I’ve always been a good napper. Pretty much since birth actually. I was born in Atlanta and my mom always talks about how the entire cul-de-sac would wait in the living room for me to wake up so they could get a glimpse of me… and then I’d wake up, my mom would feed me, and I’d go right back to sleep!
Growing up, my mom and dad would not let me nap… ever. Why? Because I’d sleep for three hours straight. And god help anyone who wakes me up before the three hours is up! Even to this day, when I nap, it’s almost always three hours to the dot if I don’t set an alarm.
I love to nap. On the couch. Over the covers. In the backseat of a car. Under the covers if I’m feeling extra generous to myself. Gosh, I could nap every day (even if I slept 12 hours the night before).
As I’ve grown up, I’ve had to reluctantly adopt some more responsible napping habits. But I still nap. I can work when I’m tired… but I know how I feel if I’m too tired and I’m simply not productive. When this happens, I find a way to carve twenty-five minutes into my schedule to squeeze in a little shut-eye.
My tips for a successful quick nap:
– Get comfortable, but not too comfortable. I sleep on my stomach at night, so if I’m napping, I make sure to stay on my back. It helps me stay in a light sleep.
– Drink a little coffee before sleeping. This is a trick my mom uses and, wouldn’t you know, it works like a charm. (Gosh, she is always right. Seriously.) You’ll wake up “naturally” a lot less groggy about twenty to thirty minutes later because the caffeine gets into your system. I do this a lot when I have a regular headache. Eight ounces of Diet Coke and a twenty-five minute nap, and I’m back in action.
– Lights on, clothes on. I mean… the minute I change into comfortable clothes and turn the lights off, it’s game over.
– Set two alarms. It’s weird because I’m not much of a snoozer in the morning. When my alarm goes off, I’m ready to start the day. But naps? LOL, I could sleep through a tornado. I have a bad habit of turning off the first alarm semi-asleep and not even remembering it going off at all.
– Put phone on airplane mode. Sometimes (aka most of the time) when I’m tired during the day, it’s because my brain is simply tired. From stress or over-stimulation. Disconnecting from email and social media notifications for twenty-five minutes won’t hurt anyone. If my phone is buzzing and lighting up, it’s so much harder for me to fall asleep quickly, which either makes the time away from my desk extra long or the actual nap too short.
– Eat after, not before. Anyone else go into food comas? If I eat something carby before a nap, it’s so much harder for me to wake up. Instead, I wake up from the nap and eat something healthy, like cut up fruit or some kind of nut (currently addicted to pistachios).
Are you a napper? What are your tips/tricks for perfecting the cat nap?
xoxo
PS I took three naps on Sunday accidentally– whoops. Garrett captured one of my more ridiculous naps… where I broke every one of my own rules.
I really didn't start napping until I got to college; it seems like that's the first time I had breaks in the afternoon to actually rest!
I try not to nap after 6pm, although sometimes I'll power nap around 8 if I've got a lot of work to do.
Sydney
Toodlebelle's Blog
My naps last for a few hours so I rarely do it! I want to try these tips though…this might change things!
laurenroseprep.blogspot.com
i think my only guideline for naps is i take them if i'm tired and i have time to nap. i need to try some of your other tips though. getting enough sleep is so important!
I adore naps! It's my favorite weekend pastime!
Personally I'm not a napper, but I love this title photo! One of my all time favorite movies.
— Alex at Cashmere Kangaroo
I am not a napper. I wish I was but it takes me so long to fall asleep that I'd rather just go to sleep earlier and power through the day then nap in the day. The other thing is that I come from a family where naps=laziness. hahah I wish I could be more of a napper but I don't think it's in the cards for me. 🙂
allienotsally.blogspot.com
Wow – this sounds so familiar. If sleeping were a profession I would be the CEO! I used to take naps regularly, but really don't have time for them anymore. It's such a treat when I get to take a nap during the weekend – or even better, sleep in. Good tips on how to nap productively.
http://www.livinginsteil.com
While I love to nap I always wake up feeling way worse than when I fell asleep! Like totally disoriented and really groggy. That doesn't mean I don't make sacrefices for a good nap… especially in college! Love these tips 🙂
Annie Belle
I love napping & do it as often as I can. But I sometimes feel groggy when I get up if its too long!
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http://bessentials.weebly.com
I basically can't nap unless the exhaustion is overpowering; which only happens if I had crew practice at 4 that morning!
Alyssa | Keep It Simple
Read this post right after my nap. Really wish I had drank some caffeine before I took it! Loving these tips for the avid napper!
Courtney
Odds & Ends
Thanks for tip about the caffeine! My daughter gets nasty headaches so I'm definitely going to remember that for the next time one pops up.
