Want To Step Up Your Napping? You Need To Read This First

Napping has become a hot topic as many famous business leaders, professional athletes, and businesses have stepped forward and endorsed them. The latest advances in sleep science support the value of naps for healthy adults. Now is the perfect time to join those leveraging napping in their pursuit of even greater success.

We hope this article helps you to achieve the perfect nap and recharge your batteries without feeling guilty. Happy napping!

You, Me And Napping: The Truth

• Humans are one of the only mammals to sleep in a single period.
• Human bodies naturally experience two periods of intense sleepiness: the dreaded afternoon nap attack between 1 pm and 3 pm and again in the wee hours of the morning, from about 2 am to 4 am.
• Pro athletes utilize naps to improve performance. This includes NBA, NFL, and even NHL players.
• Cultures that support napping have a lower rate of coronary heart disease (CHD). A 2007 study of Greek people found that those who napped twice a week reduced their CHD by 12% and by 37% if they napped three times a week.
• It’s not your imagination that sleeping on a swing or in a hammock is a great place to nap. A recent study found that napping while slowly swinging does put us to sleep faster.
• Napping is gaining popularity again – National Napping Day is observed on March 14. (It’s an unofficial holiday.)

If You Want To Be A Winner, Change Your Napping Philosophy Now!

If you’re feeling drowsy in the afternoon, it might be time to take a quick nap. Taking even a 20-minute power nap when you feel your productivity levels (and often mood) drop, can refresh you and get you back on track.  Research shows that a short afternoon nap increases alertness while helping workers stay productive the rest of the day. Here are some more interesting facts about napping and the benefits of taking an afternoon nap.

Napping for a better tomorrow

• 48% of Americans say they are sleep deprived
• Only 34% nap regularly
• A short 20-30 minute nap increases alertness and productivity
• Taking an afternoon nap just 3 times a week decreases the risk of heart-disease-related death by 37%
• The annual cost of lost productivity from drowsy workers in US business is $18 billion
• Despite this, only 6% of workplaces have a designated nap room

You’ve got that post-lunch sleepy feeling

• The best time for a nap: anywhere between 1 pm and 3 pm. (Try to time this with when you feel your productivity levels drop.)
• The drowsiness often felt during midday is due to the hypothalamus. This small portion of the brain regulates the body’s “clock” and creates a lack of alertness during the midafternoon.

“A few minutes of light sleep can help to bring back productivity levels to 100%.”

5 of the best nap accessories ever

Every nap needs the perfect accessories to make it truly great. Once you’ve decided on the perfect time and place, you want to be sure you’re comfortable and don’t sleep too long. Here are our picks for five of the best nap accessories ever!

1. Coffee – Enjoy a cup of coffee (or other caffeinated beverage) before you take a power nap for maximum alertness when you wake up. (The caffeine will kick about the same time your alarm goes off.)
2. Sleep mask – Same rules apply to your nighttime habits – create a dark environment to fall asleep faster.
3. Blanket – Since you’re body temperature drops while you’re asleep, a blanket will help keep you comfortable.
4. Cell phone – Set a loud, but not grating, alarm to make sure you wake up in time.
5. Pencil – Einstein’s trick: Hold a pencil while you’re drifting off before a power nap – the pencil will drop if you start to slip into too deep of a sleep and wake you up.

A day without a nap is like a cupcake without frosting.
~Terri Guillemets