Power Nap

I encounter many relatives and friends who have problems with sleep. Many of them are already over 60 and their stories and complaints are almost the same. They complain about having less than 8 hours of night sleep. They complain about their sleep being interrupted by nature’s call in the middle of the night and that they are unable to regain their sleep after their trip to the bathroom. They feel drowsy and weak during their waking and working hours. If your story is similar to this, you need to do some “Power Nap” during the day.

Power naps combat sleep deprivation

Dr. Sara C. Mednick, a sleep expert and author of Take a Nap! Change your Life, declares that daytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation. She says, “You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping.”

Benefits of napping

Napping offers various benefits for healthy adults. Napping increases alertness and improves the mood. It is like recharging a battery cell. The inter-connections between the brain and the body are charged up, resulting to improved performance, quicker reaction time, better memory and creativity. Research on sleep considers napping as stress-relieving formula. Napping can also prevent heart disease. It also lowers blood pressure.

When should you consider a nap?

You need a nap if you experience fatigue, weakness, or sleepiness during the day. If you’re in a long work shift (drivers, call center agents) and you experience sleep loss, try power nap whenever you have the chance. Making power nap a daily routine is not bad at all. It can be a good habit.

The best way to nap

1. Keep naps short. Aim to nap for 10 to 30 minutes. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy and dizzy afterward. Set your alarm clock.

2. Take naps in the afternoon. The best time is usually the mid-afternoon (2 or 3 PM). This is the time when you experience sleepiness after taking your lunch. Naps taken at this time are less likely to interfere with nighttime sleep. If this does not work well with you, try to experiment and determine the best time of the day to nap. Be consistent.

3. Nap in a restful environment. Take a nap in a quiet, dark room, with comfortable room temperature.