Now that she害羞草研究所檚 working from home, Kendra King takes an early afternoon nap on most days, typically for about 20 to 30 minutes.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of times, I don害羞草研究所檛 go in with the intention of taking a nap, but instead to lay down and rest,害羞草研究所� said King, a writer in Philadelphia. 害羞草研究所淭hen I end up drifting off and wake up feeling energized and fresh to continue on my day.害羞草研究所�

King didn害羞草研究所檛 realize she had settled naturally into the napping routine that sleep experts recommend. Or that researchers say short naps improve motor skills, enhance memory and boost creativity, even though she has felt it.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 definitely more creative after napping,害羞草研究所� she said.

That害羞草研究所檚 because so-called power naps lasting allow the brain to rest in a way that makes you more alert, experts say. The naps are not so long that you slip into deeper sleep that would leave you groggy after waking up.

害羞草研究所淲e know it害羞草研究所檚 an easy, helpful way to quickly boost your alertness, your concentration, your productivity, your creativity and your mood. It害羞草研究所檚 a royal flush,害羞草研究所� said James Maas, who spent 48 years studying sleep as a Cornell University professor.

Where naps fit into the circadian rhythm

Maas, author of 害羞草研究所淪leep for Success! Everything You Must Know About Sleep But are Too Tired to Ask,害羞草研究所� said nearly everyone experiences . It comes down to the body害羞草研究所檚 circadian rhythm, which includes two periods of drowsiness every 24 hours, once at night and again between about 2 and 4 p.m.

In a typical night, people go through several 90-minute sleep cycles spread over five stages, from light to deep sleep, with the deepest falling toward the middle. Daytime sleep follows the same cycle, which is why Maas doesn害羞草研究所檛 recommend hourlong naps. Waking up from such deep sleep can take up to an hour to return to normal, thanks to what害羞草研究所檚 called sleep inertia.

Shorter naps only include stage-two sleep, which is particularly helpful for alertness and memory, said Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher at University of California-Irvine.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like putting yourself into low-power mode just for a little bit and letting your body recuperate,害羞草研究所� said Mednick, author of 害羞草研究所淭ake a Nap! Change Your Life.害羞草研究所�

Her research has found that naps work better than caffeine and a placebo to improve cognitive functioning. In fact, that afternoon cup of coffee is the least effective of all three.

害羞草研究所淲e showed better effects with the placebo on performance than with the caffeine,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淪o if you think you害羞草研究所檙e getting caffeine, you害羞草研究所檙e going to perform better than if you actually get caffeine.害羞草研究所�

How to start

Find a quiet, dark and cool space and set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes, which is a good starting point until you see how your body adjusts.

Even if you feel like you haven害羞草研究所檛 slept, you still get benefits, Mednick said. People don害羞草研究所檛 feel like they are asleep until they have reached deeper, slow-wave sleep in stage three.

害羞草研究所淵our brain is still alerting you to the world around you when you害羞草研究所檙e in stage-two sleep,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淏ut that doesn害羞草研究所檛 necessarily mean that you害羞草研究所檙e not getting the benefits of sleep.害羞草研究所�

Experts say short naps , as long as they害羞草研究所檙e not too late in the day. Aim for taking a nap around 6 or 7 hours after waking up, and try to nap at the same time every day.

Mednick recommended saving longer naps for the weekends, or when you have time to sleep a full 90 minutes. After about half an hour, you enter slow-wave sleep, which helps the body repair muscle tissue. REM, or rapid-eye movement, sleep comes at the end of the cycle; it害羞草研究所檚 associated with fanciful dreams and helps process emotions.

The only people who should avoid napping are those who have trouble sleeping at night, Maas said. Senior citizens in particular should be vigilant because they tend to nap for too long during the day.

Don害羞草研究所檛 like napping?

Mednick害羞草研究所檚 research also has shown that napping is not for everyone. About half the people she has tested didn害羞草研究所檛 get anything out of it.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 say to those people who really don害羞草研究所檛 like to nap, 害羞草研究所楲isten to your body.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