Napping can Dramatically Increase Learning, Memory, Awareness, and More

Some towns in Europe shut down in the middle of the day so everyone can take a quick nap and then go back to work. However, midday naps are considered a sign of laziness in the USA, and are quite the luxury, considering how much working hours a week the average American has. If you’re one of those who enjoys the weekend snooze, continue with it as it’s quite a healthy and integral part of your circadian rhythm.

As the day passes, our focus and alertness start fading away even when we’ve had a decent night of sleep. Midday naps are not considered vital now, but there was a time when they may have been a life or death question. Whether you’re working hard on a project or just doing your job, a quick nap in the afternoon will refresh your memory and sharpen your focus. By a quick nap, we mean not more than 15-20 minutes – it may seem extra short, but believe us, it will make a big difference later. Even big companies such as Google encourage their employees to take these naps as they have been known to improve mental performance. The same was confirmed by several scientific studies.

One study conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder found out that children who don’t take afternoon naps don’t display much joy and interest and were more anxious than those who napped in the afternoon. Another study from Berkeley discovered that adults who take midday naps have a better memory and may learn new things more easily. If you’re wondering why napping is so essential, it’s because it “reboots” your brain in a similar fashion as a computer restart.

How long should you nap?

Experts say that 10-20 minute naps are quite enough to refresh your mind. This will prevent you from entering deep sleep and you will be able to wake up quickly and get on with your day. Napping for 30 minutes will leave you groggy for 30 minutes afterwards as you are waking up just when the body is entering its deep sleep mode. A 60-minute nap will significantly boost your memory, while the longest naps of 90 minutes are considered best for people who don’t sleep well overnight. This is a complete sleep cycle which can improve your emotional memory and capacity.

As you can see, afternoon naps are not a sign of laziness – they are great for your physical and mental health and will help you be more productive afterwards. However, you should remember that they are not substitutes for a good night of sleep – they are merely an addition to it.

Source : reflectionofmind.org

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