On busy, tired, days, is there anything that sounds more delicious than a nap? A cosy, warm, quiet, nap. No notifications, no emails, no “let’s just have a quick call”. Nothing. Just sleep. Sweet, sweet sleep.
Then, you find that you actually do have a gap in your day. A quick 20 minutes to lay your head down and recharge. You snuggle in, drop off almost immediately and when that alarm goes off you feel... awful.
What happened to the original plan? We sleep, we rest, we feel better and sleep remains a sweet solace on busy days and honestly, even quiet days. That’s the plan.
Instead you feel groggy, grumpy, and perhaps even, dare I say it, worse than before? You don’t feel more alert or energised you feel actually quite stale.
It turns out, this is actually potentially a condition called sleep inertia and the good news is, you can get rid of it.
What sleep inertia is and how to get rid of it
According to the sleep experts at Calm: “Sleep inertia is a temporary disorientation and decline in performance and/or mood after awakening from sleep.
“People can show slower reaction time, poorer short-term memory, and slower speed of thinking, reasoning, remembering, and learning.”
All of this for the sake of a nap? Is it worth it? Well, yes. Naps are actually good for you and your brain function, as long as the sleep inertia doesn’t take over your day.
The experts at The Sleep Foundation recommend the following steps for tackling sleep inertia and feeling brighter after a nap, instead of regretting even hitting the hay in the first place:
- Nap for no longer than 20 minutes at a time, as any longer risks putting you into deep sleep which can make sleep inertia worse
- Wash your face once you get back up as it can help to alleviate grogginess and tiredness after a nap. Even a splash of water can make a difference
- Go out into the sun or position yourself near some bright light to help your mind wake up and reduce tiredness symptoms
- Have a cup of coffee after a nap or just before you sleep, as the effects of caffeine will kick in just as you wake up
Improve your sleep at night
Sleep inertia is more likely to hit hard if you’ve underslept the night before, according to The Sleep Foundation so making sure you’re in healthy sleeping habits is key to improving your napping habits.
Make sure that you keep a consistent sleep schedule, exercise daily but not in the hours right before bed, don’t eat large meals before bed and try to limit screen time (including tv!) before settling in for the night.