While we know that Napping Day isn’t a national holiday (sigh), we’d definitely try to convince anyone (who will listen) why it should be.
Not only is the love for a delicious nap a universal thing
Science is also on our side about how good it is for us to function normally
You’re guaranteed to run longer, faster, more efficiently and mindfully after a good nap
Not only will napping improve your alertness, it will also help your decision-making, creativity, and sensory perception
For people ages 18 to 24, sleep deprivation impairs performance more significantly than in other age brackets, which means we need to fix this asap and that’s perfect.
A Greek study found napping at least three times per week for at least 30 minutes resulted in a 37% lower death rate due to heart problems, which makes us think: how has no one thought to make this a holiday?
The best time to take a brief nap is after lunch in the early afternoon, as it’s early enough to not mess with your nighttime sleep. So no matter where you are after lunch, you just go for that nap.
The latest you want to wake up from a nap is five hours before bedtime, otherwise you risk not being able to fall asleep at night.
A 10-to-20-minute power nap is exactly enough for you to get back to work in a pinch. Trick: drink a cup of coffee right before taking your 20-minute or half-hour nap. That way when you wake up, you’re not only refreshed but ready to go.
A 60-minute snooze will help you remember facts, figures and names. Warning: there will be grogginess when you do wake up.
A 90-minute nap will likely involve a full cycle of sleep, which helps creativity and emotional and procedural memory. Yaay, filing papers! Waking up after REM sleep usually means a minimal amount of grogginess.
We’ve said enough. Get to it.
