The Science of Napping and How to Make it Work for You

Always feeling tired? You’re not alone. According to recent research it isn’t just hectic lifestyles making us tired anymore – one in five Brits need a daytime nap because of poor sleeping habits. But at the risk of waking up feeling groggy and disorientated, are naps really what we need?

Neil Robinson, chief sleep officer at bed brand Sealy UK talked to Belle about debunking popular myths surrounding napping and suggested some steps we can take to ensure we wake up feeling revitalised and raring to go.

Don’t nap after a bad night’s sleep

Thinking of taking a nap after a bad night’s sleep? Think again. It may sound strange, but people who struggle to get a good night’s rest are the ones who need to avoid naps the most.

If you’re regularly having problems sleeping, having an afternoon siesta can actually make your sleeping problems worse as it is likely to disrupt your natural waking and sleeping patterns. Unfortunately, the more you feel like you need to nap, the more you need to avoid it.

Less is more

When it comes to napping, longer is not always better. Napping too late or too long can cause problems and leave you feeling worse after the nap. This is because our sleep naturally occurs in cycles of around 90 minutes with three layers of non-REM (non-rapid eye movement sleep), with each one deeper than the previous. This means that the longer you sleep for, (over 10-20 minutes), the more likely you are to get into deeper levels of sleep, causing you to wake up feeling groggy and unsettled.

Watch the clock

Taking a nap at the wrong time in the day can backfire and cause problems at night, so it’s important to make sure that you’re timing it right. If you don’t have any problems sleeping at night, then a nap early in the afternoon, can be quite restorative. Timing your nap between 1pm and 3pm can help reduce your stress levels, lower blood pressure, and make you feel more alert when you get up, allowing you to function better.

Choose your napping spot wisely

Where you choose to nap is a pretty big deal. Despite creating the perfect routine, napping on an uncomfortable bed or lumpy pillow can not only link to a number of uncomfortable aches and pains, but also cause you to wake up feeling like you never napped at all. Investing in a high-quality mattress, new pillows and cotton sheets will help to create the ultimate napping experience – something we all dream of!

For more tips from Sealy on how you can enjoy a luxury napping experience, visit www.sealy.co.uk