If You Like Naps, you’ll Love This – The Ultimate Napping Guide That Won’t Disrupt Your Sleep

Who doesn’t like a good daytime nap! Most of us have to wake up early to get our kids to the school, quickly get ready for work, and follow working hours while also managing household chores (thanks to COVID-19’s work from home protocol). Amidst the madness, it’s natural for one to want a shut eye for a couple of minutes; or maybe a half-an-hour!

But although napping may be restful, most of us are usually worried that if we nap for too long during the day, we’ll start feeling lethargic afterward or won’t be able to sleep properly at night. Although that’s kind-of true, what you probably don’t know is that if you “manage” your naps well, they can actually prove to be healthy for you.

Want to know how? Well, stay tuned!

Unsplash | Follow these simple tips if you don’t want your daytime naps to ruin your nighttime sleep

Read – How to Sleep Better 

How can you nap during the day so it doesn’t affect your nighttime sleep?

In most people, the need to nap is triggered as a natural cycle to balance rest periods. That means if you aren’t getting deep rejuvenating sleep during the night, your body will automatically start sending signals to shut off during the day.

Daytime naps can actually go a long way in making you healthy.  Here’s how:

Ensure you’re in the right environment

Most people are fond of napping at random areas of the house, the living room sofa, for instance. That might not be the most diligent thing to do! If you want to enjoy your nap, do it in a comfortable environment, which induces sleep. If you sleep on the kitchen slab, it won’t be a surprise if you wake up with neck pain, right? Why not move to an area where you can nap better and reap benefits!

Unsplash | Don’t drop just anywhere, nap where you can really switch off and reap the nap’s benefits

Plan your naps

The earlier you take a nap during the day, the better. Studies have shown that naps that are taken later than the “1 pm to 3 pm” duration can disrupt your sleep at night and keep you up. So it’s better if you try to nap such that you’re awake latest by 3 pm.

Keep them short

Remember, a nap is a “shorter” version of sleep. A good nap is characterized by 15 to 30 minutes of rest. Studies have shown that longer naps make people weak when they wake up. Short naps are perfect for gaining a power boost of energy.

Stay away from those gadgets

Most people use their smartphones until they fall asleep, even during the day. You should know that it isn’t right for you. If you want to enjoy your nap, you should avoid screens before you shut your eyes.

Read – Napping: Do’s and don’ts for healthy adults

Unsplash | Restful naps can work wonders to restore energy and alertness

Final words

A good nap is golden. It restores energy and focus while improving mood and alertness. But you will enjoy all these benefits only if you nap correctly. If you doze at earlier hours of the day, restrict nap time to less than half an hour, and stay away from phones right before, you will be able to catch a snooze while not having to stay up at night.