Is a power nap good for your health?

How can you take a powernap?

Feeling sleepy after a bad night? Then a power nap can give you a little energy boost. After all, it's not bad at all to catch up on sleep during the day after a bad night.

Here's the best way to take a power nap:

• Duration. The ideal duration of a power nap is between 15 to 20 minutes. This is when you are most likely to wake up rested.
• Environment. Make sure your powernap environment is comfortable and quiet. If necessary, listen to white noise to reduce disturbing outside noises.
• Awaken quietly. After your nap, take some time to get up and resume your daily activities.
• Timing. Choose the right time for your power nap. If you take a longer powernap later in the day, you are more likely to be unable to fall asleep in the evening.

What is a power nap?

A power nap (or afternoon nap) is a short period of sleep that can relieve fatigue and cause you to feel clear and alert again. Many people take a nap when they have not slept enough or when they are very tired. You may remember when you used to take a nap in the middle of the day as a toddler. The same thing can still work for you now, even though you're a lot older now.

Is sleeping during the day actually good for you?

You may have heard that it's better not to sleep in the middle of the day. It might disrupt your sleep in the evening or wake you up scattered. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about this (provided you take a few things into account). Instead, a power nap is a great way to give your body and mind a chance to recharge.

As adults, we need on average between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Some more, some less. But certain situations in life can keep us from getting the sleep we need. Your children keep you awake, work causes you stress, or sometimes it's your own thoughts that keep you from getting sleep.

If you don't get enough sleep over a long period of time, it can eventually cause a sleep deficit. But don't worry: this is not something you build up overnight. Everyone suffers from a down night from time to time. And often it's not the bad night's sleep that causes you stress, but the fear that unpleasant things will happen after a bad night's sleep. This fear makes it difficult for you to fall asleep.

Also read: How to fall asleep with stress

Did you have a bad night? Or are you just tired? Don't panic! A power nap can help you recover at such a time. Your body and mind get a chance to rest, which provides more energy and better focus. By taking an afternoon nap, you can resume the rest of your day feeling positive.

How long does a power nap last?

You may be wondering how long a power nap should last. Can you sleep too long and what is the limit? The answer is 15 to 20 minutes. This is because this is the time you spend in light sleep. After this, you sink into a deep sleep and chances are you won't wake up refreshed or dizzy.

Do you have more time? Then you can also take a 90-minute nap. After all, that's how long it takes to complete the entire sleep cycle. Longer naps (of, say, 2 hours) are not recommended. Not only do you run the risk of waking up scattered, but they can also cause you to be unable to fall back asleep at night.

Read more about what happens in each sleep cycle here.

Can you catch up on sleep?

If you want to feel fit and rested, the quality of your sleep is more important than the amount. Many people tend to panic if they have slept less one night. But this stress only makes it harder to sleep well the next night.

Remember that perfection is the enemy of good sleep. And although your body likes routine and consistency, it's not a big deal if you sleep less one night. Try looking at your sleep month by month, rather than day by day. After all, your body looks at time differently than your mind does.

Catching up on sleep works differently than you might think. If you fell four hours short of sleep last night, you don't have to sleep an extra four hours the next night. Poor sleepers may recognize the following situation: you sleep too little one night and then expect yourself to make up the missed sleep. And then when this fails, you get frustrated. Your body just doesn't work that way. Instead of sleeping longer, it sleeps more effectively. Your brain improves - the next night or during a power nap, for example - the quality of the sleep phase you missed the most.