Sleep is crucial for consolidating memories, which is essential for learning and retaining new information. When we sleep, our brains consolidate the information we've learned during the day, making it easier for us to recall later on. A lack of sleep, on the other hand, can impair memory consolidation and negatively impact academic performance.
But what about napping? Can a quick nap during the day help us make up for lost sleep and improve our studying? Let's explore the evidence.
If there's one bit of advice I'd give to any student approaching exams, it's this: power naps are a remarkably potent tool which students should embrace without exception as an integral part of a revision plan. But what's the best way to nap to optimise your study?
A 20-minute power sleep is typically regarded as the ideal duration, this is according to research from Harvard and other schools conducted over the previous 30 years.
Why Is Napping Important For Students?
Napping is an integral part of maintaining your brain's focus. Just like a sprinter doesn’t stay up all night before competing in the relay race in the Olympic games, a student staying up all night studying will also have a negative impact on their performance. It isn't the way to good grades.
The reason that putting your body in such a sleep-deprived state and staying up in order to cram material before you sit a school exam is associated with attaining higher grades is quite simple.
This is almost always practised in desperate situations where the student hasn’t covered the material in its entirety. In this case, the benefits can outweigh the toll that it takes on your brain given that you are often learning material for the first time.
Covering almost all of the course in one night is a lot more effective than going into the exam well-rested but with almost none of the respective material revised. You are not going to be confident going into an exam in this sort of state.
Provided that you have adhered to a sustainable timetable for your study and you are seeking ways to gain advantages and remain in optimal states for effective studying, napping might just be the tool for you!
What's The Optimal Length For A Power Nap?
🥱 Power Nap: 10-20 minutes
💤 Restorative Nap: 90 minute
❌ Longer than 30 minutes but less than 90 minutes
The optimal length for napping for students is generally between 10 to 20 minutes. This duration, often referred to as a "power nap," is ideal because it provides rest and rejuvenation without entering deeper stages of sleep, which can lead to grogginess upon waking.
If a student has more time and needs a more restorative nap, a 90-minute nap can be effective. This length allows the body to complete a full sleep cycle, including deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, resulting in improved mood, creativity, and memory retention without the grogginess that can come from waking up during a deep sleep phase.
However, naps longer than 30 minutes but less than 90 minutes can leave students feeling sluggish and disoriented due to sleep inertia. Thus, sticking to a 10-20 minute nap for a quick refresh or a full 90-minute nap for deeper rest is often best for students.
In fact, if you do have a power nap for much longer than around 30 minutes, then you'll be much more likely to fall into a deeper state of sleep. Doing so will mean that you'll feel groggy when you wake up, which is counter-productive. Setting a timer to quickly rouse yourself at the end of a nap will avoid this problem.
The phrase "power nap" can be a little deceptive. When you initially hear about the concept, you might have a hard time understanding how someone could nod off so quickly in the middle of the day.
NASA's 1995 study initially claimed that 26 minutes was ideal, and NASA knows its stuff when it comes to grit, determination, and success. However, most authorities on sleep deprivation and exhaustion now concur that 20 minutes is preferable.
Implementing this technique into your schedule should reflect the quality of work and study that you are capable of doing after a long day at school. It will also positively influence the grades that you achieve and even your attitude towards school and learning.
How To Take A Power Nap
During this short period, the aim is to lie down in a dark room, close your eyes, clear your mind of all thoughts, and relax. You might well find that you begin to lightly doze off after a short while, and that's allowed, but we're not aiming for a full sleep.
Allocating incremental periods of rest into your daily routine can be a great method for staying sharp and staying rested for your studies. We all know how exhausting a full day of classes can be at both school or university. If you've been trying to take on too much and multitask (something most agree is not effective) then you may be extra tired. It’s easy to turn on the television as soon as we get home and waste an hour or two unwinding.
Perhaps both your energy levels and study could benefit from a short nap instead. This will likely feel like hitting the reset button and give you the energy you need to focus on your work.
The Benefits of Napping
You can't get into a deep sleep cycle just by having a quick power nap. So if a power nap isn't actual sleep, then why is it any good? Surprisingly, studies have shown that the body and brain will benefit from a power nap in the same way as they do from regular sleep.
Sleeping for a full 8 hours every night should be a major component in every student’s plan for achieving exam success. Since a power nap will mimic the effects of overnight sleep, I believe that a daily nap should be considered just as important.
The many benefits of a power nap can be summarised as follows:
🛌 A power nap will refresh the body and brain, heighten alertness and promote a positive frame of mind and improve concentration
🧘♀️ A power nap will relax the body and brain, helping to reduce stress.
🧠 A power nap will boost cognitive function (short & long-term memory) and enhance the brain’s ability to absorb information.
Effectively, it is a bit like taking a break, but by closing your eyes and relaxing your brain and body, it is a supercharged break.
Tips for Napping Effectively
1. Time Your Nap Right
- Optimal Duration: Aim for a nap of 10-20 minutes. This is long enough to refresh your mind without causing grogginess.
