A No Nonsense Guide to Napping
Posted on 6 October 2008
Napping, its one of the wonders of life, nothing feels better than a good nap right? Its the same for everyone they feel great and to me they are essential especially if you have had anything but optimal sleep the previous night. A good nap has been shown to:
- Decrease Stress
- Increase Alertness and Productivity
- Boost Creativity
- Improve Mood
So what’s not to love, Lets have a look at the best way to get a good afternoon nap……
“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”
Step 1 – Calming the Mind
Before drifting off into the land of nod you must make sure your mind is calm and not tied up in the days events. This can sometimes be harder said than done, especially on stressful days or times your mind is in the midst of thinking….The best way to calm the mind for me is to meditate for 1-2 minutes:
- Pick and Object in the room your in and stare at it, put all your focus into it.
- Let thoughts come and go, don’t concentrate on any they will soon fizzle away
After a few minutes of this you will find your mind will have quieted down and so long as you do not provoke it by re-igniting thoughts it will stay quiet and allow you to get into a deep and peaceful nap.
Otherwise if you can its best to nap at a time where you naturally get a bit tired and your mind feels lethargic, everybody gets this feeling at some point of the day. So if your lucky enough to have the opportunity to rest during this time then take full advantage and have a short nap.
Another great technique to quiet the mind is to imagine yourself somewhere you have fond memories of. This could be a beach or a holiday that you enjoyed or felt relaxed on. Take a mental journey to that place it will put your mind at ease.
Step 2 – The Nap
Its best to limit naps to 20-30 minutes this time period will yield stage 2 sleep which allows your mind to improve its long term alertness and productivity without drifting into slow wave sleep (40 minutes plus) which will leave you awakening groggy and grouchy.
Find somewhere comfy like a sofa or a reclining seat where you can lay down and relax all the muscles in your body. Remember it takes 50% longer to drift off into a nap when sitting upright!
If noise is something thats going to get in your way, invest in some quality ear plugs or get Pzizz this is a program that I invested in a few years back and it has helped me with countless restful naps. I can’t vouch for it highly enough, it really is a great product. I also like to cover my eye’s during a nap I usually grab a light pillow and throw it over the top side of my head.
To get the best out of a nap I find its best to keep your mind extremely still, not concentrating on any thoughts. I like to focus my energy into my body feeling the waves of life going through my arms and hands, imagining I am melting into the ground. In doing this you will allow your body to rest and recover deeply.
“Set aside half an hour every day to do all your worrying; then take a nap during this period.”
Bonus Tips
- Experiment with a shot of Espresso just before you nap, it will act as an autmatic alarm clock and will leave you feeling extra alert once you get up. Its a great thing to try if your having a mid morning nap and you want a really productive afternoon.
- I have always enjoyed a light/short nap just after a hard workout. I sometimes get back from the gym, take a nap then eat once the nap is over. Its no coincidence that these have been the times of best muscle growth. Give it a try.
- Don’t feel guilty about napping, I used to feel lazy and unproductive for napping but its a very normal thing to do and something that we have evolved to do everyday. People all over Spain and Italy nap religiously everyday after lunch!
- After you get up its a good idea to take a good stretch, a good roll of the neck and cat stretch will do the trick to re-limber up your body for the day.
Nap’s will clear your mind and allow your body to recover leaving you ready for the day, Aim for a midday nap a few times a week!
18 comments so far
People who linked here
- Say Goodbye to Office Stress | Zen to Fitness
- Keeping Healthy During Christmas and New Year | Zen to Fitness
- Switch Off And Get Some Sleep, Avoid Information Overload | Zen to Fitness
- Switch Off And Get Some Sleep…. | fast abs review About Fitness
- Switch Off And Get Some Sleep…. by Can I Get A Fitness?
Comment by Kat
6 October 2008
I take daily naps and love them. I wake really early to get in a run or workout and so usually at around 2/3pm I’m wiped out and ready for a siesta! They make me a much happier mama and my kids, who feel they’re too old for naps, think its so funny that its me and not them. But they encourage my half hour naps– they know what’s good for them and they stay out of trouble while I rest. Interestingly, I can always hear whats going on while I sleep, tuned for any alarming sounds if my kids should need me. Its like I’m on a low level of semi-unconsciousness that allows me to rest but with one ear open. Super mama sensors, I guess!
Comment by panchitah
6 October 2008
There are times where I feel I could really use a nap, the problem is that I can never fall asleep in the daytime.
