Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Piano and Sleep — Taking a Nap After Playing

Regardless of when I practice piano (morning, afternoon, or night), I always seem to benefit from a nap after playing.

Although I am not necessarily tired at the end of a session, I find a nap gives my brain a chance to process what just happened (before starting the next activity), and allows my slightly higher blood pressure and pulse rate to get back to normal. I haven’t measured the increase in blood pressure/pulse rate, but I can tell it’s higher. A nap also allows any mental and physical tension to dissipate.

Do anyone else have a recovery nap after practicing or playing?

Haha. No never !

I go to bed after I practice. I guess that works too.

I usually listen to music after practicing - something light, like Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand , or Opus Clavicembalisticum.

It helps me get my practicing into perspective (i.e. I'm just a tiny fish in a big pond - but sprats are delicious ).

I don't have time to nap......I'm too busy practicing ha ha

But I do seem to remember hearing napping was good for memorising things

I always play before going to bed, so yes.

I often feel tired mentally after playing and I sleep or take a nap if I have the possibility. Music helps me to fight insomnia.

I sweat quite a lot playing the piano; I love it. But concentration? I have the span of a gnat. I do get tired after playing, after food, drink, and spend an hour or so a day getting my head down. Not necessariiy sleeping. It kinda makes up for not sleeping at night . . .

I cannot remember ever having slept during the day except when ill. My wife does, up half the night too, I couldn’t do that, I’m a very regular sleeper. Improvising for an hour or two sometimes tires me but it’s a pleasant weariness, similar to that after labouring in the garden or heavy training.
As it happens I recorded an hour of improvisation tonight and I’m sitting listening to it. I feel tired but not sleepy if that makes sense. It is 10:40 but I shan’t go to bed until 11:30 or 12:00, as is my habit.

I'm sleeping whole the day, so I don't have time do practise ;-)

But seriously: sleeping after brainwork is best for memorizing.

Yes! If I have a mentally challenging practice session, my body/brain asks for sleep, and I tend to remember/digest what I've learned better if I do what it asks.

I was never able to nap before I was 30-something. Even in pre-school, I thought "naptime" was evidence that schools were designed to torture children.

I take a short power nap most days before practicing - so I'm rested, relaxed and refreshed when I approach the piano for a session and can concentrate better and play longer - if I don't I often find myself ending up with my head down on the keys wishing I had taken a nap...being able to concentrate better and play longer helps big time with the memory aspects afterwards...