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Naps, sometimes we prefer to do them all day long. But we don’t always wake up as fresh and fruity as we would like after an afternoon nap. You are then confused or sometimes even angry or irritated. This is why this happens!
Waking up confused after a nap
We all nap sometimes. Sometimes it is just necessary. But while some people wake up completely rested, others feel confused, angry or frustrated afterwards. This is of course not the result you want. But how come you wake up in such a bad mood? This may firstly be due to the length of your nap. You’re more likely to get out of bed on the wrong side if your nap lasts longer than half an hour. Too long naps lead to sleep inertia, or sleep drunkenness. This is that groggy and disoriented feeling you have when you just wake up from your too-long nap. You experience this thanks to the different sleep phases. The complete cycle takes an average of 90 minutes. If you sleep for more than half an hour, you can fall into a deep sleep. If you wake up during this phase of your sleep, you may wake up feeling quite confused. To avoid confusion, it is better to let yourself wake up before you reach this point. Other factors also play a role. This includes stress, insomnia and bad timing of your nap.
This is how you nap like a pro
Do you no longer want to wake up with that annoying mood? Then next time, set an alarm before you take a nap for ten to thirty minutes. By keeping your nap short, you don’t run the risk of falling into a deep sleep and being woken up during this sleep phase. Are you really not into a short nap? Then you also choose to opt for a longer sleeping time. We recommend that you aim for a two-hour nap. This gives your body enough time to go through all the sleep phases and wake you up before falling back into deep sleep. Furthermore, it is good to avoid naps before two o’clock in the afternoon. We recommend scheduling your naps around late morning or early afternoon. This reduces the risk of disrupting your nightly sleep rhythm. Finally, it is good to go outside for a while or look out the window as soon as you wake up from your beauty sleep. Sunlight and fresh air are good for your mood and any confusion will linger less long.