Stress and Benefits of Power Naps

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 physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

Opt4health:

Cell: +27823716364

Email: aubrey@opt4health.co.za  

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5 Layers of the Human Energy Field

 

Five Layers of the Human Energy Field

The technology that Opt4health uses, reads the energy fields created by the body itself, but we need to know a bit about how and what these energy fields are in the body.

 The human body consists of five layers of energy. The first layer is the physical body, which has weight, shape, and volume. You can touch it, see it, and contemplate its reflection in the mirror. But there are four other energy fields surrounding the physical body that are not so easily seen and which are commonly referred to collectively as a person's aura. Together, these five layers, or energy bodies, comprise the human energy field. These layers are where our mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional characteristics are stored. They can be in balance or out of balance. Which is why energy medicine practitioners believe that it's not enough to just treat the physical body when people fall sick. The other four layers must be evaluated and treated as well.

How to Detect Energy Fields

Despite what one thinks, in science it has been proven that the body, being made up of cells emits a energy field that can be read, monitored and engaged. Have you ever walked into a room where two individuals are and the atmosphere is so weird you can feel something is wrong, you just know something is up. You then discover they just had a fight and you can feel it in the air around you! Or, you meet someone whose energy is so great it effects you in a positive manner, and you are drawn to them? This is the energy we emit and is more powerful than you think!.

It takes someone with special abilities to actually see the second, third, fourth, and fifth layers, which can, but not always, look completely different from one individual to the other. The layers may also be perceived in ways that do not involve third eye visualization. For example, some energy practitioners can sense a person's aura via touch, scent, or sound. To people with these special abilities, these layers are living energies with a pulse that can be measured.

Physical Energy

This is the layer that we generally think of as our physical selves. Although our physical bodies are a kind of package, consisting of flesh, skin, bone, organs, and blood, they are also energy, same as the other layers of the body that most people cannot see or sense.

Etheric Energy

The second, or etheric—from the word "ether" —a layer of our energy body, is located approximately one quarter to one-half inch—but not more than an inch—from the physical body. Energy medicine practitioners who are adept at psychically sensing this layer have described it as feeling much like a spider web, sticky, even stretchy. It is also gray or gray-blue in color. The etheric energy body has also been referred to as the blueprint or holograph of the physical body.

Emotional Energy

The emotional layer of our energy body is the third layer. Centrally located among the five layers, this layer is where our feelings and fears reside. This layer can be quite volatile when we are experiencing extreme high or low emotions.

Mental Energy

This is the layer from which our ideas spring. Our belief systems are also stored here. This is where our thoughts are assimilated and sorted out, and it is where we house our personal truths, or, rather, our perceptions based on our experiences.

 Spiritual Energy

The spiritual layer of the human energy field is the final layer. It is the place where our "consciousness" or "higher awareness" resides. This final layer ties us not only to our past lives but also to universal consciousness.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed physician. You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues and consult your doctor before using alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen.

By Phylameana lila Desy, Reiki Expert,  the author of "The Everything Guide to Reiki," is a freelance writer, holistic healing consultant, intuitive counselor, and an energy medicine practitioner.

Updated on May 09, 2019

Disclaimer:

The content of this Opt4Health 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 physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately. Opt4health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Opt4health blog. Reliance on any information provided by Opt4health, Opt4health employees, other contributors appearing on the blog at the invitation of Opt4health, or other visitors to the blog is solely at your own risk.

Opt4health: Cell: +27823716364

Email:  aubrey@opt4health.co.za 

Web Site:  http://opt4health.co.za

Face Book:  https://facebook.com/optforhealth/ 

Linked In: https://linkedin.com/in/aubrey-huntly-89025a1/