Is there anything better than a nice old nap?
They have been the salvation of many a weekend night out; a quick minute power nap that gives you just enough of a rest to get your second wind for a night on the tiles*.
*We mean the dance-floor tiles, not the bathroom tiles as you curl up around the loo.
There's an art to the nap, however, and luckily the folks at
The Art of Wellbeing have produced a guide to hacking the best possible quick sleep.
Here's their six-step guide to getting it right:
1. Get the length right
The optimal length of a disco nap is
20-30 minutes. This "enhances alertness and concentration, and sharpens motor skills". That said, 10-15 minutes is deemed good for improved focus and productivity and 40-60 minutes has been shown to boost brain power, memory and learning.
2. Timing is everything
Ideally, you should take your nap between 1pm-3pm, but, realistically, at weekends a lot of us will only be getting up out of bed at that time. In that case, it's recommended that you take your nap
within 6-8 hours of waking up. So if you woke up at 12pm today, you should be taking your name between 6pm-8pm.
3. Location, Location, Location
Pick a spot with
minimal light and noise, and a comfortable temperature. Invest in an eye-mask, as light inhibits melatonin, which controls sleepiness. It might also be worth investing in a hammock, as it's believed the gentle swaying helps you to doze off.
4. Do be alarmed
Set your alarm for your wake-up time and
STICK TO IT.
5. Drink a coffee beforehand
This is an interesting one. Because it takes about 20-30 minutes for the caffeine effect from coffee to kick in, theoretically drinking a coffee before your nap means it will deliver your buzz just as you're waking up, making it easier to rouse from your nap.
6. Shake it off
Avoid the post-nap grogginess by having caffeine, exposing yourself to bright light, and washing your face.
Now you should be all set for your night out.
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