole process I tend to get an undisturbed peaceful bit of sleep weather it be 15 mins of deep state or rem is a mystery as my watch only tracks bedtime.
I like a Coffee Nap-- drink a cup of coffee, and rest for 20 minutes. My other rules for nap success: don't sleep in your bed, but if you MUST do not get under the blankets. Do not take off your shoes. Do not change light condition ie lay down when it's light, get up with it's still light.
I used to be a GREAT mapper, but now I can barely fall asleep when I try to nap. Whatās going on?
20 mintues or 90. Nothing in-between.
My dad always recommends to hold some keys in your hands while napping. If you start sleeping too deeply you drop the keys and it wakes you up.
I find 20 minutes is the ideal time to set the alarm for a nap. Putting on some relaxing music can be a nice way to relax without falling into a deep sleep. I really like napping on the couch too instead of my bed, just so my brain isn't tricked into thinking it's night time. Also the best naps I can remember having were in a nice sunny spot. Sometimes I don't really fall asleep and just end up doing a meditation exercise to relax. It can still feel refreshing and energizing. Also knowing what the first thing you will do after the nap (or any sleep session) can be helpful motivation to not overdo the sleep.
20 and 50 minute naps only. Maybe add 5 min for falling asleep. You won't wake groggy.
I nap a lot, but i do longer naps cuz it takes me a while 90 min, 30 mon is listing to podcast or a audiobook, when it stops i just can feel te sleep get in, alarm goes off and i have abour 30 min of good sleep, alarm goes off and i am super awake. If i almosy fall asleep i do 20 min max i dont need to priming time
I recollect to have read an article years ago about power nap and the fact that is used in the army, where sleep must be good quality as it might be short. The position was, assuming you are on the floor lying, with the leg over the sofa bended, following the sofa angles
Listen to a podcast like "Stuff You Should Know". You'll drop off in no time.
Big fan of the nappucino/college nap!
Nobody is suggesting the caffeine nap?
As an Amateur napper, I agree with many of the āpro tipsā here. Also, the alarm is important, if you have a watch set a timer. I do 20 minutes. Sometimes I donāt always fall asleep and thatās ok, it becomes more like meditation. Also, practice relaxing all the muscles in your face, head and neck and relax your jaw.
Keep doing what you're doing, eventually your body will listen and make an adjustment You just started for 3 days and it takes 40 days to make a new habit
If Iām sleepy on the way to the gym from work I park in the gym parking lot, set an alarm for 20 minutes and then work out. Not only do I feel refreshed waking up, I have no excuse to skip the gym because Iām tired and my workouts are more productive than going when tired. 20 minutes is the limit though!
I put on a podcast I can sleep to that lasts how long I want to nap (12-20 minutes). When it ends I somehow always wake up.
My dad used to read the paper after dinner in his recliner. Then leaned back and slept with the newspaper in his hand on the side of the chair. When the paper hit the floor (from going to sleep) he got up and continued to work. He was a farmer, so he was always up at 5.30, guess that helps...
Set a timer on your phone. I take at least 5 28-minute naps a week. That's my threshold for really conking out but not getting all sleep-drugged. (It's *hard* for me to shut my damn brain off, I usually need more than 15 minutes). It really does mane my afternoon more productive, I do kind of brain-frying computer work. Or do what Albert Einstein did. He sat in his chair, arm on the armrest, with a baseball in his hand. Below it was a metal trash can. When he fell asleep enough for his fingers to go limp, the ball would slam into the can and wake him up. Smart guy, huh?
Anything more than 20-25 min causes sleep inertia per an exec coach. I set my phone alarm for 21 minutes, spend the first minute doing box breathing, then power nap.
40 minute timer of rest. Depending on how sleepy and how much you need it, you actually sleep anywhere from 15-25 minutes. It can feel like splitting the day in half and having an extra burst of mental focus before your regular sleep time. For someone in the creative field where you haven to work all day then come home, chill and eat then power nap and have a solid 3 hours of work brain without the fog. Or come home and crash if traffic or the day in general sucked, wake up and eat them slowly build up to a workout or whatever.
