We’ve all been tempted to have a short nap on the sofa in the mid-afternoon, or we’ve thought about laying our heads on the table in the office and wander into dreamland. Many individuals think that naps are a sign of laziness, but seeing that we have long hours in work, it’s not shocking that so many of us are sleep deprived. Are naps the solution we’ve been looking for to aid us beat the midday fall and also improve daily function?
There are both pros and cons when it comes to napping. The obvious cons would be that napping could disturb your sleeping pattern. According to MayoClinic, although napping should have little outcome, napping could cause in nighttime sleep difficulties, particularly for those who suffer from insomnia. Naps could result in sleep inactivity, resulting in different waking up feeling like disoriented and groggy.
Napping in the day can also result in bad sleeping behaviors. Even just slightly a bit of a power nap reduces your night time sleep pattern. The nap becomes another episode of fragmented sleep.
Being said, there are also some benefits to napping. A sleep specialist deliberated these pros, showing that naps could advance in our daily function. The specialist said that short naps during the day have been found to decrease the events of workplace errors and can improve concentration, attentiveness, performance, and attention. Often, after a nap, a person will also feel in better spirits, thus a nap has mood-boosting special effects and can support to manage stress.
There are things to remember when napping though. The length of the nap should not surpass 20 minutes, and MayoClinic suggests that a nap is between 10 to 20 minutes. The aim for this is that the longer an individual naps, the more likely they are to wake up feeling tired. This is because lengthier naps result in a profound stage of sleep.
Naps must also happen earlier in the day. MayoClinic says naps should occur before 3 p.m., while Huffington Post proposes the best time for a nap is earlier than 2 p.m. Their explanations are the same; napping later will affect your night time rest.
Lastly, it’s important to understand that fatigue could be a result of an underlying medical condition, the result of prescription medication or mental disorder. If you find yourself anguish from extreme daytime exhaustion, it is recommended you see a doctor.
ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND
References:
https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/should-you-be-napping-the-pros-and-cons.html
