So I kept waking up from my lunch nap feeling like a zombie, worse than before. Read this sleep study that said a full sleep cycle is about 90 minutes, and waking up mid-cycle at 20 minutes lands you in deep sleep. Switched to a 26 minute timer with a 5 minute buffer to sit up before standing, total game changer for me. Anyone else tried the shorter but more precise window?
So last Tuesday I had like 45 minutes before my next client and figured I'd just close my eyes on the couch. Woke up an hour and a half later in a total panic because I had no idea what year it was. I literally checked my phone 3 times because I thought I missed a whole day. The best part? I had a dream I was back in high school gym class doing laps, so when I opened my eyes I was all confused about why I wasn't sweaty and miserable. It took me a solid 2 minutes to remember I'm a grown adult who pays rent. Has anyone else had those naps where your brain just fully resets and you lose all sense of time? It's kinda scary but also weirdly refreshing once I figured out where I was.
I keep seeing posts about setting alarms for 30 or 45 minutes, and that's just wrong for most people. After testing this for three months with a fitbit, I found that 26 minutes is the sweet spot for me, because anything past that puts me into deep sleep and I wake up worse than before. My buddy in Austin swears by 18 minutes, but he also drinks espresso right after, so I don't trust him. Has anyone else actually tracked their sleep stages, or are we all just guessing with our phone timers?
I used to set my alarm for exactly 20 minutes every single day because that's what all the articles say. But I kept waking up groggy and cranky, like way worse than before I napped. My wife finally said 'you fall asleep in like 2 minutes, so you're hitting deep sleep right as the alarm goes off.' She made me add 10 extra minutes so I finish a full cycle and wake up between stages. Now I do 30 minutes flat and it's night and day. Anyone else mess with their nap length based on how fast they actually drop off? What's your sweet spot?
Was crashing in my car during lunch break in the office parking lot last Tuesday, had my phone on silent like an idiot. Woke up 45 minutes late with drool on my shirt and my manager knocking on the window, said "rough night?" in front of two coworkers. How do you guys handle the shame when your nap plan backfires that bad?