Optimal nap time: Expert tips on boosting your afternoon energy

You return home after a long, stressful day at work. You feel like you can't stand on your feet any longer. A nap seems like the only reasonable solution. It allows you to escape from everyday problems momentarily.

Sometimes, we feel even more tired after waking up than before falling asleep. This is a common problem that stems from the length of sleep. How long should an afternoon nap last to wake up rested?

Doctor Anna Kieszkowska-Grudny is an experienced neuropsychologist and psychotherapist. On the program "No Stupid Questions" aired on VOX FM, she talked about the role of sleep and whether a nap helps combat fatigue.

"If someone can take a 1-2 minute nap, that's fantastic," she began.

How long should the perfect nap last? The shorter, the better, but it should not exceed 30 minutes from the moment you fall asleep. After 30 minutes, the brain enters a deep sleep phase, and waking up during this phase results in even greater fatigue.

"If we have too many relaxing and regenerative parts, our body won't have enough time to get sufficiently tired to feel sleepy," she explains.

If you need a nap and don't want to have trouble falling asleep later, try to fall asleep before 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Why at this time? Between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM Eastern Time, the body begins to produce melatonin, a hormone responsible for feeling sleepy. If you wake up later, you might disrupt its production and have trouble falling asleep normally in the evening.

A nap is an excellent way to rejuvenate the body. How to organize a nap? Half an hour before the planned nap, set an alarm. Refrain from watching TV or scrolling through your phone. Lie down and try to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Get up as soon as you hear the alarm. Do not extend the nap even if you feel the need to. After 15 minutes, you will feel much more energized. This is a method used by, among others, Albert Einstein and Salvador Dali.