Benefits of Power Napping
Are you one of those who believe that an afternoon nap is laziness or for old and sick people? People jokingly refer to it as a “nanna nap” but there may be proof that catching a few zzz’s in the afternoon can be beneficial to your health.
I have been working excessive hours of late, sometimes 18 hour days and yesterday in the middle of a Friday afternoon I honestly felt like and easily could have just laid my head down on the desk and snoozed off. But I pushed through the overwhelming tiredness and continued on working. Today was Saturday and I had some errands to do, grocery shopping that was needed to fill the pantry and since the weather is starting to cool down a little here in Adelaide, bit of shopping for some new season clothes. When I got home in the early afternoon I was both hungry and tired so first I ate then I took the Saturday paper off to bed with me, read for a little while and then had a much needed afternoon nap. I felt great when I got up. Not only was I energised but I was actually feeling creative …hence this article!
It reminded me that many years ago when my children were young and not very good sleepers and I struggled with never-ending tiredness I used to regularly have a Sunday afternoon nap. It was honestly the highlight of my week. Closing my bedroom door, shutting out the world and recharging my batteries gave me the strength to get through the next week. Well my children are now adults and I live alone so I can’t use that excuse but I am thinking perhaps for my own sanity to get me through this extremely stressful and busy time maybe I should invest in some “me time” that includes power naps.
I did a bit of research and scientists have found in recent years that the human body requires only as much sleep as the brain will allow it. In other words, so long as the brain is functioning at full capacity, there’s no great requirement for sleep. The big thing is that the brain needs a rest every now and then, and apparently, the brain can refresh itself and go on “like with a full tank of gas” with just a short, 20-minute power nap.
Apparently these short 20-minute power naps for people who are really engrossed in their work, almost always provide a fresh burst of new ideas and energy. As a creative person, I always need new ideas! Power naps tend to eliminate the need for caffeine boosts during the workday and they guarantee a reserve of energy so that the working day isn’t followed by an evening in which one then falls asleep on the couch watching TV or even worse at a social event.
My research even found a book written on the topic Take a Nap! Change Your Life by author Dr. Sara Mednick. Take a Nap! Change Your Life is the scientifically-based breakthrough program that shows how we can fight the fatigue epidemic. sing the unique Nap Wheel on the cover and interior graphs and charts, it shows us exactly when our optimum napping time is, and exactly how long we should try to sleep—even how it’s possible to design a nap to inspire creativity one day, and the next day design one to help us with our memory. There are tips on how to create the right nap environment, a 16-step technique for falling asleep, a six-week napping workbook, and more. It even talks about how it’s possible to design a nap to inspire creativity one day, and the next day design one to help us with our memory.
So next time I feel like having a doze in the middle of the afternoon I am not going to fight it. I am not going to feel guilty. I am simply going to lay down on my office couch have a power nap and fill my brain up with gas!
