The optimal nap: the best tips & advantages at a glance

Power nap, siesta, nap or nap – the little break at lunchtime has many names. And according to the latest findings, it can significantly improve your health.

Here you can read how you can draw new strength with the help of a short break and how you can spend the rest of the day strengthened after your afternoon nap.

In the southern European countries, napping is widespread and many small companies have an extended lunch break for this purpose so that employees can go home to take an afternoon nap.

  • In this country, the afternoon nap is common for seniors and children.
  • Adult people who take an afternoon nap are sometimes even looked at incorrectly or are even considered lazy

Many voices even claim that an afternoon nap is unhealthy (or that only lazy people need it).

In the following sections you will read all about the positive effects of a good afternoon nap – and also how long it should last for the best possible recovery.

You will also learn how a break in sleep at lunchtime affects babies and children (and how you can optimally promote the sleep of your little ones).

How long does the optimal nap last?

The length of your nap has a decisive influence on how you feel afterwards.

If it is too long, the body slows down its functions so much that it no longer gets going.

  • Are you stuck after your afternoon nap?
  • Are you feeling dull and down?
  • Are you tired after a nap?
  • Do you have a headache after a nap?

If you can answer yes to one or more questions, you might even suspect that nap time is unhealthy.

However, this is by no means the case. The afternoon nap was probably just too long. In the right length, the afternoon nap is even very healthy and has a positive effect on a variety of properties.

Preferably no more than 20 minutes

An afternoon nap should not last longer than 20 minutes. Short naps between 15 and 20 minutes are best.

  • If you sleep longer, the body enters the deep sleep phase and you will then need a long time to get fit again.
  • In the deep sleep phase you can no longer consciously control your body and are therefore so limp, tired and disoriented when you are woken up in this phase.

Note: In this article you can read more about the different phases of sleep (and how they affect our well-being).

The best time for an afternoon nap

The body’s biorhythm has a low point in the afternoon.

For most people, performance and productivity are very low between noon and 1 p.m., although this can of course vary from body to body.

If you feel that you are currently in a depression, this is the right time for an afternoon nap. How and where you take your afternoon nap is up to you.

Tips for the lunch break

In order not to stretch your nap too long, it is best to follow these tips:

Get used to a routine. Over time, your body gets to know the rest times and the afternoon nap becomes even more relaxing. The correct sleeping position also helps with relaxation.

In short: If you wake up from your midday nap before the deep sleep phase, it has many positive effects on your body and mind.

This is how healthy an afternoon nap is: the advantages at a glance

The afternoon nap is a vacation for the brain and stress is relieved during sleep.

But the afternoon nap also has many other positive effects – especially when creativity and thinking are required in the job.

So you are fitter, more alert and after your nap

In addition, the midday nap has a positive effect

  • The cardiovascular system
  • The blood pressure
  • The pulse values
  • The risk of diabetes
  • The serotonin level

out.

Stress and work often make life difficult for us

Especially with today’s working time models such as shift work, core time shifts and freelancers, it requires a lot of personal responsibility to allow yourself enough break.

  •  It is also difficult for many employees to use breaks to relax (often there is no suitable relaxation room available for a short power nap).
  • Even so, you should try to get a few minutes of rest. Incidentally, this also applies to sleep at night.

A lack of sleep is one of the main reasons for many illnesses and poor wellbeing.

Note: Read more about the consequences of lack of sleep – and how you can improve your sleep here.

I can’t fall asleep at noon

Even if you don’t have enough time to fully fall asleep, your body can recover if you close your eyes and come to rest.

Sometimes it just takes a few days for the body to get used to the new rhythm.

It is important that you consciously switch off in the initial phase – or at least try to.

Ob

  1. in bed
  2. on the couch
  3. on the office chair during lunch break

does not matter. You can then start the second half of the day strengthened.

Midday nap with contact lenses

Whether or not you should take a nap with contact lenses again depends on very individual factors.

The contact lenses should definitely be taken out overnight. During a short nap, the contact lenses can be left in place, unless you have very dry eyes.

If you have pain in your eyes after taking an afternoon nap with contact lenses, you should also remove the contact lenses while sleeping .

To sum up : Even for contact lens wearers, the afternoon nap has just as many advantages as it does for everyone else. However, there are a few small things to consider for contact lens wearers.

A nap in the afternoon is not only healthy for adults; babies and children also benefit from an afternoon nap. You will find out what you have to pay particular attention to in the next section.

The best possible nap for children

The need for sleep is of course much greater in children, as the body needs energy to grow.

This is why completely new questions arise about nap time for children and babies in order to avoid the negative consequences of too little sleep .

Many parents wonder:

  • How important is nap time for children?
  • How long and up to what age are recommended?

The need for sleep varies depending on the age of the child. For the first three months, newborns can sleep up to 17 hours a day.

At the age of 6, the duration of sleep is then only 11 hours a day. The individual sleep needs of the child regulate their afternoon nap accordingly.

Note: You can read more about the sleep needs of babies and children here: How much sleep does a child need? .

Note: In contrast to adults, the afternoon nap of children and babies should never be interrupted after 20 minutes, as children simply need more sleep.

After the first few months, your child’s internal clock develops steadily. In this case, it is best to encourage a nap with fixed rules.

Can too much nap also be unhealthy?

However, you should intervene if:

  • The child is not tired in the evening
  • The child is awake very early

These are signs that the need for sleep is not met with sleep at night, but with nap.

How long & up to what age should the nap be kept?

Due to the very different sleep needs of children and babies, no statement can be made:

  • How long should children take an afternoon nap …
  • … and when you should stop taking a nap.

A rough rule: if the baby or toddler is tired in the afternoon, they should also take a nap.

This can also be the case with elementary school children (e.g. if they still need a nap in the afternoon or at least a break in which the children lie down without sleeping.

In short: make sure that your child sleeps long enough – and only take active action against it when you notice that it is taking too long to fall asleep, for example in the evening.

The most important summarized

An afternoon nap can – if it is carried out correctly and only kept for a very short time – act like a real energy bomb for the rest of the day.

  • However, you should make sure that you do not enter the deep sleep phase.
  • In children, you should promote the daily need for sleep and regulate their nap afterwards.

Forcing a child to take an afternoon nap or waking them up after a short time can be counterproductive.

Closing word: sleep better even during the night

Hope this afternoon nap article has been helpful to you.

 

You are also welcome to browse the other sections and find out which measures you can take to improve your sleep:

  1. The bedroom category provides helpful tips on how to best furnish your bedroom .
  2. In the next section you will find more information on common sleep problems and sleep disorders .
  3. We explain current studies (understandable for everyone) in the category of sleep research .
  4. General tips & strategies for a healthy night’s sleep can be found here: Sleep better .

Please recommend this page to others in order to help other people with this knowledge.

I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.

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