The disco nap (or granny nap, if you will): is there anything better?
They have been the salvation of many a weekend night out; a quick minute power nap that gives you just enough of a rest to get your second wind for a night on the tiles*.
*We mean the dance-floor tiles, not the bathroom tiles as you curl up around the loo.
There’s an art to the nap, however, and luckily the folks at The Art of Wellbeing have produced a guide to hacking the best possible disco nap.
Here’s their six-step guide to getting it right:
1 ) Get the length right:
The optimal length of a disco nap is 20-30 minutes. This “enhances alertness and concentration, and sharpens motor skills”. 10-15 minutes is deemed good for improved focus and productivity, and 40-60 minutes has been shown to boost brain power, memory and learning.
2 ) Timing is everything:
Ideally, you should take your nap between 1pm-3pm, but, realistically, at weekends a lot of us will only be getting up out of bed at that time. In that case, it’s recommended that you take your nap within 6-8 hours of waking up. So if you woke up at 12pm today, you should be taking your name between 6pm-8pm.
3 ) Location, Location, Location:
Pick a spot with minimal light and noise, and a comfortable temperature. Invest in an eye-mask, as light inhibits melatonin, which controls sleepiness. It might also be worth investing in a hammock, as it’s believed the gentle swaying helps you to doze off.
4 ) Do be alarmed:
Set your alarm for your wake-up time and STICK TO IT.
5 ) Drink a coffee beforehand:
This is an interesting one. Because it takes about 20-30 minutes for the caffeine effect from coffee to kick in, theoretically drinking a coffee before your nap means it will deliver your buzz just as you’re waking up, making it easier to rouse from your nap.
6 ) Shake it off:
Avoid the post-nap grogginess by having caffeine, exposing yourself to bright light, and washing your face.
Now you should be all set for your night out!
