WE are all familiar with that hideous groggy feeling after waking up from a nap.

But a sleep expert has revealed the do’s and don'ts of a perfect nap to ensure you never wake up feeling worse.

Although many experts advise against a nap because it can disrupt your usual sleep routine, sometimes a kip is unavoidable and sleep cannot wait until the evening.

It’s important to get your technique right, sleep expert Kiera Pritchard from Eachnight.com said.

Rather than nodding off and hoping for the best, a nap should be timed, Kiera said.

Never sleep for more than half an hour, Kiera said, unless you have 90 minutes spare.

This is because humans sleep in cycles, and setting an alarm to wake up halfway through a cycle can leave you feeling very sleepy.

A normal sleep cycle is 90 minutes long. We go through several of them per night, waking up briefly between each one.

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A sleep cycle starts with dozing off, followed by light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep (dreaming). Then, you slowly wake up.

Keira said: “While naps lasting 30-60 minutes might seem tempting because of their short, manageable time frames, these naps usually send you into the third and fourth stages of sleep, which are much deeper. 

“When you wake up, you may experience sleep inertia (the transitional stage between sleep and wakefulness) which can leave you feeling groggy and drowsy – not ideal if you have to focus for the rest of the day!

“A 90-minute nap allows you to complete one full sleep cycle, and waking from these naps is generally easy. 

“Since you experience each stage of sleep and wake up back at stage one, these naps leave you feeling refreshed and more awake, so they don’t cause sleep inertia like an hour-long nap can.”

You don’t always have to enter the deeper stages of sleep for it to be worthwhile.

Rather, have a 10-20 minute nap, where you will stay in lighter sleep.

Kiera said: “If you don’t have time to nap for a full 90 minutes a 10-to-20-minute power nap is great for boosting energy and alertness. 

“During a power nap, you stay in the first two stages of non-rapid eye movement – these are the lightest stages of sleep, which means you’ll wake up easily. 

“Power naps provide immediate benefits. They boost alertness and performance levels and can decrease any feelings of sleepiness.”

There is only one instance you should avoid a 90-minute nap.

Kiera said: “You should avoid taking 90 minute naps within seven hours of your scheduled bedtime to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your nightly sleep.

“Try not to nap any later than early afternoon or beyond the rough midpoint of your usual wake time and bedtime. 

“For many sleepers, this cut-off point would be around 3pm. 

“Napping too late can throw off your sleep schedule and make it challenging to get a full night’s rest. 

“The best time of day to nap is usually six to eight hours after waking – for most people, this time is typically somewhere between 1 and 3pm.”

Steps to the perfect nap  

The best thing about naps is you can squeeze them in anywhere, any time.

Kiera gave her three steps to ensure you get a worthy nap.

Ideally, you’ll find a dark and cool room, with no distractions, to sleep.

“However, if you’re not at home taking a nap in your bedroom, you may have to improvise,” she said.

“If you plan to nap at your office or in your car, an eye mask and earplugs can help you block out outside noise and light.”

Don’t forget to set your alarm for the exact amount of time you want to spend asleep, for example 20 minutes.

But bear in mind you may want to add on 5-10 minutes to allow for the period of time "falling asleep".

Kiera said: “If sleep is eluding you because you’re focused on things to do after your nap and other sources of stress, try relieving stress and relaxing with breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation.”

Try this relaxation method: 

• Once you’re lying down with your eyes closed, breathe slowly in and out. While breathing in, focus on directing your breathing down to your belly. Saying a mantra to yourself such as “Breathing in I am calm, breathing out I am coping,” while performing this breathing exercise may also help. 
• After you’ve taken a few gentle breaths, start tensing groups of muscles as you breathe. This method requires you to hold a muscle’s tension as you breathe in, releasing it as you breathe out. Start with the muscles in the head and neck, then move your focus down your body. Tense and relax your muscles in your shoulders, arms, back, stomach, thighs, etc.

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