“Sleep 8 hours before going to bed at night”…This is how to take a nap on the weekend!

Even if you try to get a good night’s sleep, sometimes you need a nap. However, if you have ever woken up feeling more sleepy after a nap or had trouble falling asleep at night, you know that taking a proper nap is more difficult than you think. Here’s how to make the most of your nap and stay refreshed for the day, based on the opinions of sleep experts from the American portal Yahoo.

△ Go to bed 8 hours before bedtime

While there’s no one-size-fits-all nap time for everyone, there are some rough estimates of when the best time of day to nap is. Dr. Karin Volker, a clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine, says it’s best to avoid napping within eight hours of your nightly bedtime to avoid negatively impacting your nightly sleep. For example, if you plan to go to bed at 11 p.m., don’t nap later than 3 p.m. Dr. Volker recommends taking a short 20- to 30-minute nap in the early afternoon, when your natural circadian rhythm is lower and your energy level is lower.

Dr. Funke Apolabi-Brown, a sleep medicine specialist, agrees. He generally recommends napping between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (if your bedtime is 11 p.m.), and no later than 3 p.m.

△ Setting the environment for sleep

Once you have decided on a good time to nap, it is time to create an environment where your body can relax. Dr. Chris Winter, a sleep medicine and neurosurgeon, says that your nap environment should reflect your sleep environment: cool, dark, and quiet. Go to your bedroom, close the curtains, lie down, or find another comfortable space with minimal distractions. If possible, lie down rather than in a chair.

Dr. Afolabi-Brown recommends creating a routine that simplifies your usual bedtime preparations, such as wearing an eye mask before bed. If your mind is cluttered, it is also good to try meditation to calm your mind.

△ Don’t force yourself to sleep

You may be tired and trying to sleep, but you can’t actually fall asleep. “Having a goal of resting is more helpful than actually putting pressure on yourself to sleep,” explains Dr. Winter. It would be nice to fall asleep, but even if you don’t, just resting is enough. In this case, it may mean that your sleep drive isn’t strong enough or you’re not actually sleepy, so save your sleep drive for the night. If you try to force yourself to sleep, it can actually make it harder to fall asleep at night.

△ Nap is short and sweet

The state of being half-asleep for a while after waking up is called sleep inertia, and according to Dr. Volker, if you fall into a deep sleep while napping, you are more likely to experience sleep inertia. Therefore, to avoid feeling dazed after waking up from a nap, it is recommended that your nap time not exceed 30 minutes. However, experts say that it is okay to nap a little longer if you are making up for recent sleep deprivation, are a shift worker, or need to adjust to jet lag.

△ Maintain consistency

If you are a frequent napper, experts agree that it is a good idea to create a routine. Rather than sleeping whenever you want, having a set nap schedule can help reduce sleep inertia. If possible, try to nap at the same time every day, and end your nap at the same time, regardless of whether you actually slept the entire nap.

The same goes for after a nap. Just as it is easier to wake up in the morning if you get some sunlight, take a shower, exercise, or listen to music, it is also good to brighten up the room again and move your body, such as by stretching, after a nap.

△ The important thing is a good night’s sleep

It is good to take a nap, but it is more important to sleep well at night. It is most important to keep a regular sleep routine, such as going to bed and waking up at the same time, and to get a comfortable sleep. If you are often overly tired and feel like you need a nap every day, it may be a sign of a problem that requires more attention, such as insomnia. If an insomnia patient takes a nap for a long time, it can actually make the sleep disorder worse, so be careful.