How to Take the Perfect Nap

PSA: Napping isn't just for kids! The benefits of a quick 10-20 minute nap can be as powerful as a full 8-hour snooze. So next time you nod off at your desk, don't feel too bad about catching some extra Z's.
» Subscribe to Seeker! bit.ly/subscribeseeker
» Watch more Elements! bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist
» Sign Up for Seeker's Newsletter! www.seeker.com/newsletters
Research has shown a full night’s sleep is good for your memory, mood, and immune system just to name a few benefits. But what about taking a nap during the day? Is it helpful or harmful? How does the length of the nap impact you? And is there an optimal time to grab a quick snooze?
Depending on a person’s age, napping is downright necessary. Generally speaking the younger a person is the more sleep their developing brains and bodies need, so experts recommend that newborns get 14 to 17 hours of sleep while preschoolers should get 10 to 13 hours of shuteye every day. That is a long time to spend unconscious and it’s not going to happen all in a row, so the kiddos need to take naps, no matter how much they kick and scream when they hear it’s nap time. Guidelines also say that kids age 6 to 13 should get anywhere from 9 to 11 or even 12 hours of sleep daily.
Once people are adults though, do they really need to sneak in a siesta? Our modern way of life with our 9 to 5 jobs and our fancy electric light bulbs may have altered how we sleep compared to our ancient ancestors. Napping isn’t necessary for adults, but it still could have potential upsides. Because our brains go through different stages during sleep, the benefits of a nap are correlated with its length. If you find yourself slowing down in the middle of the day after lunch, a quick 20 minute power nap could be all you need to wake up feeling refreshed and alert.
#Nap #Napping #PowerNap #Sleeping #SleepCycle #HowToNap #Seeker
Read More:
Scientists agree: Coffee naps are better than coffee or naps alone
www.vox.com/2014/8/28/6074177...
It might sound crazy: conventional wisdom is that caffeine interferes with sleep. But if you caffeinate immediately before napping and sleep for 20 minutes or less, you can exploit a quirk in the way both sleep and caffeine affect your brain to maximize alertness. Here's the science behind the idea.
Natural Sleep and Its Seasonal Variations in Three Pre-industrial Societies
www.cell.com/fulltext/S0960-9...
How did humans sleep before the modern era? Because the tools to measure sleep under natural conditions were developed long after the invention of the electric devices suspected of delaying and reducing sleep, we investigated sleep in three preindustrial societies.
Napping
www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep...
Researchers found that five-minute naps are too short3 to move deep enough through sleep stages to produce a notable benefit. On the other hand, sleeping for 30 minutes or longer gives the body enough time to enter deep (slow-wave) sleep.
____________________
Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested in the compelling, innovative, and groundbreaking science that's happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond.
Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.
Visit the Seeker website www.seeker.com/videos
Elements on Facebook / seekerelements
Subscribe now! kzbin.info_c...
Seeker on Twitter / seeker
Seeker on Facebook / seekermedia
Seeker www.seeker.com/

[@Evigmae]

I once tried, for about a year. to just sleep whenever i felt like I needed to. Seems like sleeping 4 hours, then being awake for 8, twice a day. is what works best for me.

[@jonathanodude6660]

For me I found that my sleep drifts when I do this, so I think I have a non-24 hour sleep cycle. I can’t easily stay up for long enough to reset and I find if I nap after an attempt, I’ll still sleep at my drifted time anyways. I’m nearly at 6am recurrent bedtime so I’m putting in effort to reset to at least 3am to try keep consistent.

[@dastrayer63]

@@jonathanodude6660 My natural sleep cycle is also not 24 hrs. 14-16 hrs of wake time then 4-6 hrs sleep letting my body have what it wants. I'm in a unique situation that allows me to be productive or entertained at any time of day. My dog has other ideas depending on how the time-of -day timing works out.

