Is there a correct way to nap?

A proper nap should not last longer than 20 minutes. They are also best done in a hammock.

I get the same thing! I’ve heard 20 minutes with your feet elevated. But I can’t sleep for just 20 minutes. Not to mention, how do you know when to start the timer? When you fall asleep? But you can’t; you’re asleep!

Deeply and snuggled tight.

sick like nauseous? head ache? why do you love it if you always get sick???

I prefer to nap while asleep.

She probably isn’t sick because she’s smelly. Maybe she’s nauseated.

Preferably with your eyes shut.

I’m in college, so I nap whenever (and where ever) I get the chance. My sleep schedule is beyond fucked. I’ll sleep for as short as ten minutes and as long as ten hours.

yes, it’s nausea! i feel nauseated when i wake up… but uh, maybe it’s cause I generally nap for at least an hour.
thanks for the tip @AstroChuck . I’ll be sure to keep my eyes closed the entire time ;)

On a warm day, with the shades only partially drawn, a fan blowing is always nice.

It’s best when unexpected and you don’t have anything to do and don’t have anything to do and thus don’t need to set an alarm.

My boyfriend and I, for some reason, used to always nap on opposite sides of the bed and always woke up feeling so refreshed. Only during naps, though, never for full night’s sleep.

From Life Hack:

“So what does this all mean? It means that your goal during a nap is to enter the REM sleep phase quickly (this is where most dreaming occurs), and to wake up as soon as the REM sleep phase is over. If you sleep past the REM phase you’ll enter deeper phases of sleep and it will be really difficult to get up!

The only reason this is difficult is that everyone sleeps differently. For most people, their optimal nap time (where they can wake up just as they finish REM) is between 15 and 30 minutes, but you’ll have to test to find yours precisely.

What makes it more difficult is that you have to take into account how long it takes you to fall asleep. When you are first perfecting your naps, it could take quite a while to fall asleep, so I’d suggest starting with a 30–35 minute nap, and working your way down.

Don’t be surprised if after a 30 minute nap you are exhausted. You may have gone right through REM into a deeper sleep phase. It will feel like being woken up in the middle of the night, and during these times I’ve had trouble with even the most basic tasks like keeping my balance or forming sentences.

Each day, try a different length of nap, reducing the time by 3–5 minutes, and record your energy levels. As you learn to fall asleep quicker, and close in on your optimal time, you’ll notice a remarkable thing: it’s possible to wake up from a nap totally refreshed and alert”

with your eyes CLOSED!!!!

My son naps for 3 hours (he’s 20 months old..that’s normal) I sometimes fall asleep while he’s napping and wake up sooo groggy. It’s awful. I make him cuddle in bed with me while I try to wake up.
I’ve always been told it should only be for about 20 minutes. Who naps for only 20 minutes though?!

I recommend napping in a comfortable place.

I must admit that it is getting easier and easier to nap as I am getting older, though. I like to tell myself that it is because practice makes perfect. not because I am slowly winding down.

the best way to nap is to do so while cuddling a small asian.

I just came upon this thread in my activity page, and I swear I read it as “Is there a correct way to rape?” and corrected myself to “Is there a correct way to rap?” and then I was just beyond confused. I think it’s time to change my contacts.

and @Darwin: In my design class, I’ll take naps on the floor under my computer desk during lunch break. It’s not actually too bad.

My best naps are: On a weekend afternoon, fully naked, tucked in and woken up later by my husband.

I could never nap for 20 minutes.

mmm @augustlan that sounds lovely…perfect in fact.

I wake up feeling sick too…i must sleep too long…between 1 and 2 hours.. but then i am sleep deprived so i just figure that 2 hours is better than a ‘nap’...

not so i guess… will try the nap thing i think

You need to sleep such that you attain some REM sleep. All other phases of sleep are, sadly, completely useless for your body. @Marina You’ve got the right idea with that quote, but I study sleep, and the fact is that nobody unless they are under significant sleep debt is going to fall into REM (rapid eye movement, or restful sleep) in 15–30 minutes.

You should sleep for 90 minutes. This allows you to progress through all four stages of non-productive (NREM, non rapid eye movement) and then experience the 15 minutes of REM associated with any sleep cycle. Waking up during REM or Stage 3/4 of NREM is like waking up hung over/intoxicated, and you could require up to 40 minutes to wake up entirely. 90 minutes is ideal, because it ensures you are waking up in a light stage (stage 1/2) of the next cycle.

Enjoy!

With a purring kitty cat
=^.^=

And I find I get heartburn if I lay down too soon after eating… could that be a factor for you? If I sleep too long, I just feel groggy, but not nauseous.

maybe it has something to do with your eating habits. like if you nap while feeling hungry you will wake up feeling nauseous, or if you eat too much before you nap same nauseous results?

either way, i feel really bad for you! napping is so wonderful, nothing like nap nausea to ruin your day :(

i know right?! napping is supposed to be the total best! and sometimes it is, when you’re with someone special ;)
and I definitely can’t nap for just 20 minutes. I like the 3 hour ones.
Is 3 hours even considered a nap?

@lc a belated welcome! i think we should consider 3 hours the new nap!

I`m with Ic and lynneblundell!

Three hours is the perfect nap for me. Zzzzzzzzzz…