“In a perfect world, all humans would nap”...Sara Mednick, PhD; nap researcher and author.
My grandfather always had his “snooze” after lunch; my husband loves his naps, and will snatch 15 to 30 minutes whenever he feels the least bit tired. But I rarely have trouble sleeping at night, so I’ve always felt I didn’t need a daytime nap. And I didn’t want to “waste” the time…
Then I stumbled across Sara Mednick’s book, “Take a Nap! Change Your Life” She, too, didn’t believe in naps but was amazed at how much better she felt afterward when, exhausted, she succumbed one afternoon. Being a sleep researcher, she decided to investigate what science tells us about daytime napping. Finding essentially no nap research, she decided to investigate herself. This developed into a career of nap research! Here’s some of what I learned from her book.
Essentially all other animals take daytime naps - they call this “multi-phasic” sleep. In Europe, the daytime “siesta” is part of the culture, although they are gradually succumbing to the North American idea of pushing through the day, regardless how tired. I’ve been surprised more than once at finding a shop closed at mid-day, especially in smaller towns and villages. But now I understand it better… and I should have been napping myself at midday, not shopping!
The early afternoon “slump” in energy has often been blamed on what we ate for lunch or simply overeating. But it’s really part of our Circadian (daily) rhythm, a pre-programmed mini-dip in energy, and a signal that it’s time to nap. A 20 to 30 minute sleep, about 6 hours after morning waking is beneficial for alertness, mental ability and overall health. Our brains are programmed for it.
And, in case you feel silly about napping, you should know that some of the greatest minds benefited from regular naps: Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Napoleon Bonaparte, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and several other presidents, and Winston Churchill. Think of it as a new wellness technology… although it’s really nothing new. We’re just finally doing proper research to learn about it.
Sadly, the trend in recent years has been toward longer work hours. I remember talk of a four-day work week years ago, but it never happened. With rising housing costs in large cities, many have moved to the fringes for affordable housing, and the longer commute to work compounded with longer work hours can often result in less time for sleep.
Although many of us depend on caffeine to get through the day and we have medications for sleep disorders like narcolepsy, no drug has yet been invented that is a substitute for sleep, scientists say. Sleep deprivation has many detrimental health effects, including increased heart disease and stroke, increased car accidents, decreased immune function, decreased sexual function, premature aging, obesity, diabetes, irritability, depression, and all the symptoms of stress. Researchers say we may be confusion the symptoms of fatigue with the signs of stress. Both increase blood levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, that causes all of these effects.
The simplest solution is to incorporate naps into the our day! Science tells us there are at least 13 good reasons to nap (and 13 is my favourite number) :
Increased alertness - A brief daytime nap can increase alertness by as much as 100%.
Speed up motor performance - Improved coordination after a nap can mean fewer accidents.
Improve your accuracy - Your boss will be happy you’re making fewer mistakes, and better decisions
Look younger - Naps increase growth hormone production, which can result in improved skin texture and tissue regeneration. Naps are truly “beauty sleep”
Improve your sex life - Daytime napping can increase sex drive and function. Nap now, love more later…
Lose weight - Sleepy people crave high fat, high sugar foods more than people who are rested. Naps can also help you produce more growth hormone that reduces body fat.
Reduce risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes - Fatigue results in increased cortisol production, and this leads to increased blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular disorders and increased blood sugar.
Improve your stamina - Naps give you extra energy for running a marathon or staying alert at meetings. A nap can make the second half of your day just like a brand-new day!
Elevate mood - Lack of sleep makes you cranky.
Boost creativity - Naps help your brain create connections needed for a fresh burst of creativity.
Reduce stress - Naps can lower cortisol and make you a less-stressed, calmer person.
Improved nighttime sleep - Contrary to some sleep advice, research shows a midday nap can actually improve your nighttime sleep. Going “beyond” with fatigue can rev you up so you’re too “wired” to fall asleep when you have the chance.
It feels good! - Millions of nappers (and essentially all animals) can’t be wrong…
So, create opportunities for a nap during your day, ideally about 6 hours after you wake up in the morning. You’ll feel better, be healthier, increase your productivity and make better decisions. Even your boss should be interested - introduce him/her to the science of napping!
Further reading:
Take a Nap! Change Your Life: The Scientific Plan to Make you Smarter, Healthier, More Productive (Amazon.com or Amazon.ca )
Note: I have no affiliation with the author or seller of this book...just sharing a book I enjoyed reading and learned from!