[@HClbn]

I’m napping as I’m watching this

[@TedToal_TedToal]

Being 68 now, I wanted to hear about naps and nap time in older people.

[@ArtBellJr]

I think as we retire it becomes easier to nap. It's hard to nap at work if you only get 30 to 60 mins lunch, you have to nap after work. When I stop working I'm going to nap every day around 1 or 2 pm just for an hour or two then get back up and finish the day.

[@saulgoodman2018]

I don't plan to take a little cat nap. It just happens. Sometimes you just get tired, and you need a nap.

[@rhondahuggins9542]

Definitely a napper...have chronic conditions that zap my energy and naps are the only way to constructively reboot. And that length is varies. 😬Many millennium ago in grad school, one semester, my daily schedule was just brutal! And I had an small window of time between responsibilities. I lived close enough to campus that I could zip home, shed my clothes, sleep for an hour, then reverse to process. I got my body so well trained that I could fall asleep within about 5 minutes and wake up just before the alarm went off. It was cool, but thinking about that time these many years later, makes me want to nap! 🌞

[@Leonicles]

I did something similar in grad school. I lived too far to go home to nap, so I made my car into my bed. I brought a blanket, pillows, a little fan and curled up in the driver's seat. Thankfully I'm 4'10," so I was able to get quite comfy! Those naps were heaven!

[@Henchman_Holding_Wrench]

The trick I learned from the ol college days was to eat a protein bar, chug an energy drink, and nap for 20 minutes. I do it once in a while during my lunch break now. I go full supernova by the time I wake up and clock back into work.

[@allansh828]

10 min nap in the noon really helps

[@jamielynnlano]

I’m team “so much I want to do I resent having to sleep at all.”

[@justinleong2589]

Thank you very much for this info, all this while I never knew human need to sleep.

[@ninjagofire02]

Just what I needed

[@babayada2015]

I don't know why it happens but Black coffee makes me go to sleep Works for me

[@lethalwolf7455]

Me too, hot drink at night is so relaxing. Even if it’s caffeinated

[@fruitnoodle1]

I'm a narcoleptic, so I'm definitely team nap. When I was pregnant and couldn't take my medication, my neurologist prescribed therapeutic naps while I was at work. Thank goodness for an understanding workplace!

[@adamiyevsty5086]

3:02 I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the only one who yawned 2 seconds after watching the woman do the same

[@lethalwolf7455]

I didn’t, but I yawned from reading your comment!

[@TheYafaShow]

HIS PROCLIVITY TO EXPLORE IS THAT OF AN ANCIENT EXPLORER FROM A PRINCIPALITY, FROM CIRCA B.C.E. YET HIS TENDENCY OF BENEVOLENCE IS THAT OF AN ANCIENT EXPLORER FROM A MUNICIPALITY FROM CIRCA A.D. NONETHELESS, SHALL YOUR CREATIVE PROWESS PROSPER, AND THE TIDES OF HISTORY ALWAYS IN YOUR FAVOUR.

[@estudiordl]

So 20m nap, noted. I just need 40-60 m to get sleep, so 😅😅😅

[@The_Cyber_System]

It depends drastically on what disorders are affecting me and what medications I'm on. If I'm more hypomanic then I sleep very little at night (

[@cmanicgaterau3263]

Napping around 3pm seems to work for me.

[@stevenhoog1]

You know. Out of EVERYTHING they said about sleep the ONE THING they failed to mention was just HOW TO TAKE A PERFECT NAP which is the title of the video. I came here to learn how to take the perfect nap and it wasn't even mentioned.

[@Gabriankle]

I choose pink LIGHT at night.

[@mystic_dreamer.]

I was just about to take a nap-

[@philplasma]

I've found my perfect nap length is 80 minutes; without setting an alarm that is almost exactly the time I awaken after having started my nap. I don't nap every day as I have found if I nap on one day the next day I am not at all sleepy at the time of day (13h-14h) that I would normally prefer to nap. Fortunately with work at home my job allows for this so long as I meet deadlines otherwise by working later, or more effectively. Oh and as for how quickly I fall asleep, generally it is just a few minutes and somehow I don't feel the inertia Julian mentioned once awake.

