Nap Well, Live Better

Finals week is coming up faster than we want it to. Pretty soon we’ll be in the season of sleepless nights spent studying our hearts out to try and scrape out the highest possible grade in each of our classes. The problem is, the less we sleep, the harder it is to actually retain the information we are trying to learn. The solution? Take naps! Here are some tips to help you make better use of your nap time:

Consider the Time of Day

Studies show that the most effective time to take naps is between 1 and 3 pm. It’s actually part of human nature to sleep for one long period of time at night and one shorter time period in the afternoon. However, avoid sleeping after 4 pm if you have any plans to sleep at night.

Try Preparatory Naps

Staying up all night isn’t good for you, but if you know you will have to, it is actually better for you to take a nap in advance rather than trying to make up sleep the next day. A nap of about 2 hours can increase alertness for up to 24 hours.

Keep Track of Time

For most people nap lengths of between 10 and 20 minutes work best. Napping for any length longer than 30 minutes will make you groggy when you wake. If you want a longer nap, try and wake up after 90 minutes so that you sleep a full sleep cycle. Waking up in between cycles is what makes you feel so groggy.

Caffeine Nap

If you want to wake up energized try drinking (quickly) a full cup of coffee and immediately going to sleep. If you sleep for about 20 minutes, you should wake up energized.

Set an Alarm

Especially if you aren’t sleeping at night during a time like finals week, don’t just let your body sleep. You will relax better knowing that you will be able to wake up on time (and not sleep through an exam or something else equally horrific!).

Know Yourself

As surprising as it may seem, naps aren’t good for everyone. If you struggle with insomnia, you probably shouldn’t try to take naps. Research has found that avoiding naps can increase night-time sleep in insomniacs. If you try it, and the above tips don’t work for you, you might want to find an alternative to naps. Some people’s bodies just don’t respond well to naps. If you continuously wake up groggy no matter the nap length, you might be one of these people.