The Power of Power Naps Many of us struggle to stay awake and alert during the entire day, when the solution to our fatigue might actually involve taking the time to have a quick nap. Studies have indicated that the brain requires rest, and it is during these periods that we start to feel sleepy. Fortunately, this tiredness can be cured by a short 20-30 minute nap, sometimes called a power nap. Read through this list of benefits provided by taking a power nap during the day to see if you could benefit from them.
Increased Productivity A well-rested brain has the power to not only affect your intellectual abilities, but also your attitude, motivation, and mood. Working for long periods of time can tire out your brain, causing you to get distracted more easily and perform your job with less efficiency. A quick power nap can reset the brain, allowing you to concentrate more on the task at hand.
Better Memory Memory suffers when your brain gets fatigued. Things become less clear and you can have trouble remembering details of prior occurrences. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a power nap in order to improve your memory skills.
Improved Health Your body also benefits from a short nap during the middle of the day. Studies have shown that vital organs like the heart are healthier when people take a break to sleep during the afternoon.
Heightened Creativity Being creative is a skill, but it can suffer when your brain is tired. Creativity is the ability to combine existing elements in new and innovative ways, which can be hard to do if your brain has been focused on other things for extended periods of time. Taking a nap can refresh your brain’s ability to come up with creative solutions, allowing it to internalize ideas and concepts, making them easier to remember and analyze.
Make Up for Lost Sleep In a perfect world, we’d all get a great night’s sleep at the end of every day. However, that’s never really the case. Any number of factors, whether it’s the neighbor’s dog or the over-active heater, can fill our night with endless tossing and turning. Sleeping less than six hours per night can cause problems with health and awareness.
Thankfully, power naps can help the body and brain deal with the consequences of a bad night’s sleep.
Caffeine Substitute A majority of people in the work force nowadays rely on coffee or caffeinated beverages in order to stay alert during the day. However, studies have shown the caffeine is responsible for a wide range of health problems. Naps are not only a healthier way to improve alertness, but have also been shown to do a better job of improving cognitive abilities than caffeine. Working a tough job or getting a degree in business administration might push you to the limit of what you can handle. If you need extra energy, try taking power naps to improve your ability to handle whatever life throws your way. Photo Credit: studyhabits.wikispaces.com, Farm5