NAPS
ONE THIRD OF AMERICANS choose to nap. NAPS HELP if you use them WISELY
TYPE OF NAPS
PLANNED NAPS: involves taking a nap to delay getting tired early or to help stay alert later than you normally would. This is common for shift workers, who do well napping before departing for work, or take a brief nap on lunch hour. This may also be needed if you got up early to catch a plane.
EMERGENCY NAPPING: occurs when you suddenly feel tired or fatigued and need to rest before completing a task that requires alertness. This is the best action to take if tired while driving, or you become tired while operating dangerous equipment or when you are ill.
HABITUAL NAPPING: when you take a nap at the same time every day (common for young children).
INADVERTENT NAPS: these accidental naps often occur at the end of the night, while unwinding—avoid as best as you can, as it may be hard to fall asleep at your regular bedtime. This is a warning to devote more time to sleep.
NAP TIMING AND LENGTH
Naps lead to increased alertness and more energy and can help memory and learning as well.
- Early afternoon, between 1:00 – 3:00 pm is usually best time to nap
- Keep naps short, aim for about 20 minutes
- Long Naps (generally more than 1 hour) can have negative effects
- You are more likely to feel GROGGY from a LONG NAP as you are likely to awaken from DEEP SLEEP
- Since you had DEEP SLEEP during the day, you may have little that night, resulting in more fragmented and less restorative sleep
CHOOSE YOUR NAP TYPE AND TIME IT WISELY
Take the “4 Week Sleep Challenge” to learn more about your sleep pattern.
The better your sleep habits, the better you’ll feel!