Want to retain more of what you learn? Enhance your performance, improve recovery, or simply feel more energised? A 10-20 minute nap taken early in the afternoon will do the trick. Not only will you wake up feeling refreshed and alert, the benefits will last at least 3 hours.
In fact, 10 minute naps are so powerful that they’ve proven most effective for people who only manage 5 hours of sleep per night.
Naps longer than 30 minutes are great for boosting creativity. A nap can help you make more associations, come up with new ideas, and improve cognitive performance for hours afterwards.
However, some studies show that longer naps can lead to a loss of productivity, and a grogginess that lingers long afterwards. That's definitely been my experience. Long and frequent naps are also associated with higher levels of disease and mortality, so make sure you don't overdo it.
The best part? A short nap is easy to fit into your regular day. Only have 30 minutes for lunch? Find somewhere quiet to curl up for 10-20 minutes, whether that's at your desk, in your car, or a seat in your local park. If you work from home like I do, you can take pleasure in jumping back in your own bed.
It might be hard to fall asleep at first, but if you keep at it, you’ll train your body to fall asleep on demand.