The length of your nap before a run depends on how much time you have before the run and how much sleep you have gotten the night before. Generally, a nap of 20-30 minutes is enough to help you feel more alert and energized without feeling groggy.
When you’re done with a long run or intense workout, it can be tempting to climb into bed and take a nice long nap. Here’s why you should avoid bed… at least for a while.
«Running at your best is about running, but it’s also about the little extras you do to support your run and avoid injury,» says Chris McClung, trainer, co-owner of Rogue Running and co-host of his podcast. Being rested before your running is a great idea.
Performance Studies
To answer this question, we can’t look at what athletes do because cause and effect are too intertwined to unravel. Physiologically, theories for the beneficial effects of napping include lowering cortisol, improving hormonal balance, improving cognitive performance, and reducing subjective feelings of fatigue. One negative effect could be disturbed nighttime sleep, and some people say that, counterintuitively, naps make them more tired.
Most studies look at naps during post-lunch baths. As described in a 2019 study in Physiology and Behavior, this is a midday marked by a slight drop in core temperature and reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can promote sleepiness. Give me a donkey and a blanket and I’ll be a sleeping human donkey in no time.
Find the right place to nap
If you work from home, it’s easy. Pick a comfortable spot, but make sure it’s not too snug or you won’t want to wake up and go back to work.
Recognizing the importance of power naps, many companies have introduced sleeping pods or bedrooms in their offices. Employees can take a short nap and continue their work more efficiently. If your office doesn’t have a designated nap spot, consider sleeping in your car.
Try a «Nappuccino».
Drinking a cup of coffee before a nap seems counterintuitive, but it actually enhances the nap experience. «As long as the caffeine hour doesn’t interfere with nighttime sleep, we recommend a small amount of caffeine in a green or black tea before shorter naps,» Bender says. «Caffeine typically takes 15 minutes to metabolize, so when you wake up, you should be awake and ready to enjoy the nap and caffeine.»
Sleeping too much at night can cause dizziness and trouble falling asleep, so use an alarm to wake up after the recommended time. Bender generally recommends setting the alarm 10 minutes after your desired nap length. If you wake up naturally before the alarm clock, much better; if not, avoid hitting the snooze button! Instead, hit the switch or open a window as fast as you can — the exposure tells your brain it’s time to wake up.
