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30th July 2016
07:11pm BST
There's an art to the nap, however, and luckily the folks at The Art of Wellbeing have produced a guide to hacking the best possible disco nap.
Here's their six-step guide to getting it right:
1 ) Get the length right:
The optimal length of a disco nap is 20-30 minutes. This "enhances alertness and concentration, and sharpens motor skills". 10-15 minutes is deemed good for improved focus and productivity, and 40-60 minutes has been shown to boost brain power, memory and learning.
2 ) Timing is everything:
Ideally, you should take your nap between 1pm-3pm, but, realistically, at weekends a lot of us will only be getting up out of bed at that time. In that case, it's recommended that you take your nap within 6-8 hours of waking up. So if you woke up at 12pm today, you should be taking your name between 6pm-8pm.
3 ) Location, Location, Location:
Pick a spot with minimal light and noise, and a comfortable temperature. Invest in an eye-mask, as light inhibits melatonin, which controls sleepiness. It might also be worth investing in a hammock, as it's believed the gentle swaying helps you to doze off.
4 ) Do be alarmed:
Set your alarm for your wake-up time and STICK TO IT.
5 ) Drink a coffee beforehand:
This is an interesting one. Because it takes about 20-30 minutes for the caffeine effect from coffee to kick in, theoretically drinking a coffee before your nap means it will deliver your buzz just as you're waking up, making it easier to rouse from your nap.
6 ) Shake it off:
Avoid the post-nap grogginess by having caffeine, exposing yourself to bright light, and washing your face.
Now you should be all set for your night out!
