Do you feel tired despite that 8-hour long night’s sleep? Or heading straight to the coffee vending machine is the only alternative post lunch? Well, if this is the case with you, then a catnap is all you need to stay charged through the day. Yes, research has proven that a power nap can keep you going fresh for long and you can manage to even 6-hours of night sleep. It is much needed for kids and adults. Here are the many benefits of a power nap, which make it a must in everyone’s routine.
1. Stay Fresh, Work Better: Studies reveal that 15 to 30 minutes of sleep will make you feel fresh and help you work faster and better. So, instead of dragging your work, it is better you take a power nap and finish-up fast. Sleeping for a short interval during the day can charge-up your brain and make you perform better at work. Some studies indicate that 60 to 90 minutes of siesta can charge-up your brain to as much as 8-hours of sleep.
2. Enjoy Good Health: That nap at noon lowers the risk of blood pressure and heart attack. Enjoy good health and reap the benefits of power nap. Some research indicates that it also decreases the requirement of “antihypertensive drugs”. So, that afternoon siesta is also the way to a healthy you.
3. Goodbye Mood Swings: If those mood swings have started to irk you, then give napping a try. It is a great way to stay fresh and active, and take care of your oscillating mood. One reason could be that it reduces your stress levels, keeping you in a happy go lucky mood all the time.
4. Less Chance of Mistakes: By making you alert and enhancing your performance level, the chances of mistakes and accidents also reduce significantly if you take a power nap. When you are charged up you will be more focussed, eliminating the chance of misses at work. “A study by NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts, found that 40 minutes of sleep made them 100% alert and improved performance by 34%”.
So, live stress-free and an improved quality of life with a catnap every day. But if you are one of those who can’t sleep with sunlight filtering inside a room or noisy space, then here are ways how you can take a power nap and make it a part of your routine.
1. Schedule Sleep: You should fix a time and sleep every day at the same time. This will help your body get used to it and you will be able to sleep with ease. Ideally, it is said that 7 hours after waking up should be your siesta time. But considering your work schedule you should time it in a way that you sleep at the same time, every day. Try to keep the time between 1-3pm, as far as possible as your power nap time.
2. Go Dark: Bring those curtains and blinds to use for this time, whether at home or office. It is far easy to sleep in a dark room. Otherwise, keep an eye mask for blocking light and sleeping fast.
3. Stay Warm: If at home, then pull over a blanket and sleep cosy and warm. However, when in office, you can wear socks and sleep warm.
And don’t forget to put the alarm, if you think you will doze off completely. It’s a nap after all and you need to wake-up within a stipulated time-frame. Bring the alarm feature of your mobile phone to use and wake up fresh.
Staying active and charged-up, while giving your best at home and work is the need of the hour. Such means can definitely come to your aid and keep you more productive and healthy. Try to keep a power nap time, workout time and some me time from your busy schedule and see how beautifully you start excelling, everywhere.
