Loading…
24
A sleep doc on a podcast said 20 minutes is the cutoff, and my 45 minute naps were the whole problem
I used to nap for 45 minutes to an hour and wake up feeling like I got hit by a truck. Foggy, grumpy, needed a coffee just to talk. Then last week I heard a sleep researcher on a podcast say naps over 20 minutes drop you into deep sleep, and waking up from that is what makes you feel awful. He called it sleep inertia and said the sweet spot is 10 to 20 minutes, nothing more. I tried it Monday with a kitchen timer set to 18 minutes on the couch, no blanket, just closed my eyes. Woke up before the timer even went off and felt actually awake, like a normal person. Did it every day since and it's been the same every time. Now I'm wondering if I should try a 10 minute one to see if it's even better, or if 18 is the magic number for me. What length do you all set your alarms to?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
danielh8111d ago
The 20 minute thing lines up with something I keep seeing, which is that people treat naps like a light switch when they are really more like a dial. My uncle swears by 90 minute naps because he says you get a full cycle and wake up at the right point, and your 45 minute one probably landed you right in the middle of deep sleep, which is the worst spot to get pulled out of. It's the same deal with coffee, honestly, where the amount and the timing both matter and most people just guess. The timer trick works because you are waking up before your body sinks too far in, so going down to 10 minutes might actually cut it too short and leave you groggy from not sleeping at all. I'd test the 10 minute one for a week before you change anything else, but 18 sounds like you already found your spot.
4