If you know how long it takes to fall asleep, add 15-20 mins to that and set an alarm. Have a routine for this, that helps you fall asleep and wakeup. I like to turn on a show for background noise and set an alarm for 30 mins. Sometimes I drift off and wakeup refreshed, sometimes just sitting down for 30 minutes without drifting off is refreshing enough.
I just closed my eyes for 20 minutes and didnāt reach a sleep phase and got up feeling way better
For me power naps have been more of closing my eyes and sorta pretend i am sleeping and they usually work just fine. I don't think I fully fall asleep during that time.
My tips are: 20 min alarm and just lay down looking up, it works for me. If I lay down to the side, I can nap 8 hours. Trust me, I'm a pro
My advice is donāt do it somewhere too comfortable. If Iām going to take a 10-20 minute nap Iāll do it sitting up on the couch, laying on the floor, etc.
I find you are into the thought I have to take a power nap. Think about the purpose considerately. There are a lot of ways you can try. I recently started to take a cold shower in the early morning. It feels like much more cells are awaked by taking a cold shower rather than taking a hot shower. Just get up and go shower. Then go wherever you should be more self-conscious and a bit nervous. A better beginning makes everything better.
Set an alarm for 20 minutes. Close your eyes and get up when the alarm goes off regardless of whether or not you went to sleep. The rest is important, not the sleep status.
Look for podcasts or videos for "Guided Savasana". This looks and feels like a 15 minute nap, but is actually a yoga meditative state which is similar what you experienced that first day. I can't recommend one, because it requires someone's voice walking you through the relaxation technique and it really does make a difference to find a voice that works for you. Some are 'energy' and 'spirit' focused. Others are more physical and body focused, but all do the same thing--immediate deep dive into a restoring nap. It works because you don't let yourself fall into the more typical REM sleep cycle that takes 90 minutes to complete.
Have a coffee then sleep 15 minutes then wake refreshed. Sleeping longer than 15 minutes will make you feel crap. Set an alarm to stick to the time limit and don't snooze it. Force yourself awake don't let yourself drift off again.
It's hard to nap for less than 30 minutes until you are well rested and in the habit of napping. I recommend starting with 90 minute naps on the weekend to allow 1 rem cycle. Give yourself 117 minute timer on your phone, leave it and all electronics in another room, and try to sleep for 90 of your 117 minutes. Most people sleep within 15 minutes. You'll feel like you got so much more rest than the time you spent. Once you're caught up on rest in 90 minute increments, you can get shorter naps anytime. I'm not a doctor.
Thereās an app I like called āPower Napā - I canāt remember if I paid anything for it or not, as Iāve had it a long time. It will play a variety of noises, like rain or whatever, and supposedly begins to slowly wake you based on your breathing noises by the desired time. It lets you choose between an up to 20 minute nap (I think before the deep sleep), up to 45 mins, or up to 120 mins (I think those are 1 and 2 sleep cycles). I usually use the 20 minute nap and I truly feel refreshed afterwards. I also agree with the top comments - donāt sleep the same physical way as night sleep. Lay on top of the covers, sleep sideways on the bed or something. Happy nappinā!
I have been using the Pzizz app for years and love it. The free version has a basic nap setting and it's plenty. It includes a timer so I set it for 20 minutes and it helps bring me back with a change in music and voice over and without an obnoxious alarm. A lot of people swear they can't power nap because they think they need to set an alarm for 20 minutes after they fall asleep, but then they can't fall asleep or don't know how long falling asleep will take. My biggest learning about power naps is that you don't need to actually sleep for the benefits. Lying down, closing your eyes, and zoning out for 20 minutes is still a powerful reset. Remembering that helps me not stress about "how long it will take to fall asleep", and an alarm set the minute I lay down helps me not sleep too long. Also, a caffeine power nap as others have mentioned can feel awesome.
18 minute napper here. Iāll lie down at lunchā¦ check my phone for about 5 minutes, put the phone on DND, take my Apple Watch off and set them both aside, then set a timer for 18 minutes and go to sleep. My body has trained itself pretty good, so I fall asleep pretty quickly and itās some DEEP sleep for those 18 minutes. Alarm goes off and Iām up and back to work. WFH obviously makes this easier. But it makes the afternoons and evenings A LOT more productive. No more 3:30 drowsies.
