Sleep is very, very good. And
while it's essential to get a solid seven to nine hours per night, when you
occasionally miss the mark, a nap can help a great deal. Hey, it's still a good
idea even if you do get enough sleep.
As it becomes increasingly popular
to nap in the workplace, there's really no excuse not to nap -- especially when
there are so many health benefits.
Here are seven reasons why you
should take a nap right now:
1. It'll increase your patience
Feeling frustrated? According to
researchers at the University of Michigan, who published a study recently in
the journal Personality and Individual Differences, you should probably take a
nap. Participants were asked to complete a particularly frustrating task --
drawing geometric designs on a computer screen. Those who took an hour-long nap
before the exercise were able to draw for about a minute, compared to a control
group who watched a nature documentary instead of napping. They gave up after
45 seconds.
2. You'll be more alert
Whether you're on a long drive or
trying to get through a difficult task at work, napping is a great way to
increase alertness if you're feeling foggy. A NASA study found that after
napping for forty minutes pilots were more alert, and a smaller study found
that after just ten minutes participants felt more alert.
3. Just thinking about taking a
nap can lower your blood pressure
While an actual nap is certainly
beneficial, so is the time before you take one. One British study found that
participants' blood pressure dropped before they even fell asleep -- just
anticipating the nap they were about to take was enough.
4. It helps you remember more
A study conducted by researchers
in Germany found that taking an hourlong nap can dramatically improve our
ability to remember information. For the study, participants were asked to
remember specific words and pairs. Then, half the participants watched a DVD
while the other half napped. When asked about their memory of the words, the
nap group performed five times as well as the DVD group.
5. It can improve creativity
If you haven't been feeling too
imaginative lately, it's probably time to hit the hay. A study conducted by
psychiatrist Sara Mednick out of the University of California, San Diego, found
that people who take REM naps -- the deep sleep state where you're dreaming --
were more creative when it came to problem solving than non-REM nappers.
6. Regular naps may prevent heart
disease
One study of 23,000 Greek adults
found that people who took midday naps -- a.k.a. "siestas" -- were
over thirty percent less likely to die of heart disease, according to The
Washington Post.
"Napping may help deal with
the stress of daily living," Michael Twery of the National Heart Lung and
Blood Institute said, according to the Washington Post. "Another
possibility is that it is part of the normal biological rhythm of daily living.
The biological clock that drives sleep and wakefulness has two cycles each day,
and one of them dips usually in the early afternoon. It's possible that not
engaging in napping for some people might disrupt these processes."
7. Taking a ten minute rest is
beneficial, too
Don't think you can actually fall
asleep? It may not matter all that much. A 2007 study, which took a look at the
effects of napping versus resting, found that simply lying down for ten minutes
improved mood regardless of whether or not the person fell asleep.
What are you waiting for? Get
snoozing and dream on!
Courtesy of: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/15/reasons-to-nap_n_7715732.html?ir=Healthy%20Living&utm_campaign=071515&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-healthy-living&utm_content=Title&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003
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