A power nap is short sleep which ends before deep sleep in order to quickly rejuvenate the person. The power nap is most commonly used to compliment normal sleep, especially when a sleep deficit has been accumulated by a lack of proper sleep every night. Power naps can improve alertness, reactions and other cognitive skills whilst also reducing irritability and other effects of tiredness.
There are various durations recommended for a power nap but all are very short compared to regular sleep. The idea is that you should sleep just long enough to gain a bit of energy without entering a normal sleep cycle. If you enter a normal sleep cycle and then wake up without completing it you may suffer with sleep inertia and feel groggy and disoriented and often times more sleepy than before your nap.
Studies show that a nap of between 15 and 30 minutes is best, any longer and in most cases the body will enter its normal sleep cycle. People that take power naps regularly get to know what time and other factors work for them. Duration is not the only concern, quality of sleep is just as important as quantity and environment plays a big part in this. Some people may get a better sleep on a memory foam mattress rather than a normal one or find different lighting conditions better for napping.
A popular technique is to consume caffeine before power napping, usually in the form of coffee. Since caffeine takes around half an hour to have an effect it can help you to wake up from your nap before entering normal sleep patterns and also give you a bigger energy boost when you do.
There are various durations recommended for a power nap but all are very short compared to regular sleep. The idea is that you should sleep just long enough to gain a bit of energy without entering a normal sleep cycle. If you enter a normal sleep cycle and then wake up without completing it you may suffer with sleep inertia and feel groggy and disoriented and often times more sleepy than before your nap.
Studies show that a nap of between 15 and 30 minutes is best, any longer and in most cases the body will enter its normal sleep cycle. People that take power naps regularly get to know what time and other factors work for them. Duration is not the only concern, quality of sleep is just as important as quantity and environment plays a big part in this. Some people may get a better sleep on a memory foam mattress rather than a normal one or find different lighting conditions better for napping.
A popular technique is to consume caffeine before power napping, usually in the form of coffee. Since caffeine takes around half an hour to have an effect it can help you to wake up from your nap before entering normal sleep patterns and also give you a bigger energy boost when you do.
