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Take a nap – It’s worth it
Researchers have found recently that a 15 to 20 minute nap after lunch has the following benefits on your health and well-being:
Less stress:
Research found that stress hormone levels were lower in those who took a brief nap.
Increased alertness and performance:
A 20 minute nap approximately 8 hours after you are awaken increases your stamina more than sleeping an extra 20 minutes in the morning.
Improved memory and learning:
The hypothesis is that sleep clears the brain’s short-term memory storage and makes room for new information.
Good for the heart:
A study of 23,681 healthy adults observed over six years demonstrated 37% lower risk of dying from heart attacks for those who napped 30 minutes at least 3 times a week.
To maximize the benefits, the conditions need to be right. Here’s a few tips on getting the perfect nap:
- Take your nap just after lunch, as human circadian rhythms make late afternoons a more likely time to fall into deep (slow-wave) sleep, which would leave you groggy.
- Avoid consuming large quantities of caffeine, as well as foods that are heavy in fat and sugar, which interfere with a person’s ability to fall asleep.
- Find a quite place, wear an eyeshade, use a blanket, then set your alarm clock for a 15 to 20 minute power nap.
Give it a try!
Author
Cinzia Cuneo, founder of SOSCuisine.com, never wanted to neglect the quality of her food. She shares her special expertise to make good food quickly and without complications!
I know a lot of people who really fall asleep in the beginning of the afternoon, after lunch, and they found a place to take a nap. It is generally not well accepted to see someone sleep during job time or something even if it was the best thing to do, but it is no more wrong than go out and smoke or whatever.
A popular term for this is power-nap! I heard of a girl who was taking power nap regularly with a pen in her hand, once she begin to fall asleep, the pen was dropping and that would wake her up.
Well I guess if your body tell you that you want to sleep, maybe we have to put out social pressure and just listen to our body, it does not send signal for nothing usually! Happy napping!