Midday nap? This is how

On average we should sleep seven hours per night. Since having children (it’s been seven years now) I am surprised by that fact that I can even keep my eyes open during the day. I’m lucky if I have a night where I can pull off the recommended seven hours let alone a night of undisturbed sleep. There is always someone who cries, sings, vomits or sleepwalks. It doesn’t bother me that much, in fact I love the cosiness of family life, but oh, how I long to not feel tired.

Because I can just simply write off any notion of an uninterrupted night or the seven hours sleep, I’ve had to go in search of a solution. Well you’ll be happy to know that I’ve found it on huffingtonpost.com, and it is known as the afternoon nap.

Here are the rules. And mark my word; this afternoon I will be diligently applying them.

Timing is everything

In contrast to the power nap the ideal time for an afternoon nap is around 3pm. Before lunch you are just not tired enough and any later than that might give you difficulties sleeping in the evening.

keep it short

Don’t be caught thinking: I’ll sleep as long as my body deems necessary. Then your whole day will be out of whack. Just don’t do it. 20 to 30 minutes is sufficient.

anywhere but bed

If you lie in bed, your body thinks ‘Hey, that’s nice. I’ll just tune out for seven hours.’ That’s not a good idea. Go somewhere where it is comfortable, but not too comfortable. Your couch is perfect. I’ve had colleagues in the past who have taken their naps under their desk. Wherever it works, as long as it’s not in your bed.

Drink coffee

Yes, coffee. Strange advice right; coffee keeps you awake. But the substance that keeps you awake only begins to work after twenty to thirty minutes. And that’s exactly the time you should be awake again. A warm cup of coffee before you take your nap helps you to fall asleep (because you have a hot drink in your stomach) and then you are all set for a perky wake up call.

don’t fret

Do you recognize that? Panicking, tossing and turning because you can’t fall asleep. I have had that so many times. It doesn’t matter if you don’t instantly fall into a deep sleep. They say that just laying and resting works just as well.

Sleeping masks

The Huffington Post suggests a kind of sleeping bag that you can pull over your head to isolate yourself from the world. A little too morbid for my liking. A sleeping mask or two slices of cucumber over your eyes work just as well. Not just catching up on the necessary seven hours but avoiding the puffy eyes all in one.

Sleep tight…….