Naps

Naps are a powerful way to reduce sleep debt, however, you need to make sure they're timed appropriately and the ideal length. Check out this quick 2-minute overview on how to best use naps:

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Naps have many benefits

Naps are a great way to get an occasional energy boost after a night you didn't get your sleep need or a critical part of your sleep schedule if you can't get your sleep need regularly at night—a biphasic sleep pattern.

Naps help:

• Payback sleep debt
• Increase alertness and focus
• Improve learning and memory

The ideal nap: environment, time, and length

There are three key components to getting the ideal nap. They are:

• Environment: Dark (or use our favorite a sleep mask), quiet (or use earplugs), and comfortable.
• Timing: Ideally during your mid-day dip from your personal energy schedule.
• Length: The right length nap is either a power nap (15-25 minutes) or a full-cycle nap (60-105 minutes). Note that if you take a full-cycle nap you might feel groggy afterwards as your body clears out your sleep chemicals—similar to your morning grogginess, a process known as sleep inertia.

Remember, it's always best to get most of your quality sleep at night—not from naps—unless you have a consistent bi-phasic sleep schedule.