Sometimes we don’t sleep well at night and lack energy during the day, other times a slump hits us in the afternoon. It is completely natural – the first half of the day is behind us, the second still awaits, and here in the middle we need to recharge. But is it really beneficial to treat yourself to a short nap? How will it affect our performance and mental well-being?
You’ll save calories: sleep instead of sweets
If you start feeling tired at work in the afternoon, it is not laziness but a natural need of our body. After all, it is also related to our biorhythm: roughly eight hours after waking up in the morning, the body asks for rest. Instead of reaching for something sweet or another cup of coffee, take a nap. Research from the University of California shows that people who napped in the afternoon achieved much better results in practice tests than those who did not take a short afternoon nap.
Benefits in just a few minutes
So the next time you feel a slump, try to sacrifice a few minutes for a refreshing nap. The excuse that you don’t have time doesn’t hold up – just a moment is really enough to restore memory, concentration and the ability to learn. As a result, your productivity and efficiency will increase, so this investment really pays off. Some famous personalities were also known for their afternoon naps, such as Napoleon, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill. Today, more and more companies allow their employees to nap because they recognize its undeniable benefits.
Short or long nap?
How long a nap should last depends on how much rest you need. Of course, you also have to respect your own body and its biorhythm. In general, the recommendation is 10 – 20 minutes of afternoon sleep. This time is ideal for refreshing the mind and boosting energy. Sleep doesn’t have time to reach the deep phase, so you will feel alert after waking up and can get straight back to work. Beware of a nap that lasts 30 minutes. It can cause grogginess after waking up, which will take another half hour to overcome. If you are preparing for an important test and need to cover a pile of study material, know that a 60-minute sleep is great for boosting memory. However, just like with the 30-minute nap, you may feel temporarily tired afterwards.
A 90-minute nap, i.e. one sleep cycle, will partly make up for a lack of sleep at night. This kind of rest provides improved creativity, emotional and procedural memory, which we need, for example, to learn to ride a bike. You should wake up at the end of the sleep cycle, so that you will feel fresh and rested. A longer nap is not recommended – it could lead to insomnia at night.
The ideal time for a nap
We usually feel most “knocked out” when we return to the office after a good lunch. However, sleeping right after lunch could disrupt our digestion, so it pays to wait a little. The ideal time for a siesta is between two and four in the afternoon. You will still finish all your tasks before the end of the working day and at the same time get tired enough before falling asleep in the evening. Definitely don’t nap later, so as not to disrupt your sleep pattern. And what to do if you can’t even take a short nap? If possible, find a comfortable position, close your eyes and relax for at least a few minutes. Play your favorite music or think of something pleasant. We hope we have convinced you that a regular afternoon nap is good for both our health and performance. In just a few minutes it can give you energy when your eyes start closing over work. Still, don’t underestimate a sufficiently long and quality sleep at night, which nothing can replace.
Check out our other articles from the world of mattresses and healthy sleep! 🙂