Blog written and produced by Monika Smiechowska – Sports Therapist and Injury Rehabilitation specialist. The Perfect Nap Guide – How long should I be napping for?
Napping can be a very “hit and miss” topic – you sometimes wake up feeling extremely groggy, and other times feeling refreshed and ready to take on anything that comes your way!
Here are some benefits of napping as suggested by Boukhris et al, 2019:
– Improving cognitive performance
– Enhancement of short term memory
– Improved mood
– Reduced fatigue and sleepiness
– Improvement in athletic performance
Does the duration of your nap really matter? There are many different recommendations for the ultimate nap time… The National Sleep Foundation recommend taking a 20minute nap to wake up feeling refreshed. It’s also suggested that the ideal nap duration varies from person to person (potentially dependant on lifestyle), however most professionals agree that taking shorter naps are more beneficial if the goal is to wake up refreshed and ready to go!
But what does the research suggest?
A study by Hsouna et al, 2019 indicated that 25, 35 and 45min naps had a positive effect on reducing stress and fatigue and improving physical performance in physically active men.
Longer naps are associated with feeling groggy, fatigued and demotivated.
When should I nap?
It is extremely important to time your naps well! What we mean by that is, they need to fit well around your sleep cycle. As you go to sleep, your brain goes through various stages of sleep where hormones are released into the bloodstream. It is suggested that in the most beneficial naps, an individual will only go through the first and second stages of sleep (not deep sleep) therefore they wake up feeling more refreshed and alert.
If you wake up feeling groggy and fatigued it is likely that you went further into your sleep cycle. Taking a longer nap before your rehab/gym session can have a negative effect on it due to the “heavy” feeling.
Taking the above into consideration, try to plan your naps accordingly!
