You’ll be nodding off in no time.
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Use the 90-minute rule.
When you sleep, your brain cycles through different stages, each lasting 90 minutes. "You will feel most refreshed when you awake at the end of a 90-minute sleep cycle because you will be closest to your normal waking state," writes Professor Richard Wiseman in Night School.
So, starting from when you want to wake up, count back in 90-minute intervals to work out when you should fall asleep. Or let sleepyti.me do it for you. For example, if you want to get up at 7am, try falling asleep at either 11.30pm or 10pm.
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If you want to nap, do it between 1pm and 3pm.
Your circadian rhythm makes you feel alert in the morning, peaking between 7am and 9am, but after 11am your alertness levels start to drop, reaching a low between 1 and 3pm. (Meaning that your mid-afternoon lethargy can't be entirely blamed on a lunchtime burrito.)
Use the slump to your advantage and take a quick nap, if you're able to. If you don't have access to a bed, there are pillows you can buy to help you sleep on the go.
Drink a coffee before a quick nap.
Caffeine takes 20 minutes to get going, so downing an espresso immediately before a short nap will mean it kicks in as you're waking up, making you extra alert.
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