With the Winter Olympics currently underway, we would like to celebrate an activity that should be considered an Olympic sport --napping. Although we might not ever see a "nap-thlete" take home a gold medal, we do get to celebrate on February 28th for National Public Sleeping Day.
Napping has been viewed as negative in the past but you should not feel guilty. It is not a sign of laziness but rather a great way to improve your physical and mental health. With National Public Sleeping Day quickly approaching, here are 5 tips to get the most out of your nap:
1. Lie Faced-Down
Although it is possible to sleep faced-up, it could actually take 50% longer to enter the nap stage. That is why it is recommended to sleep faced-down to maximize your nap time. As a bonus, it can save you from any embarrassing faces you might make during your nap.
2. Time Your Naps
After a few hours of being awake, your body starts to feel tired and that's when the afternoon drowsiness kicks in. Studies show that in order to make the most out of your naps and to wake up more refreshed, you should time your naps to 8 hours after you wake up.
If you wake up at 5 a.m. then the best time to nap is at 1 p.m., if you wake up at 6 a.m. the best time is at 2 p.m. and so on. If that means having to immediately stop what you're doing to take your nap then by all means bring home that Olympic gold!
3. Find A Comfortable Napping Place
We think everyone can agree that sleeping on a bed is much more comfortable than sleeping in a car. Therefore, you should find a nice and comfortable spot in your surrounding that you can rest in. Feel free to wear an eye-mask or ear plugs.
4. Have Caffeine Before A Nap
Although it might seem counter-intuitive to drink coffee before a nap since we use it to increase alertness, studies show caffeine kicks in about 30 minutes after consumption. Which is why we recommend taking a 30-minute nap after drinking caffeine. That way when you wake up you'll be energized to continue the day. Your future self will thank your past self.
5. Control Your Nap Length
Our last time is to keep your nap length to a maximum of 30 minutes. Taking a nap longer than 30 minutes can put you in a deep sleep and give you that same confused feeling you feel when you wake up in the morning.
BONUS TIP: As a bonus tip, we do not recommend you try these tips at the workplace. Unless you can somehow convince your boss to honor National Public Sleeping Day. In that case, you should do all of us a favor and convince the International Olympic Committee to recognize napping as an Olympic sport. Happy napping!