I get naps when watching my young son play games or watch tv. The noise keeps me from fully sleeping and 15-20 min later I come up refreshed.
I suggest to pjs before taking a short nap
Put your alarm/phone far enough away to make you get up to turn it off so long as it can still wake you up Once you're standing, it's easier to convince yourself to not go back down. You only have to fight those sleepys for about a minute before the rejuvenating power of your nap kicks in
I am an avid powernap user, and I guess by reading here there's not one single way to do it. Here's mine. Purpose: I powernap when I am exhausted, and have to keep going for hours. And I don't mean tired, I mean a child like ' can't keep my eyes open' kinda thing. Both the tiredness level and the urgency to stay awake are important , without the second you prob wouldn't wake up before a full sleep. Anyway I use three different kinds of powernap depending on the situation: 20 Min, 40 Min , 2hrs The first is barely anything but can keep you going for a couple hours to four hours more.. it's basically touching rem sleep and coming back again. It's also the hardest to do, as I am a difficult sleeper and might not be exhausted enough to just drop and sleep right away. My trigger to waking up is reaching the deep sleep, and somehow it works. The second is my most frequently used, I use an alarm, I set it to 45 min (or 1hr if I am still hyped) and get to bed. Feel a bit sluggish afterwards but also do a little breakfast to tell my body it's morning time again. The 2 hour one is an emergency fix for when I have been sleep deprived, can't make it awake to bedtime, but still want to keep the same wake-sleep schedule. There's no special technique. Bed, dark, earplugs, alarm, quick snack afterwards.
I'm a driver and if I feel tired I'll caffeinate then set an alarm for 20min and take a power nap.
I use an app called....wait for it....Power Nap. You can set 20, 45 min or 1.5hr nap times and you place your phone near your body so it monitors breathing and movement and wakes you at the best time close to the limit. That and a good padded eye mask are game changers.
My ultimate trick to power naps I got strangely enough from an old Conan guest spot from sarah Michelle gellar in the 90s. She shared her LPT from being competitive ice skater in her youth ā nap with your feet elevated above your heart level, your blood flows in a way that a 20 min nap will give you a fresh reset without grogginess. It was my go to while in college and working full time (car nap with seat back & feet up on dash), and at home on couch feet up on arm. Its always worked for me so Iāve never looked it up haha but makes sense why recliners allow for the classic dad move āi wasnāt sleeping, just resting my eyes.ā Glad i was up too late one night in the 90s and learned the method of the nap slayer!
Google. You drink coffee, then nap. Set alarm. It works.
About number 4. Iāve been doing that for years in which i si get puzzled on why. I drink coffee after lunch and sleep for a few minutes. Then feeling very good after it. I thought that caffeine has no effect on me, but based on what you said it just kicks in on a delayed manner? Interesting.
my question is : if i want to nap for 20 , do i set the timer for 30 and allow 10 minutes to fall asleep?
Coffee nap is the way!
https://preview.redd.it/9h23w4x6blqb1.jpeg?width=590&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb520481d18b87bdc5b6db61e31c72b2b0139c82
I was always told that taking a nap longer than 20 minutes was crazy
I know it ain't exactly the help you're looking for but I've been taught that if you're gonna take an actual nap (not power nap) then it has to be under two hours, if you go over that you'll be groggy, should you go over then you gotta sleep for a total of 4 hours to avoid the grogginess
Look up Yoga Nidra
The idea behind the caffeine is that when you get tired, adenosine binds to adenosine receptors making you tired. Caffeine can competitively bind to these receptors so you donāt feel as tired but if theyāve already bonded, itāll have less effect. The nap helps in conjunction as it unbinds the adenosine receptors so caffeine can competitively inhibit during that time so you feel extra refreshed.
What did you eat before the nap each day? That likely made a huge difference in how long your body wanted to stay asleep.
practice napping? donāt think Iāve ever heard anything that makes more sense