- Avoid Long Naps: Napping for 30-60 minutes can lead to sleep inertia, making it harder to wake up and return to studying.
- Best Time: Nap in the early afternoon, typically between 1-3 PM. This aligns with your body’s natural circadian rhythm and avoids interfering with nighttime sleep.
2. Create a Sleep-Conducive Environment
- Darken the Room: Use an eye mask or close the curtains to block out light, helping you fall asleep faster.
- Reduce Noise: Use earplugs, white noise, or calming music to minimize distractions.
- Comfortable Space: Nap in a comfortable position, preferably lying down or in a reclined chair.
3. Set an Alarm
- Wake Up on Time: Set an alarm to ensure you wake up after your desired nap length. This prevents oversleeping and grogginess.
4. Consider a "Caffeine Nap"
- Boosted Alertness: Drink a cup of coffee or tea right before your nap. The caffeine will kick in as you wake up, enhancing alertness.
5. Relax Before Napping
- Wind Down: Take a few deep breaths or do some light stretching to relax your mind and body before attempting to nap.
- Avoid Stressful Thoughts: Focus on calming thoughts or visualize something peaceful to help you fall asleep quickly.
When to take a power nap
The best time to take a power nap is generally near the end of a morning of revision, or after 3 to 4 hours of study (excluding breaks in between sessions). This will help to consolidate memories that have already started to form during the morning and will also help us focus as we move into the afternoon.
A word of caution, though: avoid taking a power nap just after lunch. You'll be much more likely to doze off, and before you know it, your power nap will have turned into a siesta!
There is no better way to unwind after a stressful school day, and if a student is still in the stage where they are not on study leave and are only revising after school, I would advise them to come home from classes and take a power nap right away. They will feel re-energised and ready to tackle a few hours of revision, which might otherwise seem like a daunting prospect.
To finish, power naps will benefit students of all ages and levels of study, help to stop revision burnout, provide something to look forward to at the end of the morning and, most importantly of all, improve the body and brain’s ability to function at full capacity – try it and see for yourself!
What happens if you don't get enough sleep?
Pulling an all-nighter is a term that you might be familiar with if you have finished your studies for the GCSEs, A levels or a university course.
This habit is common during exams and midterms and reduces the capacity to memorize new information by over 40% because sleep deprivation causes brain areas to shut down.
Check out Insider Tech's video about what happens if you do not get the sleep you need.
This is an important consideration for those who are constantly looking to gain an edge over some of the other students that will be sitting on the same paper as you once the end of the year approaches.
It has been shown in studies that sleep-deprived pupils perform worse than their well-rested classmates even after being given the opportunity to catch up on sleep.
When you don't get enough sleep, it's more difficult to absorb what you're learning in the first place. At a certain stage of sleep called slow wave sleep, we experience electrical waves that move slowly from one section of the brain to another.
Matthew Walker's impressive, best-selling book "Why We Sleep" delves into details on what happens when we are asleep and how it enhances our brain, and our understanding.
Speaking of numerous studies on sleep, Walker explained:
“They discovered that naps as short as twenty-six minutes in length still offered a 34 percent improvement in task performance and more than a 50 percent increase in overall alertness.”
Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
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In order to link pieces of knowledge in different sections of the brain, reinforce them, relate them together, and build huge tapestry frames of understanding We will need our brains to be well-rested. This mechanism transmits information across sizeable expanses of brain matter. If you are going about your exam preparation in a sleep-deprived state then you will be putting yourself at a disadvantage.
Make sure that you are well-rested before your lessons
Evidently, sleep has a massive impact on our concentration and our ability to retain information. Since we are most effective learners when we are well rested and capable of more effective study, we should make sure that we are in this state when we are taking classes.
We should ensure that we are capable of retaining as much information as possible if we are taking lessons, particularly if we are paying for private tutoring sessions.
If you have a lesson scheduled with a tutor from Superprof, then perhaps taking a 20-minute nap prior to your session might be effective. Your nap will help you to recharge and ensure that you are able to retain most of the information that you go through.
Given that money is often something that is scarce when you are a student, this will also serve to help you extract the maximum value out of each and every one of your tutoring sessions, and stay alert. It is also good practice for any time when you are going to have to take an exam, and may wish to nap first.
It is important that you are entirely present and focused for the duration of your class so that you won’t have to waste money asking your tutor to revise the respective material in future lessons.
So, can you power nap your way to exam success?
Power napping alone is not the perfect strategy, but one can be absolutely certain that failing to get adequate sleep will have a detrimental impact on exams. On top of this, failing to sleep properly will also hinder things like your study, and your revision sessions.
Power napping is one of the best weapons we have in ensuring we are focused, alert, and ready for education.
Get the most out of your education and experiment with taking power naps around your lessons, all research suggests you will be very pleased with the results!
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Thank you so much
I decided to make this research after one of my friends at school told me that after reaching home she slept and then studied
I really appreciate it so much