The Scientific Guide to Good Naps

I confess.  I do so enjoy a good nap.

As a matter of fact, I'm contemplating one in this afternoon's plans.  I had a little trouble sleeping last night, and I really don't want to be grouchy when Z comes home from school.

So, how do you make the very best of that ever so fleeting opportunity for a nap?  Leave it to SCIENCE!  Yes, science can show you how to take the best nap for your specific needs.  Let's move on to Napping 101. A guide, if you will, to getting the ideal nap for your specific needs.

1.  If you just need to be more alert and focused, a 10 to 20-minute nap gives you a boost in alertness for two hours or more.

2.  If your brain isn't working and you can't think straight, a one hour nap gives you more focus and also improves memory and learning.

3.  If you need a complete reset, a 90-minute nap puts you through a full sleep cycle, which gives benefits in alertness, memory, learning, creativity, and performance.

4.  If you're not sure WHAT you need, a 10-minute nap should be the default.  It was better than five minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes in a recent study.

5.  If you don't even have enough time for a nap, ANYTHING helps, even just resting your eyes for a minute.  (Editor's note:  Robert catches me doing this throughout the morning here.  He calls them my "micro-naps."   They're great, so long as I wake up in time to put Tim on the air for sports!)

I think I'll set the hammock up under a tree and catch a snooze outside today.  Heck.  I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it.