Restorative naps: what you need to know (and have) to take a short restorative nap

Like most adults in this country, my day starts quite early and is hectic. Prepare breakfast, get up and take my son to school, do an exercise routine and start working. Mainly from my house.

It’s a post-pandemic lifestyle, where a lot of work that used to be done in offices is now being done remotely. This has meant the incorporation of different working habits and methodologies, the main one being the development of a much more personal use of productive time.

Like everything, it has advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the biggest plus, for me at least, is the ability to take a nap after lunch, when it matters what time you get up at dawn.

“This fatigue is called postprandial sleep,” explains Ignacio Gutiérrez, neurologist at Clínica Somno. There are those who theorize, like the Englishman Matthew Walker, author of the book why we sleepthat the suprachismatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, which is the clock we have in the brain and which regulates our states of wakefulness and drowsiness, has been programmed since prehistoric times to produce two moments of need for sleep every 24 hours.

That is, there is a night dream, the main one, and another that usually occurs about 8 hours after we wake up. In other words, the one that happens to almost all of us more or less right after lunch.

“It has to do with the normal circadian rhythm and with increased splanchnic blood flow, which is what irrigates the digestive organs,” adds Pablo Brockmann, an expert at the UC Christus Sleep Center. “Many times it also depends on what you ate for lunch.”

Above all, we are a professional, and the siesta could not go wrong. In a relentless search for a balance between pleasure and duty, I arrived at the concept of “siestawhich means “powerful siesta”. In fact, it’s nothing more than a mini blink. A little tutorial. Nail sushi (his nap).

The question is: is it really good for resting and recovering energy? Or is it just one more gringa industry invention of welfare? We spoke to sleep science experts to find out, and also took the opportunity to ask them what it takes to hit a good siesta.

Elisa Sánchez, psychologist and CEO of UpFeel lists the benefits of a short nap:

• Increases energy and focus
• Improves cognitive performance (which may be beneficial for tasks requiring attention and productivity)
• Improves mood
• Helps reduce stress, anxiety and improve emotional well-being.
• Allows the brain to consolidate and process newly learned information (which improves memory and performance)
• Reduces the feeling of fatigue

Gutierrez, for his part, generally advises against taking a nap, in order to arrive more tired in the evening and better reconcile the sleep of the night, which is the most important of the day. However, a short nap, of 30 minutes maximum, would be equivalent, according to him, to having a cup of coffee. “It prepares us to continue the day, especially if it’s a long and intense day of work.”

Brockmann explains that there are studies in adults that show a short nap has a positive modulating effect on the circadian rhythm. “It allows you to recover the lack of hours of sleep or the accumulated deficit, improving evening activity,” he says.

Admittedly, so much praise for the sometimes diabolical siesta has put you to sleep. And that’s perfect. Did you know that the Germans, citizens of the country considered the productive engine of the European Union, are those who take more naps on this continent? Or that the siesta they do not contradict productivity.

But to really make it a power nap, one that relaxes and energizes us without sleeping all afternoon, it is suggested to get a few key things.

On Spotify, for example, there is a channel specially designed to provoke these short naps: it is called Power Nap: guided audio technology for rest, relaxation and recharging (or a technical audio guide to relax, unwind and rejuvenate). You will find tracks of 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes, where a benevolent voice guides you to a “short but revitalizing siesta”.

On YouTube there are also some good audios of 30 minute guided naps, with an alarm clock included. you can try with this link or also With that both in Spanish.

“We consider that a nap should last 20 to 30 minutes maximum”, specifies Gutierrez. “It’s the only way to get the desired benefits; if it is longer, you fall into a deep sleep which can cause drowsiness or interfere with nighttime sleep.

Using these guided audios that can be found on Spotify or YouTube seem to be good practice, as they generate awareness of the breath and, therefore, facilitate a state of mindful relaxation. “It helps reduce anxiety levels and therefore improves the quality of rest.”

For these relaxing voices to succeed in our brain, the ideal thing is to have suitable headphones, which, in addition to being comfortable enough to fall asleep, also have external noise cancellation (ANC) and thus no sound does not interfere with our brief snapshot.

Of the wireless earbuds we tested, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 tick both boxes: very comfortable, easy to wear, great sound, and effective ANC. Although they are a little expensive, they are worth every one of those thousands of pesos because they will not only be used for sleeping.

For those who are very sensitive to light and don’t have curtains Blackout, it will surely be very useful to have a mask that prevents any sparks from distracting from sleep. The idea is that they are soft and light, so they don’t feel awkward on the face either.

For example, this model from Drims, which is made of 100% mulberry silk: the padding is in silk feathers and the elastic is covered in silk. This of course means that it does not generate any adverse skin reactions and it is also pleasant to close your eyes underneath.

Now, for those who want to get more technological, there are masks that, in addition to covering the eyes, function as headbands that can be connected via Bluetooth. This allows you to block your view and listen to your favorite guided nap audios on one device.

Then, for a nap to be short and restful, it is essential NOT to go to bed: this clearly plays against the idea that it should be brief. The reverse: covered by the sheets and the blanket, it will be very easy to fall asleep until you no longer know what day or what time it is.

“If you sleep for more than 30 minutes, it’s easy to fall into deep sleep and have difficulty waking up, which will bring a feeling of drowsiness and confusion,” warns Sánchez.

The ideal, then, is to lie down on the bed or in an armchair, hopefully in a place with a pleasant temperature, more or less dark, and with a blanket, because the idea of ​​course is not to cool off. In this article, you’ll find a definitive guide to blankets of all types and prices. I liked this one from Casaideas, which is made of polyester but simulates the texture of lambswool.

And last but not least: a perfect pillow. “An incorrect pillow can affect the neck and cause certain structures to be overloaded, which normally results in pain,” Andrés Leiva, traumatologist and spine specialist at Clínica Meds, warns us in this note on how to choose an ideal pillow. “Most surely this will result in poor sleep, a situation that would lead us to a state of stress.”

for a good siesta, this journalist recommends taking it in a 100% supine position: resting on your back and facing the ceiling. For some reason, it’s easier to return to sleep after hearing the gentle but effective audio wake-up call when nap time is over.

“Back sleepers,” Leiva points out, “shouldn’t use very high pillows.” If they do, they may make it difficult for you to breathe, promote snoring, and create pain.

An interesting option is viscoelastic pillows, since they adapt to the weight and size of the head of the person occupying it. This Rosen model is removable and heat-sensitive.

All this wonder has buts. At least according to the specialists. Psychologist Elisa Sánchez, for example, advises avoiding addiction: siesta they are so enjoyable that they can become addictive. “It’s not recommended to make napping a daily routine,” he says. He also advises against this habit for people who have nighttime sleep problems, such as insomniacs or people who have trouble falling asleep.

Brockmann adds that the siesta should not be understood as “a substitute” for nocturnal sleep, which is the most biologically relevant, but rather as a sleep snack, a blinking snack to face the afternoon with energy and not to have to abuse, precisely, energy drinks or caffeine.

*Prices for products in this item are updated as of April 19, 2023. Values ​​and availability may change.