Is Power Nap a MYTH?
Constance Kobylarz Wilde, 58, finds that naps help her recharge, especially if she takes them right after lunch. As a working mom and family caregiver, Wilde, a marketing manager and health blogger in Mountain View, Calif., is constantly juggling her schedule. Every day, she gets up at 6 a.m. and tries to get to bed by 10:30 p.m. However, unanticipated circumstances frequently cause her bedtime to be later.
"I can't do all-nighters or get six hours of sleep anymore without it affecting me," she says.
Wilde has made power naps a regular part of her regimen to overcome weariness and remain on top of things at work and at home, setting an alarm for a short snooze.
Sleep Deprivation and Naps
Daytime naps, according to Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, can be one way to treat sleep deprivation. "You can get incredible benefits from napping for 15 to 20 minutes," she says. "You reset the system and experience an increase in attentiveness and motor function. That's all most people require to avoid tiredness and enhance their energy levels."
The length of your nap as well as the sort of sleep you get influence the brain-boosting advantages. The 20-minute power sleep, also known as the stage 2 nap, is beneficial for alertness and motor learning abilities such as typing and playing the piano.
What happens if you take a nap that lasts longer than 20 minutes? Longer naps have been shown in studies to improve memory and creativity. Slow-wave sleep, or napping for 30 to 60 minutes, is beneficial to decision-making skills such as memorizing language or recalling directions. Getting rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which usually consists of 60 to 90 minutes of napping, is essential for building new connections in the brain and solving creative challenges.
Coffee vs. Naps
Is it preferable to have a catnap than to have a cup of coffee? Yes, argues Mednick, because caffeine can impair memory performance. As a result, you may feel more wired, but you are also more prone to make mistakes.
"I get grumpy and distracted at the end of a week of short nights if I don't get my naps," Wilde admits. "That nap helps me regain my energy level."
Suggested Napping Techniques
Regular naps, according to research, may relieve stress and perhaps lower your risk of heart disease. Follow these brief advice from Mednick to get the most out of a power nap:
Maintain consistency. Maintain a consistent nap pattern. The best time to snooze is in the middle of the day, between 1 and 3 p.m.
Make it happen quickly. If you don't want to wake up drowsy, set your cell phone alarm for 30 minutes or less.
Turn out the lights. Take a nap in a dark room or put on an eye mask. Blocking off light allows you to fall asleep more quickly.
Keep warm. Keep a blanket available to cover yourself with because your body temperature drops while you sleep.