Something about it being light outside makes it nearly impossible for me to have a real nap. Instead, whenever I attempt one I just toss and turn until I become impatient and get up to do something more productive.
In the rare occasions I do fall asleep I wake up so groggy and sluggish that the rest of the day is awash. I’ll give your suggestions a try though. Great post!
Comment by Steven
7 October 2008
Great nap ideas; I love the espresso advice!
Comment by Chris
8 October 2008
@ Panchitah: you should try to just relax for the 20 minutes close your eyes and let go, that is how I nap and it allows me to avoid dipping into a lazy midafternoon sleep which leaves me groggy and grumpy
also set an alarm to go off after 20 minutes….
@ Steven: try it, works surprisingly well…….
@ Kat: They really are worth the time, its funny how children dont understand us adults sleeping…. Siestas are one of life^s pleasures enjoy them whenever you can!!
Comment by Grace
11 October 2008
It worked for Winston Churchill, and what’s good enough for Winny is good enough for me.
I have cats that get up at the crack of dawn, so the only way to get enough sleep is to squeeze a nap in there someplace.
good post! G.
Comment by Chris
11 October 2008
@ Grace: If you can afford to have mid afternoon naps pounce on them, not many people have the luxury with 9=5 jobs etc. The great thing about napping is after a while you will become a pro and able to sneak one in anywhere> i routinely sneak one in on a starbucks sofa with a chai tea,.,,,, Thanks for stopping by!
Comment by Roelant
15 October 2008
Hey Chris,
great website. Thanks for the comments. I just wanted to say, that I haven’t tried the nap thing post workout(I do my workouts in the evening), but I did try what Art De Vany suggests, and that is to be in no rush to feed myself post workout (eating blunts the GH response to building muscle and burning fat), so in a nutshell, we’re doing the same thing (only you’re probably optimizing it by sleeping, which further increases GH). Interesting stuff no? RE: naps, hell, I’ll take a snooze whenever I can, I’m a University Student….never in class though!
Comment by Chris
15 October 2008
@ Roelant: Great observation it definitely helps push up that post workout GH spike, so its an excellent thing to do. To be fair there is nothing more natural than working out hard in the gym then just lying down for 20 minutes when you get home. Being in no rush to feed post workout is something vital. You will start to notice that your hunger only kicks in about 1-2 hours after working out anyway…Thanks for stopping by!
Comment by Seamus Anthony
20 October 2008
I tend to find that I feel groggy after a nap (maybe I don’t do it right) but I truly dig a 20 minute meditation session if I can grab one for similar results.
Comment by Sleep
23 October 2008
I can vouch for pzizz being an excellent program. I used it every day for about a year with great results. Just an iPod + good headphones + a hoodie (for a pillow) and suddenly the library became my habitual napping location.
I’d also recommend to be aware of something called “sleep state misperception”, which is when you’re in stage 1 or 2 sleep but are still cognizant and unaware that you’re asleep. This can happen a lot with naps. But don’t worry, these naps are just as refreshing, even if you feel you’re only “half asleep”
Comment by Tim Rosanelli
28 October 2008
I love taking a 20 minute afternoon nap to refresh me for the evening.
Also, one more point is that naps should be about 8 hours after you wake up and 8 hours before you go to bed at night. ~1 to 3pm
Tim Rosanelli
View my blog at
Sensei Talks
Join our sit-up challenge at
60 Situps in a Minute Challenge
Comment by cathy fisher
4 January 2009
I agree. A GOOD nap can really recharge you emotionally and physically. I use an aromatherapy eye pillow to put over my eyes. I use a peppermint scented one because it opens up my sinuses and that helps me to breathe a lot better and helps any sinus or tension related headaches. The cold flax seed inside the eye pillow surrounds my eyes and temples, the weight of the flax seed applies just enough acupressure to soothe and relax my facial muscles.
I searched online and found several sites that had them. The one I decided to go with was A Touch Of Satin. I liked them because their ingredients were organic and that was important to me. I also love the feeling of satin on my skin. I also bought one of their travel pillows to use as a nap pillow and I keep it on my sofa. It feels as comfortable as the pillows I sleep on in my bedroom. They had a page on their site that talked about the benefits of their aromatherapy scents. It was very interesting. If you want to check them out, their website is here….. Well, I hope this helps you. Let me know what you think. Good luck and keep up the great articles!
Comment by Landon Phillips
1 May 2010
i have several aromatherapy candles at home and they can really soothe my stressed body.,’`