The 4 Benefits of a Power Nap (And The Best Way To Wake-Up Energized)

in #benefits6 years ago


If you ever have that mid-day crash or feel tired after getting horrible sleep, you need a nap.

No, naps aren't just for sloth-like people, but instead, some of the top performers in the world are using naps and their amazing benefits to supercharge their productivity, energy and so much more.

Let's dive into the benefits of power naps.

The 4 Benefits of a Power Nap


Napping has been disgraced for some time now.

Although, when we look at Mexico and Spanish culture, they like to use a siesta to break-up their day, and in the industrial revolution era people would commonly wake-up in the middle of the night to meditate, do chores or have sex.

Napping, or segmented sleep is something so inherent in our past.

Benefit #1: Recoup Needed Rest


When you stay up late or are short on time for sleep, you can see some nasty side effects.

Attention, accuracy and energy plummets.

That's why a quick 10-30 minute nap, in the middle of the day has been shown to help give you back some of those missed sleep cycles while giving you benefits for over a few hours.

Now by getting extra sleep, the brain also utilizes the glymphatic system, a detoxing mechanism in the brain which we so often neglect(1.)

Benefit #2: Better Memory and Learning


There are three purposes for our sleep:

  • Rest/ Energy Conservation
  • Recovery
  • Rehearsal
The third purpose is exactly what we are talking about.

Rehearsing information is a crucial part of learning it, its a theory for why we dream, and it solidifies the information we learned during the day.

In fact, some research shows up to 50% of all learning occurs during rehearsal in sleep.

That's why a mid-day power nap, especially when studying, can lead to better memory and learning(2.)

Benefit #3: Improved Positive Attitude


Note: This is for longer naps.

By taking a longer nap, over 45 minutes, and pushing into that REM sleep cycle, you can drastically improve emotional intelligence and positive attitude.

That means any time that you have anxiety or are in a bad mood a quick nap may be the best way to go about it.

Although, remember that pushing into REM sleep may make sleep inertia stronger and have you waking up groggy(3.)

Benefit #4: Improved Daily Energy


This is the last benefit, and often the reason why people take naps.

Shorter naps, 10-30 minutes, have been shown to provide the best energy after the nap, although the bonus below really packs a punch.

Next time you get tired or the midday crash takes you out, try a quick 15-minute nap(4,5,6.)

Bonus: Caffeine Naps


Caffeine naps, originally introduced to me by Tim Ferriss, are pretty useful in situations where you need to jump out of the nap and keep performing.

In a small Japanese study, they showed that about 100mg of caffeine before a quick nap, elicited the caffeine and natural energy from the nap hitting at the same time(7.)

A 1,2 knockout to whatever was making you tired.

And that's it.

Why This Is So Important For The Body


In the next article, we are going to talk about how to take the perfect nap, although understanding the ways you can use it is very important.

We often neglect our body and our sleep.

Knowing the benefits and how to get back your energy and health is so important.

Which is why this fits perfectly into the high leverage skill of sleep mastery.

Thanks for reading,

Austin


Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://heightenedliving.com/the-benefits-of-a-power-nap/

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