Unless you work the nightshift or sleep until noon, your best time to nap is between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. Your blood sugar and energy levels start to wane after lunch, according to the National Sleep Foundation, which can lead to that unavoidable afternoon slump (and race to the coffee machine).
Of course, that varies depending on your wake-up time. A 2 p.m. nap is perfect if your morning starts at 7 a.m., but that isn’t the case for everyone. Alarm dragging you out of bed at 5 or 6 a.m.? Then you might be ready for a nap closer to 1 or 1:30. Not a napping pro? Here are tips for taking the perfect nap.
References
Milner, C.E., et al. (2009). Benefits of napping in healthy adults: Impact of nap length, time of day, age, and experience with napping. Journal of Sleep Research.
National Sleep Foundation. (2021). The benefits of napping.
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