Have you ever felt sluggish when the day hits mid-afternoon just after you’ve eaten lunch? This is quite normal and can make you lose concentration and have a groggy feeling, but this is where naps can come in and energise you.
Taking a nap doesn’t mean you’re lazy, and they can be used effectively to boost productivity, and through this guide, we’ll show you the main benefits of taking naps and how you can use them to reinvigorate your day.
There are three types of naps that you can take:
Habitual Napping
This is when a person takes a nap at the same time for the same duration every day, and it's part of their routine. It's often the case for young children or babies who fall asleep at the same time each day or for adults where it’s most common amongst pregnant women.
Planned Napping
This is where a person takes a nap before they get the feeling of being tired. It's most often used when a person knows that they are going to be staying up late that night, so they want to ensure that they don’t feel tired later in the night.
Emergency Napping
Emergency naps are unplanned naps that occur when you suddenly feel exhausted and are struggling to concentrate on your current task. It is often used when you’re driving to avoid causing a car accident or when you’re fulfilling a task that is dangerous such as operating heavy machinery.
How long should a nap be?
The length of your nap will depend on many factors including how much time you have. They can be useful if you’re either running short of sleep or you’re planning to stay up later than usual that night.
In terms of ideal length, you should aim for a nap of no longer than 30 minutes, because this means that you remain in a light sleep so when you wake this will increase your concentration and alertness.
When naps begin to go over the 30-minute mark, then you may fall into a deeper sleep which can cause you to wake up feeling sluggish and tired which is the complete opposite of what you want.
You aren’t just limited to taking one nap a day, and you can take as many as you feel you need. It’s suggested that taking naps in the early afternoon yield the best results but the best time is always when you feel tired the most.
You need to be aware that if you nap for too long, then you may find it hard to fall asleep when it’s time to go to bed at night, which will make you feel sleep deprived in the morning. You’ll then find yourself going around in circles sleeping less at night and napping through the day.
Benefits of napping
1. Improves Productivity & Alertness
A quick nap for just 30 minutes can lead to improvements in productivity upon waking, which is great if you’re going to be doing a task that requires concentration.
It has even been verified by NASA who conducted a study which involved pilots taking a daily nap for 25 minutes which proved that it led to an improvement in alertness and performance.
An additional study also discovered that naps in the workplace also benefited workers performance in the emergency health department. The study involved 49 physicians and nurses who worked shifts over three consecutive nights.
Following their nap of 25 minutes, they then underwent a series of motor skills testing which proved that the subjects who had napped had less fatigue, increased performance and made fewer mistakes. This shows that naps can be beneficial for even the most demanding jobs.
2. Reduces Food Cravings
Being tired can result in you developing food cravings which are usually common in the mid-afternoon.
People often use snacks such as chocolate and fizzy drinks as a way to stay awake and alert which makes it difficult if you're actively trying to reduce calories in your diet. Also, this can turn into a bad habit that you do every single day to stay awake.
Having a nap for just 30 minutes can restore your alertness which will stop your cravings and improve your overall mood. Alternatively, you can also go for a walk which will give you the added willpower to refrain from eating unhealthy food.
3. Boosts Testosterone
Researchers have also discovered and proven that a reduction in sleep negatively affects the production of testosterone and growth hormone which are essential for the body functions in both men and women.
Contrarily, testosterone levels rise in a positive correlation with a rise in the amount of sleep that a person gets. This study also proved that men who slept for just four hours per night had testosterone levels that were around 60% lower than men who slept for 8 hours.
This is especially important if you’re actively trying to build muscle or burn fat as testosterone is the building block for these functions, and you’re severely limiting your potential if you lack adequate sleep.
4. Improves Mood
Naturally, when you feel tired, this affects your mood and makes you feel irritable which then affects your overall productivity which is incredibly important especially if you’re in the workplace. It’s the same concept as a toddler who becomes harder to manage when they haven’t had a nap.
A quick nap will leave you feeling refreshed and energised which is excellent for the mood especially if it’s limited to under 30 minutes. Anything longer than 30 minutes and you may wake up feeling groggy which will keep you in a bad mood.
5. Improves Memory
One area of study that has been extensive is the relationship between naps and their ability to increase memory capacity. Researchers have determined that a nap that is as short as 6 minutes can improve your ability to learn.
So, if you have a complicated task to complete or you need to learn something, then it's recommended that you take a quick nap and you’ll be better prepared to take on the task and will likely see better results.
6. Improve Physical Performance
We’ve all had days where we come in after a long day of work, and we’re just not in the mood to go to the gym and exercise. However, in this scenario, a short nap can revitalise you and make you feel like exercising especially compared to a long nap.
A study has proven that there is a positive correlation between short naps and better athletic performance which includes motor reaction skills and speed. If you exercise, then you already know how important sleep and rest is to repair your cells and restore your energy levels.