THE OVERWHELMING BENEFITS OF POWER NAPPING
By Elizabeth
Scott, MS
Updated
October 31, 2019
Medically
reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD on November 10, 2019
While small children typically take naps in the afternoon,
our culture generally frowns upon mid-day sleep; however, even in those who get
enough sleep (but particularly in those who don’t), many people experience a
natural increase in drowsiness in the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking.
And research shows that you can make yourself more alert, reduce stress,
and improve cognitive functioning with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’,
means more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning,
more efficiency, and better health. Here’s what you need to know about the
benefits of sleep and how a power nap can help you!
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Most experts agree that the body needs 7-9 hours of sleep
per day, depending on personal and genetic
factors. Some research shows that 6 hours or less triples
your risk of a car accident.
The Effects of Missed Sleep
Sleep is cumulative; if you lose sleep one day, you feel it
the next. If you miss adequate sleep several days in a row, you build up a
‘sleep deficit’, which impairs the following:
- Reaction
time
- Judgment
- Vision
- Information
processing
- Short-term
memory
- Performance
- Motivation
- Vigilance
- Patience
Fatigued people also experience more moodiness, aggressive behaviours, burnout, and more stress.
The Benefits of a Power Nap
Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon
provides more rest than 20 minutes more sleep in the morning (though the last
two hours of morning sleep have special benefits of their own). The body seems
to be designed for this, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in
the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up.
How Long Should I Sleep?
When you sleep you pass through different stages of sleep,
known together as a sleep cycle. These stages include light sleep, deep sleep
(which is believed to be the stage in which the body repairs itself), and
rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM sleep (during which the mind is repaired).
Many experts
advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30 minutes, as sleeping longer gets you
into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken. Also,
longer naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, especially if
your sleep deficit is relatively small.
However, research has shown that a 1-hour nap has many more
restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement
in cognitive functioning. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of
how long your sleep cycles are and try to awaken at the end of a sleep cycle.
(It’s actually more the interruption of the sleep cycle that makes you groggy,
rather than the deeper states of sleep.)
As there are pros and cons to each length of sleep, you may
want to let your schedule decide: if you only have 15 minutes to spare, take
them! But if you could work in an hour nap, you may do well to complete a whole
sleep cycle, even if it means less sleep at night.
If you only have 5 minutes to spare, just close your eyes;
even a brief rest has the benefit of reducing stress and helping you relax a
little, which can give you more energy to complete the tasks of your day. But
don't confuse a brief rest with micro-sleep.
Tips For a More Effective Nap
If you want to obtain more sleep and the health benefits
that go with getting enough sleep, here are some tips for more effective
napping and sleep at night:
- Avoid caffeine after
3 p.m. It’s a stimulant that can disrupt your sleep and stay in your
system longer than you think; its half-life is four to six hours!
- If you don’t
want to nap a long time, set an alarm.
- If you don’t
have time for a power nap or don’t feel comfortable napping during the
day, try meditation;
it gives your body a rest and produces slower brain waves similar to
sleep.
Disclaimer:
The content of this blog is for informational
purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your
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regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency,
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