I don’t know about you guys, but weekends packed with trips, birthday celebrations, play dates, and loads of summer fun have got me dragging a bit. I’ve really been needing a few short naps a week to keep myself going. Seeing as I’ve now perfected it, I thought I would share some tips for how to get the most energy out of a short power nap.
- Drop the guilt. One of my favorite times to take a nap is weekend mornings. I get up with our daughter and let my husband sleep in, then take a nap a couple hours later. I hold off on coffee until after my nap to ensure I can fall back asleep. At first I felt guilty for going back to sleep for a bit. Shouldn’t I be spending that time with my daughter? Am I wasting precious weekend hours? But let me tell you: Waking up from a nap and having a fresh cup of coffee around 11 a.m. leaves me feeling awesome and ready to truly enjoy the rest of the day. I try to take one morning nap a weekend, and it really helps me feel restored come Monday instead of heading into the week drained. You can’t pour from an empty cup! Nap away, sisters.
- Create a calming atmosphere. I’ve really been enjoying the relaxing vibe of lighting a nice candle as I settle in for a nap. A soft flame and soothing scent tell my brain it’s time to slow down. I picked up the Aromatherapy “Be Peaceful” candle at Target recently and have been totally loving it.
- Get comfortable. Like, REALLY comfortable. If you’re not already wearing yoga pants, get on that. (Let’s be honest: You’re already wearing yoga pants.) That bra digging in to your back? Give it a break. Remove earrings, tight hair bands, and anything else that might prevent you from fully relaxing.
- Get warm. This is a matter of personal preference, but I find I always fall asleep faster when I’m a little warmer than I think I need to be. I usually put on a pair of thick socks, a sweatshirt, and cuddle up under a cozy blanket. This prevents the ten-minute period of trying to get warm that sometimes happens if I’m dressed a little too lightly. The added warmth makes me nice and drowsy. It’s all about falling asleep as quickly as you can.
- Set an alarm. I find 30-40 minutes the perfect length for a power nap if I just need a quick recharge. If you are truly exhausted and sleep deprived, shoot for like 90 minutes if you can swing it. But I definitely recommend setting an alarm to be sure you don’t sleep so long that you wake up feeling groggy and off for the rest of the day.
- Use a white noise app. This is CRUCIAL. I don’t know about you, but if I can hear my child whatsoever, it prevents me from falling asleep. I live in a pretty small home, so I use a white noise app to drown out distracting sounds. I crank up the “Ocean Waves” channel to a pretty loud volume, close my eyes, breathe deeply, and wait for that blessed oblivion.
Here’s to getting some more rest this fall! Any other napping tips to share?