I nap almost every single day, and my boyfriend hasn't napped in years. Which is one thing I can't understand about him. I feel like a whole new person, ready to conquer the afternoon/evening when I nap!
I became more of a napper when I started college. Haha! Before I just napped if I was sick. I've heard about drinking coffee before a nap–I think it was my psych professor who mentioned that!
Ashley
All That Glitters
I am the biggest fan of naps, but even more I like sleeping late. My sleep schedule is so messed up. I go to bed at 2 am and wake up at 10 or 11 am. So I usually don't nap, because by the time I'm ready to nap I really should just go to bed. But if I have to get up earlier for any reason than I absolutely must nap at some point or I feel ill.
Mana
Fashion and Happy Things
Love these tips! The caffeine + 20-minute nap combo is a LIFESAVER, both for jolts of energy and getting rid of headaches. It sounds like I get the same kind of headaches you do–my no-fail method to get rid of them is taking an advil, drinking a big glass of water and a small cup of coffee, then napping for a half hour. A lot of tension headaches are the result of dehydration, so the water really helps!
Gigi
During the last two years of high school there was so much work for me to do so I was almost always worn out. I started taking naps when I got home (6:30PM) to refresh myself and get ready to study. I'd tell my mom, "PLEASE make sure I wake up in 30min!!!" but she hardly ever does, because she wants me to sleep more haha. Thanks for these tips though! Now I can rely on myself 🙂 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
Afternoon naps are so perfect if done right. Love these tips!
Pink Champagne Problems
I love love love naps…I have never been a short napper though. My nap is on average an hour and a half…it's terrible. I have realized that I need to just truck on through my day and go to bed a bit earlier. On the weekends or longer days I definitely take the time to take a nap;)
Loved this post!
xo, Taylor
Haha I loved this post! Great tips for napping girl! I love hearing about your experiences and how real you are. Been loving the laid back content lately and this one probably has to be my favorite. I am the same way– if I nap, I am out. Don't you love the feeling of being so well-rested after a nap… ahhh.
Thanks for the post as always!
peachesandchristine.blogspot.com
I am usually at work at 5am, and sometimes don't get home until 9-10pm, thankfully I get a few hours off in the afternoon where I'm supposed to do uni work, but usually nap! Not sure how I'd manage to last the 16-17hour days without them!
http://www.foreverrebecca.com
These are awesome tips (: I'm definitely a huge napper like you, and have always been that way! I didn't know about the caffeine before a nap to help wake you up, so I'm going to try that next time. Thanks!
Wish I could relate, but working every day you don't have time to take a 3 hour nap and stop working (or nap at all while at work!)
That's nice you can take a break and check blogs though! Sometimes stepping away from the computer (or simply switching to a new window) can give you energy like a nap might.
Last year at my old job, I would come home at like 8pm, close my eyes for 25 minutes, eat dinner, and do blog work late into the night. I definitely needed those 25 minutes to reset!
(Also, I don't recommend taking 3 hour naps during the day… I would LOVE to be able to do that, trust me… but 25 minutes is what I recommended in the post… with tips! Whether that's at 6pm when you're home from work or during the day if you have a flexible working schedule like me.)
You CAN do that though because you work from home and set your own schedule.
Oh how I wish I could nap every day! Yesterday I napped for about 45 minutes instead of just powering through and it kept me up at night because it felt like my body just wasn't ready to go to sleep. It gave me time to work on my graphics anyways, so I guess it's bittersweet.
thebackallieway.com
I'm the same way as you – I nap for 3 hours at a time! It was so nice in high school to come home, eat, and go to sleep without setting an alarm. Now I'm much too busy to nap like that!
Constance || Prep Northwest
I totally agree with eating after a nap. For someone like me who likes to snack, it gives you a good incentive to wake up!
In high school, I'd come home and nap until 8ish, then do homework until 3am. It was a horrible cycle, but it got better in college! Although my record time is seven hours… (Hey, it's still a nap if it's in the middle of the day!) I've never heard the coffee tip before–now that I've graduated, I need to adopt more responsible napping habits, too. 🙁
Chloe | Wanderlust in the Midwest
Ever since I started going to college, I have been taking so much naps! It's just so nice to get comfy and to sleep haha. I really can't imagine myself going 7hours a day to school and not feeling like a need a nap. I try not to nap too long, but I need to get in comfy clothes otherwise I won't fall asleep and it's just a waste of time 🙂
I thought I was the only one. My family calls me "professional napper" Like You I can sleep 3 to 4 hours or more….. With each child someone told me to sleep when they sleep and I did that also. Once I am up I thrive!!!