To Nap Or Not To Nap ?

Taking a nap can have many benefits – it can lessen fatigue and improve relaxation, it can improve alertness and mood, and it can refresh you, improving performance, reaction time and memory, while lowering confusion, and chances of having accidents.

Unless you are one of those people who simply cannot nap in the middle of the day, or if you find that a nap leaves you groggy and disoriented or that it interferes with your nighttime sleep, you should consider taking a nap in the afternoon.

Keep the nap short. The duration should ideally be between 10 and 30 minutes. A longer nap may mean grogginess.

Afternoons are best for taking naps – between 2 and 3 PM is possible. This will not interfere with night time sleep, and this is the time you are most likely to feel that post lunch lassitude. Of course one’s daily schedule and sleep patterns are the best determinants for when you should take that nap.

Take a nap in a quiet, dim and restful place, with a comfortable room temperature if possible.

After a nap, give yourself time to awaken fully before jumping into activity; particularly if that activity is the sort that requires any sharp reflexes of quick responses.