Napping Hacks: A Sleep Expert Offers 3 Tips to Elevate Your Nap Feeling sluggish mid-afternoon? A well-timed nap can be a game-changer, boosting alertness and improving cognitive function.

But not all naps are created equal.

Dr.

Anya Sharma, a leading sleep expert, shares three key tips to transform your napping routine from a drowsy slump into a revitalizing power-boost: 1.

Master the Timing: The Power of the "Power Nap" "The duration of your nap is crucial," explains Dr.

Sharma.

"Avoid long naps, which can leave you feeling groggy and disoriented.

Aim for a power nap – typically 20-30 minutes – to target the lighter stages of sleep, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed without the sleep inertia of deeper sleep cycles.

" She cautions against naps longer than 45 minutes, as entering deeper sleep stages can lead to that groggy feeling.

"Think short and sweet for optimal rejuvenation," she advises.

2.

Create Your Ideal Napping Environment: Sensory Optimization The environment significantly impacts nap quality.

"Your nap space should be dark, quiet, and cool," says Dr.

Sharma.

"Darkness suppresses melatonin production, allowing you to fall asleep more readily.

Minimize noise distractions with earplugs or white noise, and a slightly cooler temperature can encourage sleep onset.

" Beyond the physical environment, consider creating a mental space conducive to relaxation.

This could involve listening to calming music or using a meditation app to quiet your mind before you drift off.

3.

Consistency is Key: Establish a Regular Napping Routine "Consistency is paramount for effective napping," Dr.

Sharma emphasizes.

"Your body thrives on routine.

If you plan to incorporate regular naps into your day, try to nap around the same time each day to regulate your circadian rhythm.

This consistency helps your body anticipate the nap, promoting quicker and deeper sleep.

" However, she warns against napping too late in the afternoon as it could disrupt your nighttime sleep schedule.

"Aim for a nap early enough to still allow for a restful night's sleep," she concludes.

By following Dr.

Sharma's advice on timing, environment, and consistency, you can transform your naps from fleeting moments of drowsiness into powerful tools for boosting energy, enhancing mood, and improving overall well-being.

After a rough, or long, exhausting day, nothing feels quite as good as a nap.

But with contradictory information online about whether napping is good or bad for your health, we spoke to a sleep expert to get some insight on afternoon snoozes.

"Napping is complicated," explains Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, a consultant to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "I'm sure everyone has seen headlines that 'naps are good' or 'naps are bad.' Both are true."

That's because napping can be problematic or a sign of an underlying issue.

"If you have symptoms of other conditions and you find yourself unable to get through the day and have to nap on a regular basis, it's definitely worth reaching out to your doctor to find out if there's something more going on," she says.

If you're generally a healthy sleeper, however, occasional napping is safe — and even beneficial in certain situations.

"There's really nothing wrong with that, or at least at this point, we have no evidence to suggest that that would be bad," she says. "If you're a person who works irregular shifts or does shift work, napping is actually a really powerful countermeasure."

How can you make the most of your nap? In honor of National Napping Day — Monday, March 13, timed to help you recuperate the day after — here are 3 tips:

"If you're trying to nap in a brightly lit room and there's noise, it's not going to lead to the best quality nap," Flynn-Evans says, suggesting instead a cool, dark and quiet sleep environment.

"Make sure that when you wake up, you don't have a lot of major commitments because there is this phenomenon called sleep inertia, which is the process of waking up. It's that grogginess that you feel as soon as you begin to wake up."

This can be particularly disorienting when you're waking up from nap, Flynn-Evans says, and it can take as much as two hours to come to full alertness.

"Having a little bit of caffeine and then taking a nap may sound counterintuitive, but caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in and caffeine dampens that sleep inertia effect," she explains.

So if you're planning on taking a 20- to 45-minute power nap, have a little caffeine before dozing off, to wake up with more alertness. Flynn-Evans says 50 mg of caffeine should be all you need, which is equivalent to a cup of tea or a weak cup of coffee.