What is Power Napping and Why is it Important?
Last Update on August 24, 2020 : Published on March 21, 2020
Sleeping during the day time can be even considered as a taboo in some cultures and we, as adults, usually try to avoid it as much as possible. We strictly follow the guide of sleeping only at night and working hard during the day. But have you ever noticed infants and toddlers? They seem so energetic, even more than most of the adults then too they all sleep during the day. Why? Ever thought so?
Almost every one of us feels a little bit of sleepiness, drowsiness in the afternoon. We become a little less efficient, and our cognitive functions drop significantly. If we are sleep deprived then we might even doze off unintentionally. Even with such a powerful surge of sleepiness, our culture doesn’t allow us to have a sweet little nap. So, today, I am going to share some details about what power napping is and why it is important for us. Have a look
Sleep-deprived, are we?
As humans, we need to dedicate around ⅓rd of our daily time to sleep. So it means that if you live a long life of 100 years, you will be sleeping for more than 33 years. But in actuality what do we do? It’s not a secret that most of us are sleep deprived. Countless sleepless nights, working overtime, studying, incessantly scrolling through feeds of social media, and procrastinating the hell out of everything, whatever you do. You are sacrificing the time of your sleep. And if you are not sleeping properly then what are you inviting?
- Decreased Judgment
- Loss of reaction time
- Decreased cognitive functions
- Slow processing of information
- Blurred vision
- Lack of concentration
- Decreased efficiency
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of patience
- Decreased vigilance and what not
What is Power Napping?
Power napping refers to short sleep breaks which you can give yourself during the day for a short period of time. It helps in restoring the energy levels, getting the sleep you missed and helps you to get through the phase of drowsiness during the day. Power napping is not just an excuse to retire to bed. It is way more than that. People who take power naps are known to be more creative, relaxed, energized, motivated, efficient, focused, dedicated and are less prone to diseases. You can read more about the relationship between sleep and immunity in this article of mine: Importance and Relationship Between Sleep and Immunity
How long should one sleep?
If you feel sleepy even after a good night of sleep, then a power nap is always a good idea. So the duration of power nap totally depends on you and the kind of work you are doing. If you are doing some physically tiring work then you can take a long power nap of 1.5 hours to 2 hours. But if you are just mentally tired then you can take some short power naps of 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes. It depends from person to person and the level of exhaustion. You will have to apply trial and error to find out what suits best for you. But remember, if you feel groggy or tired after you wake up, then the timing you chose was wrong and it probably woke you up from a deep sleep.
You should feel recharged, reenergized, fresh and ready to work. Power nap restores energy and refreshes the mind. Also, power naps should not be used as a means to replace the night’s sleep. There is nothing compared to a sound sleep. Power naps should just be used in times of need and not as necessity. Interesting fact about power naps. If you are found taking a power nap in an office in Japan, it is considered as a sign of your hard work instead of an offense. Guided sleep meditation for anxiety
Hope it helped. How was your experience of power napping? Have you ever tried it? Do let us know in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading!
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