Your Guide to Napping

Are you getting to the afternoon and wanting to crawl back into bed? If you’re looking for a boost of energy to get through the rest of your day or even just to lift your mood, a nap could be just the thing. That 20 to 30 minutes you steal away for a quick doze could be the ingredient you’ve been missing to elevate your daily routine.

But how long should you nap? Is there a better time to take a quick kip than others? This guide will give you some tips on how to help get a satisfying snooze to elevate your mind, body and mood.

Why is it called napping? 

While no one quite knows where the word nap comes from, it may come from the Old High German word hnaffezan, loosely translating to ‘have a short sleep or to doze lightly’. What we do know is that naps date back to ancient times, with Egyptians adopting a short daytime nap to ‘restore power’, while Romans embraced the concepts of a ‘siesta’ in the early afternoons. Even during the Middle Ages, a midday sleep, or ‘first sleep’ was a popular daily routine to give energy for the afternoon.

To this day, napping is still an important part of many cultures. Spain is well known for their afternoon siestas. They even shut down entire cities for hours at a time for a well-deserved snooze. A nap is also common in the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, the Middle East, India and midland China. 

Is napping actually sleeping?

Technically napping is sleeping, however it doesn’t replace your natural, long sleep cycle. Instead, a nap is considered a short period of sleep or rest to help recharge, but it can’t reverse the impact of not getting a good night’s sleep. So how much sleep do you need? Adults typically need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night while teens and kids will need more.

 How is napping different from sleeping?

The difference between napping and sleeping comes down to the timing. A nap is a short period of light rest, typically ranging from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Sleeping, on the other hand, is our regular state of unconscious rest, typically between 6 to 9 hours, or more. 

Naps can help give short-term benefits, like more energy and focus power, but sleep is where our body really looks after itself. During sleep, you go through different stages, helping to strengthen our immune system and repairing muscles. 

The benefits of napping

So, are naps good for you? The short answer is yes! There are plenty of benefits to catching a quick midday snooze, whether you’re a shift worker, an adult, teenager or just a busy person. Some of the potential nap benefits include:

• Helping you feel more alert.
• Lifting your mood and helping you feel refreshed for the rest of your day.
• Improved memory by being able to focus.
• Decreasing daytime drowsiness.
• Helping you relax.

That quick nap may even help give you the lift you need to perform better at school, work or at home. 

How to set yourself up for nap-time success

Not all naps are made equal. Setting yourself up for a successful siesta can help you reap the benefits of napping and get the spring back in your step. 

The best nap times

Early afternoon naps can help you get a kick of energy you need without interrupting your evening sleep cycle. Before 3pm is said to be a good time to nap for adults, but it also depends on when you plan to go to bed and the best length for a nap for your schedule.

How long to nap

With all that in mind, you might be asking how long should I nap for? Keep in mind that how long to nap varies from one person to another. However, as a general rule, you should try to nap for anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes. Typically a nap between 15 to 30 minutes is a short nap, and won’t leave you feeling groggy. Meanwhile, a longer nap is more than 30 minutes and can be just the thing you need when recovering from an illness or if you’ve had a busy day. 

Set up your space

Unless you’re the type of person who can nap anywhere at any time, setting up your space can help you get a better nap. Before you nap, make sure your space is cosy with the right bedding and plenty of pillows. You’ll also want to make sure you remove any distractions that might keep you up like noise or light. 

Keep it short

Tend to feel a little groggy after a nap? It could be that you’re napping for too long. Setting your alarm a little sooner can help you get the most from your naptime and spring out of bed with renewed energy.

If sleep is one of the great loves of your life, you’ll love some of our other Snooze inspiration blogs. We explore everything about sleep and decor to help you turn your bedroom into a sanctuary.