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Adults and children may have conflicting opinions on the practice, but there’s no denying that naps offer an opportunity for an afternoon energy boost that hones focus and creativity. However, those with experience know that an improperly timed nap can leave you feeling disoriented as sleep inertia – more commonly known as grogginess – sets in. This begs the question: How should you nap to maximize your energy?

A short “power nap” is perfect if you don’t have a full afternoon to commit to slumber, with 30 minutes allowing you to close your eyes and drift off without giving enough time to reach deeper levels of sleep.* For an extra boost, try drinking coffee before lying down.** This may sound like a counterintuitive measure, but the full effects of caffeine begin to peak within a half hour.*** With the proper timing, you can amplify the impact of your nap and skip the groggy phase of waking up. Power naps, when taken early enough in the day, shouldn’t affect your nightly bedtime,^ though you may want to exercise caution if you pair them with caffeine. Stimulants can keep you awake longer than intended, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends abstaining at least six hours before your evening repose.***

Power naps are pleasant, but sometimes a 30-minute snooze isn’t enough. How do you get more sleep without subjecting yourself to inertia? The answer to this precarious balance is found within your sleep cycles. Resting longer than 30 minutes allows you to reach deeper sleep, and the only way out is to continue sleeping until the cycle completes. That will take approximately 90 minutes, at which time you have a window to wake up. While it feels nice to take advantage of this, remember that long rests have a substantially higher risk of interfering with your evening routine, and most experts agree you shouldn’t sleep past three in the afternoon.**

Naps should be timed well to ensure you can rest easily at night. Oversleeping and starting your nap too late are common pitfalls, but there’s more you should consider. Depending on your level of sleep deprivation, you may reach the deeper stages of your cycle at an accelerated rate. You should carefully determine the severity of your fatigue and be exceedingly choosy about the time you allow yourself to sleep, should you determine you’re too exhausted for a short rest. If you’re already well into the afternoon, you may want to skip the nap and opt for an early bedtime instead.^

Napping has a host of benefits, regardless of age, though they’re not always without the consequence of waking up groggy. To get the most out of an afternoon lie-down, be mindful of your level of fatigue, the time you doze off, and the amount of sleep you need to enjoy the most desirable effects.

Sources:

*The Sleep Foundation

**Sleep Score

***Healthline

^The CDC