[@yay-cat]

yeah have a coffee nap - or if you have ADHD like me, have a ritalin nap. So when you’re tired and want a break you have a stimulant like and energy drink and then immediately go to sleep before it’s kicked in. The combination is more than the sum of its parts

[@Leonicles]

I do the same with my adderall

[@PurplePinkRed]

This makes sense! I have ADHD and I always wondered why I loved napping after an energy drink!

[@Teacherguy06]

Team nap, I teach school and nap at lunch ...sometimes before I go home as well. Only way to cope with the kids. Lol

[@itzdcx7991]

Informational

[@gendissaray]

I tried the whole micro sleep schedule for a while, 2-3 short sleep sessions a day, and it was great! Less total time sleeping and felt more energized than ever.

[@umwha]

Big skepticism

[@petougao]

Search for uberman sleep pattern.

[@Leonicles]

Out of curiousity, why did you stop?

[@gendissaray]

@@Leonicles it worked with my college schedule, but not with a 9-5 job.

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video.

[@RavenFilms]

Wow! Long time no see Julian!

[@makai5749]

Cool video

[@LJGrindewald]

If I have naps late in the day I wake up feeling acidic, yucky and sometimes get a headache. The sort of naps where you struggle to stay awake before hand.

[@vasectomyfail442]

napping is a great way to miss work and end up on the streets. trust me, just live for the moment!

[@InfansDeAter]

Team "Unconscious 24/7" reporting in

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Nice

[@airdailyx]

I got my power naps down to a science. The key you missed is not allowing yourself to get to comfortable. Taking a power upright in a comfortable chair is a lot easier to wake from being in a comfy bed toasty under the covers. I wake with far more energy than a RedBull can provide and last longer with no crash.

[@umwha]

That must be bad for your spine and neck

[@steven-cs8rr]

how do i time my nap for 10-20 minutes? should i set a 30 minute alarm?

[@lauragromko5615]

I took a 20 minute nap between classes last week once day, I'm sure that I dreamt during that time and now I don't understand how I did that! Is that even possible?

[@tride536]

So, how?

[@justmevsg1681]

Naps are the best! Power naps for me…anything more and it’ll counteract the goal.

[@ArtBellJr]

My nap ends up just me falling asleep until I have to wake up the next day. I do go to work at 5 am and If I don't nap its hard to stay up past 6 or 7 pm . I do also take some medicine that makes me drowsy anyway so if I didn't take it I probably wouldn't want a nap at all.

[@heyfarhanirfan]

❤

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Take

[@I.____.....__...__]

I don't understand the concept of napping; I keep hearing people saying to take 10-30 minute naps in the afternoon but how can you fall asleep fast enough to make that worthwhile? If it takes 5-15 minutes just to doze off, then it defeats the whole point (I don't think the lengths people keep recommending include the laying-there-waiting-to-doze-off time). 🤨

[@ZanKraken]

Yeah I never understood how people can even know if they had a 10 minute nap or a 2 hour nap. Turns out most people don't take a half hour or more to fall asleep lmao....

[@Chris-tq1jy]

I’ll usually catch a quick nap after an afternoon delight..

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Time

[@Dudleymiddleton]

I have had a kip i n the afternoon - but for too long, wake up(don't want to!) groggy and doesn't benefit really!

