Naps are short periods of sleep that people take in the course of the day. They’re great for overcoming daytime fatigue and restoring energy. Adding naps to your busy schedule can help you better navigate your day without complete exhaustion at the end of your workday. There are different types of naps that you can choose depending on your schedule.
The nap types
Choosing the best nap for your day relies on your sleep needs and the time of day. However, there are instances where naps don’t suit you. You should avoid naps if you have insomnia. If you struggle to fall and stay asleep at night, you should avoid napping altogether. This is because napping reduces the buildup of a neurotransmitter called adenosine which is why you’re tired in the evening. Napping would worsen your ability to sleep.
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1. Mind Break
This is a nap that is 5-10 minutes long. It’s not totally about getting sleep but giving your mind and body some time to recover. Most naps are within 30-90 minutes but sometimes you just need a few minutes to reset your body. A mind break helps you unplug from emails, social media, or excess work. It helps you create a gap between different workloads of your day.
2. Power nap
This is limited to 10-30 minutes. It limits you to the lightest sleep stages. They’re perfect when you need a rest in a busy environment. They also help invigorate you without the worry of grogginess. Your schedule determines the length of your nap. However, a study conducted by NASA found that the ideal power nap should be 26 minutes. It should also be done between 1 and 3 pm when your body has a natural slump. Use part of your lunch break to have a power nap to rejuvenate the rest of your afternoon for sports, school, or work.
3. Long nap
Long naps are 30-60 minutes. However, they’re risky because they include slow-wave sleep which is the deepest type of sleep within the sleep cycle. Slow-wave sleep helps improve cognition, memory, and physicality. However, interrupting a sleep cycle before going into deep sleep can cause grogginess. Your body will take time to become alert. This is the nap where you feel as though you are waking up in a different dimension. If you fall asleep during the day and wake up during a slow wave sleep part of the cycle, you will need time to reorient yourself. It’s best to avoid such naps if you have an exam or presentation. Use power naps or mind breaks.
4. Full sleep cycle.
A full sleep cycle is 90 minutes. It includes light sleep, slow wave sleep, and deep sleep. Deep sleep is rapid eye movement sleep. This is when dreams happen. Having a full sleep cycle, and even ensuring that you wake up at the end of a full sleep cycle prevents grogginess. It also boosts memory and creativity. Unfortunately, most busy days don’t have 90 minutes to spare for a nap this long. But it may be perfect for weekends or holidays.
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Benefits of naps
1. Restoration
If you don’t get enough sleep and feel tired during the day, a power nap or full sleep cycle nap can help rejuvenate you. It’s important to make sure you do either and not a long nap which will increase grogginess. A nap helps reduce fatigue and daytime drowsiness. This doesn’t mean that you can stay up late and counteract that with a nap. This will adversely affect your mental and physical health.
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2. Improve performance
A power nap in the middle of your workday can help improve performance and productivity. Memory, logical reasoning, and completing complex tasks improve after napping. Studies show that daytime naps also boost physical performance. Athletes can also experience improved endurance, and reaction times after a nap.
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It’s important to note that napping for more than 90 minutes can increase the risk of high blood pressure. Studies in China found that napping for more than 90 minutes increased instances of high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older women. Hypersomnia is also a symptom of anxiety and depression. If you find yourself wanting to sleep all the time even after having a full night’s sleep, you should seek medical attention.
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