Who doesn’t love a good power nap? But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. We got some expert advice from a sleep specialist, so you don’t do more harm than good when sneaking in a few Zs.
“Napping is not a bad thing. If you do it in the right way, it can be very restorative and positive for your sleep. At the same time, it can also be something that keeps the cycle of poor sleep or insomnia going,” explained Alicia Roth, a sleep psychologist for Cleveland Clinic.
If you’re going to take a nap, Roth recommends keeping it to 30 minutes or less. Longer naps that are an hour or more can leave you feeling groggy when you wake up. That’s because you have a higher chance of interrupting a deeper sleep.
Roth also suggests napping earlier in the afternoon.
“The later you nap in the day, the more detrimental it’s going to be to your nighttime sleep,” she said. “It’s also important to remember that napping includes dozing off on the couch in the evening.”
While a 10- to 20-minute nap can be good, Roth does warn against relying on naps all the time to get through the day. This can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night. She recommends talking to your doctor if you regularly have trouble sleeping.
For when you do need that power nap -- but also need help relaxing -- sleep experts recommend trying a white noise machine to help block outside distractions.