[@heyfarhanirfan]

To

[@heyfarhanirfan]

🎉🎉

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Time for a nap

[@user-qm9nk8yn9l]

🤠

[@heyfarhanirfan]

😮😮

[@user-cg5fr7sf7n]

Research has proved that a full night's sleep is beneficial for memory, mood, and the immune system. However, what about taking a nap during the day? Is it helpful or harmful, and how does the length of the nap impact a person? Researchers have looked into these questions and found that napping can be beneficial, depending on a person's age. Generally, the younger a person is, the more sleep they need. For example, newborns should get 14 to 17 hours of sleep, while preschoolers should get 10 to 13 hours of shut-eye daily. Kids aged 6 to 13 should get anywhere from 9 to 11 or even 12 hours of sleep each day. While adults don't need to take naps, a quick 20-minute power nap could be all that's needed to wake up feeling refreshed and alert. Short naps can help memory, but longer naps can have bigger benefits for learning and recall. For example, a 60-minute nap could help you remember vocabulary or directions, while staying asleep for 90 minutes will allow your brain to enter REM sleep, which has benefits for learning that are on par with getting a full night's rest. The perfect nap length will vary from person to person. However, allowing your brain to go into the deep sleep stage could lead to sleep inertia, where you wake up feeling groggy and paradoxically more tired. Additionally, taking a nap at the wrong time of day can make it difficult to fall asleep later that night, so it's best to avoid napping after 4 pm. Regular nappers appear to get more out of it than those who don't nap daily. They might feel sharper and in better spirits compared to their counterparts who feel sluggish after waking. However, people who find themselves feeling icky after a nap likely won't do it as often. In conclusion, napping can be beneficial depending on a person's age, and the length and timing of the nap can impact its benefits. While napping isn't necessary for adults, a quick power nap could be all that's needed to feel refreshed and alert. Regular nappers appear to get more out of it than those who don't nap daily, but napping may not be for everyone.

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Day

[@mzwt]

thanks im gonna sleep now

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Quick

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Lounge

[@oneboxer8329]

Let’s take a nap

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Junior

[@aperson2730]

☹️

[@heyfarhanirfan]

😅😊😅

[@heyfarhanirfan]

A

[@Dudleymiddleton]

I see it - not literally - as resting the eyes.

[@sanyo_neezy]

I could never really make it work

[@ZanKraken]

Coffee doesn't do anything for me :(

[@NanoNovaBlast]

Have you tried MORE coffee?

[@ZanKraken]

@@NanoNovaBlast I have, actually. tried more often coffee, stronger coffee, drunk coffee regularly for a month and then didn't have any for a month. none of it made me feel anything in terms of having an easier time waking up or feeling less tired, or even make it harder to fall asleep.

[@natalieziedane501]

The meaning off siesta Like a nap or what

[@sueg2658]

I’m on team nap 💤

[@americanv8ss]

Volume's too low!! As always. FFS!

[@nBasedAce]

Is a nap a nap if you don't fall asleep?

[@Masterpouya]

not really no, but it still is some rest. Still positive.

[@MarkBurghouwt]

0:23 Is that even legal??? 😳

[@Erliondan]

Team nap

[@gavinbroughton]

A fell asleep watchi....

[@itsAreeb]

*commenting

[@HacknMate]

Nothing new here. Lost 5 minutes of my mid-morning siesta.

[@sicfxmusic]

Audio volume too low.

[@drstone3418]

How come those modern day primitive tribes advanced independently on their own

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Bulbs

[@beefling5390]

Yeah middle school probably destroyed my brain.

[@Olando89]

Team sleep.

[@user-sm5od8uz9e]

[Nap]

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Powern😮 nap

[@CosmicShieldMaiden]

Mmm..naps.

[@heyfarhanirfan]

Nap

[@heyfarhanirfan]

😂😂

[@DennyDormant]

Team napper here. I sleep for 5-6 hours usually and need my 12-17 min nap before I walk into work.

[@elcomodo1]

Yo

[@lazardoncic7276]

What up

[@minecraftlove1608]

Hei

[@shootsbraw]

Silly video

[@glibaudiostories]

Personally, if I don't rest my eyes for at least 15 mins in the middle of the day, I will be falling asleep for the entire end of the day.