Napping like a pro – why you should give napping a go
Even though research has long shown that daytime napping has big benefits – both psychological and physical – a lot of people still feel that napping is for little kids and older people. With awareness of health and wellbeing on the rise, the benefits of getting enough snooze time are proven to be extremely important – both physically and mentally.
Exactly the right amount of sleep varies from person to person, but sleep experts now advise that adults should get between seven and eight hours of sleep a night. We think snoozing away as long as possible on our JUNO mattress sounds pretty lovely, right? Considering many of us are under constant pressure from stressful jobs, tight deadlines, crying kids, or just not enough hours in the day, getting your 6-8 a night can be a lot harder than it sounds. Welcome napping – the revitalising trick you never knew you had up your sleeve. Researchers have found that both nocturnal and daytime sleeping improved memory consolidation, and athletes showed better results in brain function and visual systems after napping, plus it was shown to promote physical and mental recovery. In fact, power naps were proven to boost productivity by more than a third - way more effective than caffeine!
Speaking of caffeine, it’s not the only way to tackle the post-lunch slump at work we all know so well. Napping at work is still regarded as a sign of laziness and unproductiveness in most businesses, however, progressive lifestyle and tech companies – who rightly regard the workplace to not only be a place to work but to live as well - started promoting mid-day naps for their employees and created nap rooms. Fast-paced tech giants like Google and Facebook were some of the first to recognise the benefits of napping for their employees: they treat napping rooms like conference rooms and every employee can book them as long and as often as they want - every day!
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When it comes to the length of naps, how long you nap makes all the difference. Power naps of around 15-20 minutes are ideal for a quick boost in energy. It keeps you in the lighter stages of non-rapid eye movement sleep and they are easier to wake up from without feeling too sleepy. If your nap lasts a little longer, around 30 minutes, you might feel more deeply replenished, although maybe a little groggy when you wake up. Longer naps, around 60 minutes, are especially great to improve short-term memory whereas the 90-minute nap goes through the full cycle of sleep and leads to more creativity and improved emotional memory. Sleep inertia, otherwise known as that groggy post nap feeling, can occur while sleeping for only 60 minutes, whereas you wake up easily and refreshed from the creativity-boosting 90-minute nap.
For some of us, napping is a total breeze. However, for others it’s not so easy to switch off and shut down in the middle of the day when we’re not used to it. Here’s our top tips on how to nap like a pro:
1. Find a quiet space
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A space that encourages the body and mind to shut down and relax is one of the key factors that contribute to a relaxing nap. Try creating a calming and peaceful area that takes you away from everything disturbing – at home this could be your bed room, and if you’re thinking of creating a nap space in your office, think of a quiet part of the office with calming paintings and soft carpets.
2. The darker, the better
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Sleep patterns naturally follow light and dark and falling asleep is far easier when it’s dark. If you don’t have access to a room with thick, darkening curtains, there is a simple solution: A sleeping mask does the trick and, as a bonus, adds a touch of glam instantly!
3. Embrace some white noise
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Used to the ceiling fan during summer and have a hard time falling asleep without it? Download some lulling, repetitive noises like falling rain or tweeting birds on to your phone – and 1, 2, 3, happy napping!
4. Choose the right time to nap
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Napping in the middle of the day is popular for a reason. Simply snooze through the most unproductive post-lunch hour, usually between 1pm and 3pm, and nap soundly knowing it won’t disturb your usual nightly sleep or bedtime routine.
Sources:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236755
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150106-how-to-nap-like-a-pro
http://www.visualistan.com/2016/08/the-ultimate-guide-to-daytime-napping.html
