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Give This a Try: Power Napping for Parents

Every parent knows the power of naps for children. We don’t need sleep scientists to tell us that missing nap time invariably leads to chaotic afternoon meltdowns. Nevertheless, the science shows that regular nap times in children 0-2 are crucial for brain development, higher-level thinking, learning, and better moods.

But what about naps for adults? In Anglo-American culture, adult naps have gotten a bad rap: they’re for children, animals, and the elderly. Science, thankfully, paints a different picture.

When done under the right circumstances, adult naps do wonders. They can:

And they can do even more than all that.

Experts say the keys to a perfect adult nap is to make sure the naps are:

  1. Less than 20 minutes
  2. Completed at least 8 hours before bedtime

If naps are longer than 30 minutes, you’ll experience a “nap hangover” and actually feel worse afterward. And if your nap is too late in the day, your nighttime sleep—which is the most important sleep you’ll get—could be disrupted.

5 steps to the perfect adult nap

  1. If you’re at work tell your boss and coworkers so that you can actually get some peace and quiet; if at home, tell anyone who’s around
  2. Find a good place to lie down; don’t try to nap in a chair because your sleep will be poor and you could end up with different aches and pains
  3. Set a timer for 30 minutes from when you lay down, which should give you enough time to fall asleep and still get 20 minutes (if you’re immediately falling asleep when you lay down, then you’re not getting enough sleep at night)
  4. Make sure it ends before 2:30 pm, giving yourself a full 8 hours to be naturally sleepy enough to fall asleep before 10:30 pm
  5. Exposing your eyes to natural light after a short nap is a great non-caffeine trick for kicking your brain and body into post-nap gear.

Give This a Try: Power Napping for Parents

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Give This a Try: Power Napping for Parents

Need to recharge? Check out these tips for the perfect parent power nap.

By

The Family Thrive Expert Team

September 18, 2021

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Key takeaways

1

Naps aren’t just for babies and old people; parents benefit from them as well

2

The health benefits of naps are wide-ranging and substantial

3

We give you five steps to the perfect adult afternoon nap

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Every parent knows the power of naps for children. We don’t need sleep scientists to tell us that missing nap time invariably leads to chaotic afternoon meltdowns. Nevertheless, the science shows that regular nap times in children 0-2 are crucial for brain development, higher-level thinking, learning, and better moods.

But what about naps for adults? In Anglo-American culture, adult naps have gotten a bad rap: they’re for children, animals, and the elderly. Science, thankfully, paints a different picture.

When done under the right circumstances, adult naps do wonders. They can:

And they can do even more than all that.

Experts say the keys to a perfect adult nap is to make sure the naps are:

  1. Less than 20 minutes
  2. Completed at least 8 hours before bedtime

If naps are longer than 30 minutes, you’ll experience a “nap hangover” and actually feel worse afterward. And if your nap is too late in the day, your nighttime sleep—which is the most important sleep you’ll get—could be disrupted.

5 steps to the perfect adult nap

  1. If you’re at work tell your boss and coworkers so that you can actually get some peace and quiet; if at home, tell anyone who’s around
  2. Find a good place to lie down; don’t try to nap in a chair because your sleep will be poor and you could end up with different aches and pains
  3. Set a timer for 30 minutes from when you lay down, which should give you enough time to fall asleep and still get 20 minutes (if you’re immediately falling asleep when you lay down, then you’re not getting enough sleep at night)
  4. Make sure it ends before 2:30 pm, giving yourself a full 8 hours to be naturally sleepy enough to fall asleep before 10:30 pm
  5. Exposing your eyes to natural light after a short nap is a great non-caffeine trick for kicking your brain and body into post-nap gear.

Every parent knows the power of naps for children. We don’t need sleep scientists to tell us that missing nap time invariably leads to chaotic afternoon meltdowns. Nevertheless, the science shows that regular nap times in children 0-2 are crucial for brain development, higher-level thinking, learning, and better moods.

But what about naps for adults? In Anglo-American culture, adult naps have gotten a bad rap: they’re for children, animals, and the elderly. Science, thankfully, paints a different picture.

When done under the right circumstances, adult naps do wonders. They can:

And they can do even more than all that.

Experts say the keys to a perfect adult nap is to make sure the naps are:

  1. Less than 20 minutes
  2. Completed at least 8 hours before bedtime

If naps are longer than 30 minutes, you’ll experience a “nap hangover” and actually feel worse afterward. And if your nap is too late in the day, your nighttime sleep—which is the most important sleep you’ll get—could be disrupted.

5 steps to the perfect adult nap

  1. If you’re at work tell your boss and coworkers so that you can actually get some peace and quiet; if at home, tell anyone who’s around
  2. Find a good place to lie down; don’t try to nap in a chair because your sleep will be poor and you could end up with different aches and pains
  3. Set a timer for 30 minutes from when you lay down, which should give you enough time to fall asleep and still get 20 minutes (if you’re immediately falling asleep when you lay down, then you’re not getting enough sleep at night)
  4. Make sure it ends before 2:30 pm, giving yourself a full 8 hours to be naturally sleepy enough to fall asleep before 10:30 pm
  5. Exposing your eyes to natural light after a short nap is a great non-caffeine trick for kicking your brain and body into post-nap gear.

Every parent knows the power of naps for children. We don’t need sleep scientists to tell us that missing nap time invariably leads to chaotic afternoon meltdowns. Nevertheless, the science shows that regular nap times in children 0-2 are crucial for brain development, higher-level thinking, learning, and better moods.

But what about naps for adults? In Anglo-American culture, adult naps have gotten a bad rap: they’re for children, animals, and the elderly. Science, thankfully, paints a different picture.

When done under the right circumstances, adult naps do wonders. They can:

And they can do even more than all that.

Experts say the keys to a perfect adult nap is to make sure the naps are:

  1. Less than 20 minutes
  2. Completed at least 8 hours before bedtime

If naps are longer than 30 minutes, you’ll experience a “nap hangover” and actually feel worse afterward. And if your nap is too late in the day, your nighttime sleep—which is the most important sleep you’ll get—could be disrupted.

5 steps to the perfect adult nap

  1. If you’re at work tell your boss and coworkers so that you can actually get some peace and quiet; if at home, tell anyone who’s around
  2. Find a good place to lie down; don’t try to nap in a chair because your sleep will be poor and you could end up with different aches and pains
  3. Set a timer for 30 minutes from when you lay down, which should give you enough time to fall asleep and still get 20 minutes (if you’re immediately falling asleep when you lay down, then you’re not getting enough sleep at night)
  4. Make sure it ends before 2:30 pm, giving yourself a full 8 hours to be naturally sleepy enough to fall asleep before 10:30 pm
  5. Exposing your eyes to natural light after a short nap is a great non-caffeine trick for kicking your brain and body into post-nap gear.

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