Now that she含羞草研究社檚 working from home, Kendra King takes an early afternoon nap on most days, typically for about 20 to 30 minutes.
含羞草研究社淎 lot of times, I don含羞草研究社檛 go in with the intention of taking a nap, but instead to lay down and rest,含羞草研究社� said King, a writer in Philadelphia. 含羞草研究社淭hen I end up drifting off and wake up feeling energized and fresh to continue on my day.含羞草研究社�
King didn含羞草研究社檛 realize she had settled naturally into the napping routine that sleep experts recommend. Or that researchers say short naps improve motor skills, enhance memory and boost creativity, even though she has felt it.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 definitely more creative after napping,含羞草研究社� she said.
That含羞草研究社檚 because so-called power naps lasting allow the brain to rest in a way that makes you more alert, experts say. The naps are not so long that you slip into deeper sleep that would leave you groggy after waking up.
含羞草研究社淲e know it含羞草研究社檚 an easy, helpful way to quickly boost your alertness, your concentration, your productivity, your creativity and your mood. It含羞草研究社檚 a royal flush,含羞草研究社� said James Maas, who spent 48 years studying sleep as a Cornell University professor.
Where naps fit into the circadian rhythm
Maas, author of 含羞草研究社淪leep for Success! Everything You Must Know About Sleep But are Too Tired to Ask,含羞草研究社� said nearly everyone experiences . It comes down to the body含羞草研究社檚 circadian rhythm, which includes two periods of drowsiness every 24 hours, once at night and again between about 2 and 4 p.m.
In a typical night, people go through several 90-minute sleep cycles spread over five stages, from light to deep sleep, with the deepest falling toward the middle. Daytime sleep follows the same cycle, which is why Maas doesn含羞草研究社檛 recommend hourlong naps. Waking up from such deep sleep can take up to an hour to return to normal, thanks to what含羞草研究社檚 called sleep inertia.
Shorter naps only include stage-two sleep, which is particularly helpful for alertness and memory, said Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher at University of California-Irvine.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 like putting yourself into low-power mode just for a little bit and letting your body recuperate,含羞草研究社� said Mednick, author of 含羞草研究社淭ake a Nap! Change Your Life.含羞草研究社�
Her research has found that naps work better than caffeine and a placebo to improve cognitive functioning. In fact, that afternoon cup of coffee is the least effective of all three.
含羞草研究社淲e showed better effects with the placebo on performance than with the caffeine,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淪o if you think you含羞草研究社檙e getting caffeine, you含羞草研究社檙e going to perform better than if you actually get caffeine.含羞草研究社�
How to start
Find a quiet, dark and cool space and set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes, which is a good starting point until you see how your body adjusts.
Even if you feel like you haven含羞草研究社檛 slept, you still get benefits, Mednick said. People don含羞草研究社檛 feel like they are asleep until they have reached deeper, slow-wave sleep in stage three.
含羞草研究社淵our brain is still alerting you to the world around you when you含羞草研究社檙e in stage-two sleep,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淏ut that doesn含羞草研究社檛 necessarily mean that you含羞草研究社檙e not getting the benefits of sleep.含羞草研究社�
Experts say short naps , as long as they含羞草研究社檙e not too late in the day. Aim for taking a nap around 6 or 7 hours after waking up, and try to nap at the same time every day.
Mednick recommended saving longer naps for the weekends, or when you have time to sleep a full 90 minutes. After about half an hour, you enter slow-wave sleep, which helps the body repair muscle tissue. REM, or rapid-eye movement, sleep comes at the end of the cycle; it含羞草研究社檚 associated with fanciful dreams and helps process emotions.
The only people who should avoid napping are those who have trouble sleeping at night, Maas said. Senior citizens in particular should be vigilant because they tend to nap for too long during the day.
Don含羞草研究社檛 like napping?
Mednick含羞草研究社檚 research also has shown that napping is not for everyone. About half the people she has tested didn含羞草研究社檛 get anything out of it.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檇 say to those people who really don含羞草研究社檛 like to nap, 含羞草研究社楲isten to your body.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
