Is a nap good for you?

Posted

Do you find yourself always on the go and wishing that you had a pause button? Does your afternoon bring in less energy and more struggle to carry on with all the hustle and bustle.

Nowadays, a lot of people try to do too much yet sleep too little. A lot of people are living in a continuous state of sleep deprivation, racking up sleep debt. Nevertheless, many individuals make power naps as part of their regular routine to combat fatigue and help them stay on top of things at home or work despite the lack of sleep, but does napping really help?

The National Sleep Foundation reported that although napping for 20 to 30 minutes does not necessarily make up for poor quality or inadequate night-time sleep, it helps improve mood, performance and alertness. While adding power naps to your daily routine can be challenging, here are a few reasons why napping is good for you.

Improves Productivity and Alertness

Though napping has been linked to laziness, the fact is it is not true. Napping actually helps increase productivity. A study conducted in NASA showed that a 40 minutes power nap helped increased the pilots' performance by 34 percent and their alertness by 100 percent. Researchers showed that even a 20 minute snooze can help greatly in improving your ability to get things done.

Improves Memory

A recent study conducted on students in Harvard University showed that those who took a nap after their study were able to retain more information that those who did not take naps. The researchers reported that taking 60 to 90 minutes nap provides similar benefits to sleeping at night and the combination of the two provides twice the effect.

Psychological Benefits

Chronic sleep deprivation will not only cause serious physical issues but can also have a negative effect on your psychological health. Although napping cannot make up for the lack of sleep, it thus, however, helps minimize the side effects of sleep deprivation, which may include anxiety, depression, stress and cognitive impairment.

Improves Overall We-Being

Just as lack of sleep causes negative effects on your overall health, getting a little sleep can also have a positive effect on your physical well being. A power nap can help lower down blood pressure, boost willpower, calm your nerves and even help you get a better sleep at night.

Overall, getting enough sleep is still the best way to keep alert and feel your best. However, when fatigue sets in, having a quick power nap can do miracles for your overall health.