The perfect nap seems out of reach to many sleep-deprived college students. Complaints about not having enough time in the day and feeling even more tired afterward are common reasons why we tend to avoid taking a break in our busy day to get some much-needed rest. That being said, here are 5 tips to achieve the perfect nap:
- Aim for 20 Minutes
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This is important! Research shows that the perfect nap that refreshes the napper, avoids sleep inertia (that groggy feeling you get when you wake up from some naps) and shows cognitive improvements without delay is a nap of approximately 10 minutes. Even the act of doubling this time limit will introduce the effects of sleep inertia that will hinder an individual’s cognition for at least 35 minutes after being awoken. This is why Dr. Jessica Payne supports the 20 minute power nap. This seems to go against the ideal 10 minutes, however, 20 minutes allows most people time to actually fall into patterns of slow wave sleep. Some will take 5 minutes, others will take 15 minutes to fall asleep. Setting an alarm for exactly 20 minutes is your best bet for fitting a rejuvenating nap into your busy schedule without the risk of sleep inertia.
- When in Doubt, Intervals of 90
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If you are finding yourself regularly sleeping through your 20 minute nap alarm, it’s okay to give yourself more time. However, in order to reap all the benefits a nap could provide, try to keep the time to multiples of 90 minutes. 90 minutes is the approximate time it takes a fully developed human to complete one cycle of sleep. If someone is woken between cycles, they will typically avoid symptoms of sleep inertia and have more cognitive success than if woken in the middle of a cycle.
- Environment of the Nap
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Finding the perfect environment for a nap is tricky and almost completely dependent on personal preference. I personally find the least amount of sleep inertia and the most improvement on cognitive performance after napping in my desk chair with my head on my books for 15 minutes. Some may struggle falling asleep, requiring soft couches, a silent room and an absence of light. Others enjoy the ease of waking in a lively, uncomfortable space. This “perfect environment” will require patience before it is found.
- Any Nap is Better than No Nap
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If you are falling asleep at the wheel, during homework or in your plate of spaghetti, then you need any amount of sleep you can get. You look at your schedule and realize that you do not have a 90 minute break, but you do have a 50 minute break. Should you utilize the full amount, or wake up after 20 minutes? If you are so sleep deprived that you are falling asleep while driving a car, you need to sleep as much as possible. Take those 50 minutes and get some much-needed rest before waking up and finishing the drive. Any length of nap will make a small dent in the mountains of sleep debt that we all carry on a daily basis.
- We’re All Different—So Are Our Naps
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Although these facts are supported by significant results from research, they are all mean values that were observed in the studies. There is a good chance that your perfect nap varies from this standard, and that is okay. Do not feel dissuaded if you feel sleep inertia after setting your alarm for 20 minutes. Maybe you fell asleep right away and should lower the time of your alarm, or maybe a longer nap will be better for you than for others. Try again the next day if your earlier nap did not work—maybe you will find your perfect number and location next time!
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