Health Benefits of Napping

What do Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and Meg C. all have in common? They are (or were) all fans of the mid-day nap. Napping during the day has many health benefits. Here are five reasons you should consider resting your eyes for fifteen to thirty minutes every day during your lunch hour.

Health benefits of Napping #1:

Napping improves your mood. I know this because I always feel a lot better during the afternoon after I have taken a mid-day nap. Nothing is better for your well being than being in a good mood.

Health Benefits of Napping #2:

Napping is a performance booster. Dr. Mark Rosekind, PhD performed a research study on NASA pilots and found that the pilots that took up napping had a 34% boost in performance and 54% boost in alertness that lasted from 2-3 hours. For many people, a simple nap could give you enough energy to get you through the rest of your day.

Health Benefits of Napping #3

Various studies show that sleeping at night helps improve learning. What about naps? Do they improve learning? Studies suggest that mid-day napping does improve learning. A Harvard research study showed that taking a 60-90 minute nap has some of the same benefits of night time sleep and combining that with night time sleep doubles the effect of improved learning. Taking that mid day nap just might make you a little smarter.

Health Benefits of Napping #4

Taking a nap during the day may save your life by helping you to avoid a car crash. Many people fall asleep at the wheel. If these people took a simple mid day nap, they may have been alert enough to avoid the crash. Sleep experts recommend that individuals that get sleepy while driving pull over at the next exit, drink a caffeinated beverage, and take a twenty minute nap.

Like drowsy night-time drivers, those working night shifts can benefit from drinking caffeinated beverages and taking short naps. James K. Walsh, PhD, a researcher for the Sleep Medicine and Research Center states "Napping before work combined with consuming caffeine while on the job is an effective strategy for remaining alert on the night shift."

Health Benefits of Napping #5

Napping can help you lose weight. If you take a mid day nap, you may just find yourself with the energy to do that workout routine. In addition, I experience that I am less likely to hit the vending machine on days that I take my mid-day naps than the rest of the time.

Someone interested in maximizing their health benefits by napping should consider taking no more than a 20 minute nap each day. A nap over 30 minutes could cause sleep inertia, which results in a brief period of reduced performance. I currently strive for a 15 minute nap every day during my lunch hour. I wouldn't trade that 15 minutes of my day for anything.

Resources:

http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/napping-192940-5.html