Power nap 101: how to master the art of the afternoon snooze

I’ve been on a personal crusade to get everyone to take a power nap, at the very least every second day, for years now. I started when I had my first son, out of pure necessity: there was no way I could get through the day without one. And to be completely honest, I didn’t like how I was acting or how I felt when I didn’t have a nap (I was very snappy and shouty!).

I used to love a long snooze on the sofa before kids, but once I had a baby that kind of time didn’t exist any more. So I made it my mission to master the art of the 20-minute power nap. Once I got the hang of it, I felt calmer, more focused and less reactive, and, unexpectedly, more creative too.

And yet I still get odd looks when I talk about napping, as if it’s indulgent or lazy. It’s not. It’s essential, especially if you’re being pulled in lots of directions at once: work, caring for others, or just the general intensity of life right now. To me it’s the world’s best health hack, and it’s completely free, gluten free, vegan, no additives, organic, blah blah blah!

So let’s deal with the two things I hear most often about why people can’t or won’t nap.

“I feel too guilty to take a nap”

I hear this a lot, especially from women who feel they should be doing something else: working, tidying, replying to emails, ticking one more thing off the list. It’s as if we’ve learned that we always need to be doing to be worthy. But your worth is not measured by your output.

Taking a nap, a rest or just stopping for a moment doesn’t make you lazy. It means you’re listening to your body. And it actually helps you get more done: you’re not productive when you’re exhausted, when you can’t think straight, or when you feel you’re about to crack. Think of napping as slowing down in order to speed up. Step away from ‘doing’ for a moment and you come back clearer, calmer and with more energy.

“I don’t have time” or “I tried and felt groggy”

For this one I asked sleep expert Dr Shelby Harris for her tips, so you don’t end up napping for two hours, and so that when you do nap, you wake up refreshed and ready to go.

Eight tips for the perfect power nap

1. The shorter the better. When we fall asleep we move through stages of sleep, and if you go into deep sleep for too long you’ll wake up groggy. Keep your nap to around 20 minutes and no longer than 30. Set a timer for 30 minutes to allow a little time to drop off.
2. Try a guided power nap. If you’re worried about falling asleep, or about waking up, a guided session helps (ours is below). Or play white noise or calm music and set an alarm.
3. Don’t stress if you don’t doze off. Sometimes you won’t fall asleep, and that’s fine: a rest still gives you extra energy. If you find yourself stressing, repeat: “It’s OK to rest. I don’t have to fall asleep. I’m enjoying this break.”
4. Get comfy, but not too comfy. At home it’s best to keep your bed for night-time sleep (it helps prevent insomnia), and getting up after a short nap is harder when your bed is calling you. A sofa or a cosy chair works well. At work, try a cushion to rest your head on at your desk.
5. Go gently. Give yourself a couple of extra minutes afterwards to come back to full energy. This is often when creative ideas start to flow, so if you have five minutes to spare, lie there a little longer and let them come.
6. Rehydrate. Drink a glass of water after your nap. It’s good for your body, not just your mind, and a nice signal that you’re moving back into active mode.
7. Not too late in the day. Napping late can make it hard to sleep at night. Leave a good eight hours between your nap and bedtime so you build up enough ‘hunger’ for sleep. For most people, that means no naps after 2pm.
8. Practise. You may not get it right the first time, so keep going. Try to nap at the same time every few days. The more it becomes a routine, the more likely it is to become a ritual you’ll protect like gold.

When to skip the nap

If you have trouble sleeping at night, such as insomnia, Dr Harris is clear that you should avoid naps for now: they can make night-time sleep worse. And if you’re very sleepy during the day, need several naps to get through it, or your naps don’t leave you feeling refreshed, talk to your GP.

Your permission to rest

I know how hard it is to give yourself permission to rest, especially when the to-do list never ends and the guilt creeps in the second you lie down. But I’ve seen, time and again, how powerful a short nap can be: not just for feeling more human, but for your focus, your patience and your creativity.

So if you need a sign that it’s OK to slow down for a moment, this is it.